DULUTH — What once seemed completely inevitable was thrown into question this week after St. Thomas Academy decided to retire head hockey coach Mike Randolph.
Randolph, the legendary former Duluth East coach who is tied with retired Rochester Mayo coach Lorne Grosso for the most wins in Minnesota history, was in California last week with his wife Ginny to visit their son. After they returned to Duluth, STA athletic director Reid Hornung contacted them and asked if they could meet in Duluth on Tuesday.
After talking a bit about vacations and other things, Hornung revealed why he made the trip north from the Twin Cities.
“Right away, he said, 'Let's get down to business, I'm not renewing my contract,'” Randolph said.
In a letter sent to STA parents by Principal Brian Ragatz and Hornung, they thanked Randolph for his work over the past two years, but added that Randolph and the school “have decided to part ways. It was mutually agreed upon.”
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group
Hornung did not respond to an email from the News Tribune seeking further comment.
Randolph said the news felt like it “came out of nowhere,” and when asked why that decision was made, Hornung identified several “little things.”
First, Randolph, who still lives in Duluth, did not attend the end-of-season banquet for cadets, but the banquet was held during the late March snowstorm that hit the area. It was scheduled during a mild winter (the only significant storm).
“I said I couldn't get off the street or I would have been at the party,” Randolph said. “In fact, I have attended about 42 banquets so far, but I have only been absent from one.''
Randolph said he sent his prepared speech and thank you to his seniors and other recipients to his assistants, but the storm made it impossible for him to physically attend.
The second reason was related to the first. Randolph did not live in the Twin Cities full-time and was unable to be “sufficiently visible” in the Mendota Heights Military Academy neighborhood. Randolph rents an apartment in the area, but purchasing his home was not in his and his wife's will.
“I've been married for 50 years, and I've coached hockey for 42 of those years,” Randolph said. “The reason it works is because my wife makes a lot of sacrifices. But she understands my passion for coaching and I understand her passion for her job. We are deeply involved in this community. This is our home.”
Clint Austin / File / Duluth Media Group
Randolph's predecessor, Trent Aigner, lasted just two seasons, and now Randolph is leaving after the same term. Both came to St. Thomas after winning Class AA championships at other schools, Aigner at Lakeville North and Randolph at East.
“We strongly believe that our student-athletes need their head coach to be on campus on a regular basis,” the letter to parents said. Randolph said Hornung also cited some complaints about the “style of play.”
The Cadets went 17-9-2 last season and 19-8-0 in 2022-23. Both of Randolph's varsity seasons ended with losses to Cretin-Durham Hall in the Section 3AA championship game.
The school has already selected its next head coach, according to the letter. The move was reportedly made by Mark Strobel, a former assistant at the University of Wisconsin, but Tom Klein, an assistant who had to speak at Randolph's banquet because of the March storm, said the move was made by former University of Wisconsin assistant Mark Strobel. It has been in the works for at least two weeks.
Klein said he has been promoting the STA by meeting with prospective players “on request for admission,” but said the move to replace the coaching staff “has gone unnoticed.”
“It's obviously been going on for quite some time,” Klein said. “I'm angry that I was fooled by some in the administration into thinking there was a plan to replace us. I'm also angry and saddened by how Mike was treated. We haven't done anything to guarantee he won't be our coach.”
Randolph, who leaves STA with 707 career wins, tied for the most in Minnesota hockey history, is open to coaching again, but it requires a “fit” and, perhaps more importantly, Randolph. The house is not moving.
“If that’s important to a school that has space, don’t even think about me,” he said. “If I could do what I did at (STA), I thought it would have worked, but if it's the right fit, then yes, I'm open to coaching. I love coaching and I'm going to coach next year. did.”
But Randolph knows he might not get a call, and if he does, so be it.
“I feel very fortunate to have coached at STA for the past three years, and before that at Duluth East for 32 years,” Randolph said. “I've had a great career. I've been very fortunate to have great coaches and great parents. It's been a great ride. If this is it, this is it.”
Jamie Malcolm has been the high school sports reporter for the Duluth News Tribune since October 2021. He has covered news and sports for the Lake County News Chronicle and Crockett Pine Journal in Two Harbors for the past six years. He graduated from George Washington University in 1999 with a bachelor's degree in history and literature, and George also earned a master's degree in secondary English education from Mason University.
