Brandon Naurato - Ice Hockey Coach - University of Michigan Athletics

Brandon Naurato

Title:
Graham Family Head Ice Hockey Coach

Brandon Naurato was named the Graham Family Head Ice Hockey Coach on March 31, 2023 after a season as interim head coach. He guided the Wolverines to back-to-back Frozen Four appearances in his first two seasons. A 2009 graduate of the University of Michigan, Naurato posted the most wins (26) of any first-year Michigan head coach in program history before becoming the first to post consecutive 20+ win seasons to kick off his tenure.

The 2023-24 team made its 28th appearance in the Frozen Four after being largely counted out of the NCAA Tournament in February. The Wolverines made a run to the Big Ten Tournament Championship, before falling to Michigan State in the title game. The team, ranked No. 10 in the nation, exacted revenge two weeks later with a 5-2 win over then ranked No. 5 MSU in the NCAA Regional final, a day after taking down No. 4 North Dakota 4-3. Michigan's season came to an end in the national semifinal to the No. 1 overall seed Boston College. The squad had the top-ranked power-play unit in the nation at 33.6 percent (50-for-149) and was third in the nation in scoring offense (4.12 goals per game). Six players averaged more than a point-per-game - something Michigan has not accomplished in more than 25 years. The B1G Player of the Year and Scoring Champion Gavin Brindley was named first-team All-American, along with Seamus Casey, while Rutger McGroarty was a second-team selection.

In his first season as head coach, Naurato guided the Wolverines to the Big Ten Tournament Championship and a coveted place in the Frozen Four. UM’s 7-1 mark to begin the season was the best start ever for a Michigan hockey coach. Throughout the season, Michigan was one of the highest scoring offenses (4.17) in the nation despite being the nation's youngest team. The Wolverines were ranked in the top 10 of the national polls all season, and as the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten Tournament upset top-seeded Minnesota on its home ice to capture the crown. Finishing the regular season at No. 3 in the pairwise rankings, Michigan earned a No. 1 seed in the program's 40th NCAA appearance. The Wolverines made history scoring the most goals in an NCAA Regional with an 11-1 victory over Colgate before defeating host Penn State, 2-1 in overtime to make back-to-back appearances in the Frozen Four. Naurato’s squad fell to eventual national champion Quinnipiac but had plenty of national highlights, including Adam Fantilli becoming the third UM player to capture the Hobey Baker Award. He and Luke Hughes were named first-team All-Americans.

In his season as interim head coach the Michigan alum led the Wolverines to the Big Ten Tournament Championship and a run to the 2022 NCAA Frozen Four. Michigan posted a record of 31-10-1 and set a new program record with 16 sellout crowds at Yost Ice Arena. Michigan's high-octane offense included a program-record seven first-round NHL Draft picks and 13 selections overall. The third-best scoring offense (3.98) in the nation featured a potent power play ranked third at 27 percent. Matty Beniers, Luke Hughes and Owen Power were named All-Americans while goaltender Erik Portillo was a finalist for the Mike Richter Award, leading the nation in saves while capturing Big Ten Tournament and NCAA Midwest Region MVP honors.

A native of Livonia, Mich., Naurato spent three seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, serving as a Player Development Consultant. He worked with the Red Wings and Grand Rapids (AHL) Griffins coaching staffs to implement individual skill development. Year-long individualized plans for each player, team tactics, and the identification of current trends through analytics and video analysis were focus areas for Naurato.

Along with running all prospect development for Detroit in the Summer months, Brandon owns and manages his own development business, Naurato Consulting. He has enrolled over 170 junior, college and professional players over the past two years with a focus on blending technical, tactical and transferable skills. He also spent seven years as the owner and director of Total Package Hockey in Detroit where he started the first online hockey academy in the United States.

Notable NHL players who have worked with Naurato include Zach Werenski, Quinn Hughes, Dylan Larkin, Jacob Trouba, Jack Hughes, Kyle Connor, JT Compher and Andrew Copp.

Naurato played four years at Michigan, from 2006-09, making the NCAA Tournament all four years. In 130 career games he scored 32 goals and 32 assists. He helped the Wolverines to the CCHA Championship in 2008, leading to a Frozen Four appearance. Following his collegiate career, he played four years in the pros, making stops at Stockton (ECHL), Toledo (ECHL), Port Huron (IHL), Fort Wayne (CHL) and Dayton (CHL).