Herb Brooks The Inside Story of a Hockey Mastermind

The U. S. hockey teamrs"s victory at the 1980 Olympics was a "Miracle on Ice"--a miracle largely brought about by the late Herb Brooks, the legendary coach who forged that invincible team. Famously antagonistic toward the press at Lake Placid, Brooks nonetheless turned to sportswriter John Gilbert after each game, giving his longtime friend and confidant what became the most comprehensive coverage of the rs"80 team. This book is Gilbertrs"s memoir of Brooks. Neither strictly biography or tell-all exposeacute;, Herb Brooks: Born to Coachis the story of an extraordinary man as it emerged in the course of a remarkable friendship. Gilbert, writing for the Minneapolis Tribune, first met Brooks during his coaching days at the University of Minnesota, whose hockey program he resurrected in the 1970rs"s. The two became fast friends, and here, for the first time, Gilbert relates anecdotes--his own and former playersrs"--that illuminate Brooksrs" oftentimes hard-nosed coaching methods, his dramatic successes, and his incomparable character. From Brooksrs" beginnings in East St. Paul and his stint with the 1960 gold medal-winning Olympic team (from which he was famously the last player cut), Gilbert goes on to dissect the coachrs"s tenure with the Gophers (including three national titles) and the Lake Placid story, from the selection process and yearlong barnstorming tour to the Games themselves. Throughout this and later chapters of Brooksrs" career--including coaching turns with St. Cloud State University, four NHL teams, and the 2002 U.S. Olympic squad--readers are treated to impossibly colorful quotes, rare photographs from Brooksrs" playing and coaching careers, and pertinent sidebar pieces that originally appeared in the Minneapolis Tribune.

John Gilbert has been around sports his entire life. The son of the late Wally Gilbert, Duluth's greatest athlete (Brooklyn Dodgers, Duluth Eskimos, pre-NBA pro basketball, and Duluth curling), he has written about hockey at all levels. A former Minneapolis Star Tribune writer, Gilbert now reports for various magazines and radio stations. He continues to play amateur baseball in his attempt to avoid reaching retirement age.