August 11, 2003
Herb Brooks
Herb Brooks was the architect behind the "Miracle on Ice" hockey team that captured the gold medal at the 1980 Winter Olympics.
In 1979, Brooks was coaching hockey at the University of Minnesota when he was asked to put together a team for the Lake Placid Games. Using players from rival hockey and college teams, he spent a year training the men, preparing them to play the Soviet Union's championship squad.
Just before the Olympics began, the Soviets creamed the American team by 10-3 in an exhibition game. Undaunted, the U.S. players came back a week later to beat the Soviets 4-3, and win the gold.
Brooks was no stranger to international competition. In 1960, he was the last player to be cut in tryouts for the U.S. Olympic team. Four years later, he made the team and played in the 1964 and 1968 games.
After the American triumph in 1980, Brooks coached several N.H.L. teams, including the New York Rangers, the Minnesota North Stars, the New Jersey Devils and the Pittsburgh Penguins. In 2002, he coached the U.S. hockey team to a silver medal at the Salt Lake City Olympics.
Brooks was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990. He was returning from a celebrity golf tournament to raise money for the hall when he lost control of his minivan on a Minnesota highway. The vehicle rolled and he was thrown from the car; he was not wearing a seat belt.
Brooks died on Aug. 11. He was 66.
I was not even alive in 1980, but I believe that the Miracle on Ice was the sporting event of the century. Herb Brooks gave people something to believe in. That is the most specialist thing of all.
Posted by Heather on November 12, 2004 10:45 AMI think Herb Brooks was one of the greatest sport coaches in history. He could turn any team into a contender. but he was also much more. He was a great person ans gave america hope during one of the hardest of times.
Posted by Logan Pirkl (12) on February 18, 2005 11:59 AMherb Brooks rocks!!
Posted by logan pirkl on February 18, 2005 2:46 PMHerb Brooks is the best coach in the whole world. When i saw them win i was stunned. I think he did a really good job on all of the players.
Posted by Collins Funmaker on April 15, 2005 4:03 PMHerb Brooks was not only an extraordinary person but one of the greatest coaches ever, definitely the best in the last century! Not only was he the last one cut from the 1960 Olympic Team, but he was cut within a week of the games. After coming through that, he went on to compete again, being cut that late would crush most people but now Herb he was a better man than that. He will be dearly missed by all who love this great sport!
Posted by Kelly on May 10, 2005 11:22 AMWent to Johnson High with Herb, and although I did not play the game, I remember the guy's walking to Lake Phalen with their gear for practice as we did not have car's in those day's. It took dedication (not just wanting a letter) since we had no indoor rinks. Herb Brooks had that dedication! I am sure he learned from this and was able to pass it on to those who followed him. AMEN, HERB.
Posted by Bob Stack on July 5, 2005 2:39 PMherb brooks was a great man.
Posted by billy on November 9, 2005 10:54 AMI wish herb was still alive because he was a great man with a good heart and personalty.
Posted by TOM on March 16, 2006 9:15 PMI am 12 and i am doing a report on him for school and i didn't know how great this Miracle on Ice really was and how great Herb Brooks was.
Posted by J Dog on April 22, 2006 12:32 PMThe day after the US won the gold, I met Herb after we appeared together on Real People, a tv show. George Schlatter took us to our hotel. They couldn't find a reservation for Herb. My room had two beds, so I invited him to share my room. It turns out that Herb had visited Salt Lake Temple Square the week before and I being a Mormon, answered questions about life and death and shared several LDS books with Herb. I passed his informatin along to the missionaries and my understanding was that the mission president taught him the discussions. I never heard the out come. I was shocked when I heard of his untimely death. That night he was the most famous person on the planet. He was on a half of dozen tv shows, and he didn't watch one. He was consumed reading the book, Letters from Brigham Young to his sons. I would love to hear how the discussions went. If anyone knows, please email me at ernesthemple@yahoo.com
Posted by Ernest Hemple on June 27, 2006 12:07 AMi was not born yet i was born 12 years later (1992) my dad went to collage at the University of Minnesota when herb broocks coached there and is the same age as the players. my dad grow up in Wis. now we live in GA. my dad's twin brother new mark johnson and they were close friend's (they have each other on speed dial) so all 3 of them tell me stories of herb brooks and what he was like. i wish he was still alive today. because of him i believe in miracles, and have faith in me, my team, and follow/ and listion to what my heart tells me to do.
Posted by Mallory on October 16, 2006 4:27 PMHerb was an awesome guy when i went 2 meet him on the sets of Miracle!!!! I wish that everyone gets a chance to notice what a great guy Herb was
Posted by Raven Backster on January 14, 2007 5:22 PMWILL FISH IS THE BEST!
Posted by Tyler Tennant on November 25, 2008 11:39 AMMy heart and sorrows, goes out to the brooks family, for their lost. Herb was a great coach, he did what no other coach could do. He took a bunch of college hockey players, and turned them into gold medal winners. REST IN PEACE HERB.
Posted by josee on July 10, 2010 9:56 AM