Robb Stauber has been hired as head coach by the NWHL expansion Minnesota Whitecaps. Fresh off the gold medal performance of his US team in PyeongChang, Stauber was rumored to be on the shortlist of potential hires to take over Don Lucia’s vacated post at the University of Minnesota’s Men’s Hockey program.

Robb will be joined behind the bench as co-Head Coach by his wife, former Whitecaps Assistant Shivaun Stauber. Shivaun has held coaching jobs at RIT and Niigata University, and played goaltender for Merceyhurst and Vermont in the past.

Robb Stauber’s relationship with the US Women’s program, combined with the sheer volume of local and semi-local players to the Twin Cities region, have quickly driven speculation as to how formidable the Whitecaps’ inaugural roster may be.

Stauber’s tenure with the US team spans back to 2010, when he was hired as an assistant coach after the 2010 games. Stauber’s record as head coach of the National program is about as strong as anyone could hope for. He has been the head coach for two international senior tournaments and won gold both times, including the US’s first Olympic gold since the inaugural Women’s tournament in 1998.