The Omaha Maverick Hockey program announced that former Coach Mike Kemp (currently UNO’s Executive Associate Athletic Director) will be retiring in May. The press conference was held in conjunction with the athletic department’s “weekly media availability” on Feb. 21, 2024. Kemp has been with the Mavericks since shortly after the announcement by the University of Nebraska at Omaha that it was starting a D-1 hockey program in 1996, giving Kemp the distinction of being the program’s first head coach. 

Kemp also had a brief stint as the head coach of UNO’s club hockey team in the 1975-76 season (a role he took with the intention of elevating it to a full-fledged D-1 hockey program the following season) — read our blog post “The Origins of UNO Hockey” to learn more about that club team. 

MavPuck.com’s Bridget Brooks attended the press event and was able to ask Coach Kemp about his years with the program, his legacy, and goals for the future. 

Here is Bridget’s video from the press conference: