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10 // JANUARY 2019 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM k KEN JOHANNSON, the father of the USA Hockey Coaching Education Program in addition to raising two sons who represented the U.S. in international competition, passed away Nov. 27 at the age of 88. Johannson played college hockey at the University of North Dakota, where he was one of the top scorers in school history. He would also represent the United States as a player on the 1962 and 1966 U.S. Men's National Teams. But it would be his contributions as a coach and administrator with the Amateur Hockey Association of the United States that made the affable Johannson one of the organization's most influential figures. He won the Builder's Award at the 2011 USA Hockey Annual Congress. He was the driving force behind the creation of USA Hockey's Coaching Education Program, organizing and conducting coaching seminars and producing the first coaches manual. "Ken was instrumental in putting together what was known as the 'red book,' which was the predecessor of our current coaching materials," said Mark Tabrum, who has served as the director of the program since 2000. "Through his vision, the CEP has grown into what it is today." Johannson is also credited with creating the first National Hockey Coaches Symposium in 1985. Over the years the symposium has grown into a celebration of grassroots coaches in addition to those who have achieved the highest levels of the game. Above his many contributions to the game, Johannson was the father of two sons who skated for U.S. National Teams. Jim Johannson, who played on the 1988 and 1992 U.S. Olympic Teams, was the assistant executive director of hockey operations at USA Hockey until his passing on Jan. 21, 2018. Jim's older brother, John, competed for the 1981 U.S. National Junior Team. "He was the father of our coaching program and a wonderful mentor to so many American coaches," said Lou Vairo, who served as the director of the coaching program in addition to coaching the 1984 U.S. Olympic Team. "He was a great player in his own right and was the father to two outstanding players who represented our country." F The Father Of U.S. Coaching Left An Indelible Mark On The Game PHOTOS BY Getty Images; USA Hockey Archives acquired trait that a lot of NCAA men's hockey student-athletes have mastered. In the latest data released by the NCAA, men's hockey student-ath- letes posted a 94.6 percent NCAA Graduation Success Rate, the highest single-year total for the sport since the NCAA began track- ing the stat in 2002. The mark, showcasing those who enrolled in 2011, ranks second among all Division I men's sports, trailing only skiing (95.2 percent). The 94.6 percent mark is higher than the overall NCAA men's sport average, which sits at 83.6 percent. "Men's hockey student-athletes continue to demonstrate that it's possible to simultaneously achieve your athletic and academic dreams," said Mike Snee, executive director of College Hockey, Inc. "Men's hockey's performance in these NCAA metrics has always been impressive, so to reach new heights is a tremendous accom- plishment and a testament to our student-athletes, coaches and institutions." P rom the time they set foot on campus, student-ath- letes have high expecta- tions placed upon them. From dealing with the challenges of academic life to juggling a daily schedule of practices, workouts and games, there are only so many hours in the day. As important as a smooth skating stride or a booming shot, time man- agement is an essential skill needed to successfully navigate life on and off the ice. Fortunately, it's an Men's Hockey Players Making The Grade With Record Graduation Rates 'A' For Effort COLLEGE COACHING Fourteen institutions registered 100 percent Graduation Success Rates in the recent report released by College Hockey, Inc. Those schools at the head of the class are: • Bentley University • Bowling Green State University • Canisius College • Colgate University • University of Denver • Harvard University • Lake Superior State University • Mercyhurst University • Penn State University • Princeton University • Providence College • Quinnipiac University • Robert Morris University • Yale University Ken Johannson O F F T HE D R AW Making The Grade