Josh Hauge returns for his fourth season at the helm of the Union College men's hockey team in 2025-26.
Hauge's program continued to show improvement in his third year at the helm, posting a 19-14-3 record and earning a top-four finish in the ECAC Hockey standings with a 12-8-2 conference mark, the program's most conference wins in a season since 2017-18 and the sixth most in Union's Division I era. The team started off the year with a 6-1-0 record to earn the program's first national ranking since 2019 and spent much of the year receiving votes in the USCHO rankings. Highlights of the season included keeping the Mayors' Cup trophy in Schenectady for the fourth straight year and bringing the Capital Skates Trophy back home for the first time since 2017 with a season sweep of RPI, as well as sweeping the season series from Cornell University for the first time since 2013-14.
Following the season, three Garnet Chargers (John Prokop, Brandon Buhr and Kyle Chauvette) earned All-ECAC Hockey third-team honors and first-year Ben Muthersbaugh was named to the ECAC Hockey All-Rookie Team, while Hauge was named a finalist for the ECAC Hockey Coach of the Year award.
Hauge led Union to a 16-18-3 record in his second season behind the bench and a trip to the ECAC Hockey Quarterfinals. The Garnet Chargers clinched the five-seed in the ECAC Hockey Tournament and defeated Brown, 6-0, in the first round of the tournament. The season was highlighted by a win on the road over nationally ranked Cornell as well as the first win at Harvard since 2015. Union clinched the Mayor's Cup for the third straight season with a 5-3 win over Rensselaer in January at MVP Arena. Sophomore John Prokop and junior Caden Villegas became the first two players with over 30 points in five seasons. The penalty kill unit ranked second in the country at 87.3 percent with eight short-handed goals. Prokop was a unanimous ECAC Hockey First Team selection on the way to CCM/AHCA All-America Second Team East honors.
The seventh head coach in the program’s Division I era, Hauge took command of a roster that featured 13 new faces and led Union to a 14-19-2 record and a home playoff game in the first round of the ECAC Hockey Tournament in his first season. The team posted 11 victories at Messa Rink during the season, tied for the third most by the team since 2013-14, including a 3-2 win over nationally ranked Northeastern University in December, and also kept the Mayor's Cup in Schenectady with a decisive 6-0 victory over Rensselaer in January at MVP Arena. Four of the team's top five scorers on the year were newcomers to the program, and first-years John Prokop and Nate Hanley became the first rookie tandem to lead the team in scoring since 2007-08.
Hauge came to Union after seven seasons on the bench at fellow ECAC Hockey member Clarkson University, including the last three years as the associate head coach alongside Casey Jones. In that time, Hauge played a large role in recruiting and player development for the Golden Knights, helping Clarkson post five 20-win seasons, capture the 2019 Whitelaw Cup as the ECAC Hockey Tournament champions, and appear in two NCAA Tournaments.
Before his time in the North Country, Hauge spent four seasons in the USHL, first as the head coach and general manager of the Tri-City Storm before assuming the roles of assistant coach and director of scouting for the Fargo Force. He also previously coached the Fairbanks Ice Dogs of the NAHL for five years as well, compiling a 131-58-45 record (.656) that included the 2011 Robertson Cup.
Hauge played collegiately at Division III Bethel University, appearing in 76 games over three seasons for the Royals.
A native of Rosemount, Minn., Hauge is joined in the Capital Region by his wife, Allison, and two sons, Hanley and Landry.
