Herbert Paul Brooks, Jr. (August 5, 1937 – August 11, 2003) was an American ice hockey player and coach. His most notable achievement came in 1980 as head coach of the gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic hockey team at Lake Placid. At the games, Brooks' US team upset the heavily favored Soviet team in a match that came to be known as the 'Miracle on Ice'. Brooks would go on to coach multiple NHL teams, as well as the French hockey team at the 1998 Winter Olympics, and ultimately returned to coach the US men's team to a silver medal at the 2002 games in Salt Lake City. Brooks was killed in a 2003 car accident. At the time of his death, Brooks was the Pittsburgh Penguins' director of player personnel.
Brooks continued his hockey career with the University of Minnesota Gophers from 1955 to 1959. He was a member of the 1960 Olympic team, only to become the last cut the week before the Games started. Three weeks later, Brooks sat at home with his father and watched the team he almost made win gold. Afterwards, Brooks "went up to the coach Jack Riley and said, 'Well, you must have made the right decision—you won.'"; this humbling moment served as motivation for an already self-driven person.
"If you lose this game, you'll take it to your [expletive] graves."
"You're looking for players whose name on the front of the sweater is more important than the one on the back. I look for these players to play hard, to play smart and to represent their country."
"Nine out of ten time we play this team, the would beat us. But not tonight because tonight is our night, tonight we win."
"Great moments are born from great oppurtunities."
"This is your moment. You're meant to be here."
"If I'd have went on the ice when this thing happened, someone would have speared me or something. It's a great feeling of accomplishment and pride. They had to do it; it was their moment."
"[I remember sitting with Brooks in his office, in late December 1999, not long after he'd taken over as coach of the Jaromir Jagr -controlled Penguins. It was a job Brooks didn't even want, and when the season ended he would relinquish it. Yet he seized the team with all his gusto.] I want speed, and excitement and I want our players to go out there and have the times of their lives, ... We're not going to be hanging around waiting for something to happen. We're going to make things happen ourselves."
"I don't think it will. It'll never stop."
"Legs feed the wolf."
"If you give 99 percent, you will make my job very easy."
"And maybe I'm a little smarter now than I was before for all the stupid things I've done."
"You know, Willie Wonka said it best: we are the makers of dreams, the dreamers of dreams."
"Everything goes in cycles, to a degree."
"Maybe I'm sort of like the players - there's still a lot of little boy in me."
"We should be dreaming. We grew up as kids having dreams, but now we're too sophisticated as adults, as a nation. We stopped dreaming. We should always have dreams."
Herb Brooks' Coaching Style Won The Miracle On Ice
Fans, writers, and hockey professionals explain how Herb Brooks' coaching style helped team USA win the 1980 Olympic gold medal for ice hockey. After winning the February 22nd 'Miracle on Ice' game against the Soviet Union, the US went on to win the Gold medal game against Finland two days later.
published: 14 Feb 2014
Miracle Speech - You were born for this - Herb Brooks, Movie: Miracle
published: 15 May 2010
Herb Brooks, USA vs. Czechoslovakia (1980)
"Up close and personal."
published: 27 Dec 2019
Who was Herb Brooks? The legacy lives on...
As the Herb Brooks Foundation prepares for its first ever “Science of Hockey” Field Trip, we're reflecting on the legacy of Herb Brooks and how he changed hockey.
published: 16 Oct 2019
BM 1991 Herb Brooks interview
published: 26 Jun 2020
Who was Herb Brooks?
Who was Herb Brooks? Why does his legacy live on today? Miracle on ice was not just a sporting event, it was a significant moment in American History. The moment inspired Americans dealing with the effects of the Cold War, and instilled the values of hard work, perseverance and U.S. pride.
published: 20 Dec 2019
Herb Brooks goes after announcer John Kelly
Pittsburgh Penguins Coach Herb Brooks goes after John Kelly, the Avalanche television play-by-play announcer.
Kelly said Penguins forward Matthew Barnaby faked an injury.
Brooks: ''Did you make that call on Barnaby? You say he has a tendency to embellish? What the hell kind of call was that? You aren't half the person your dad was.''
The NHL suspended Brooks for 2 games - January 2000
published: 24 Jan 2013
Miracle - The Name on the Front More Important than the Name on the Back
Shortened scene from the movie Miracle where the coach forces the team to work out after a game until one player finally realizes that the name on the front of the jersey is more important than the name on the back.
Fans, writers, and hockey professionals explain how Herb Brooks' coaching style helped team USA win the 1980 Olympic gold medal for ice hockey. After winning th...
Fans, writers, and hockey professionals explain how Herb Brooks' coaching style helped team USA win the 1980 Olympic gold medal for ice hockey. After winning the February 22nd 'Miracle on Ice' game against the Soviet Union, the US went on to win the Gold medal game against Finland two days later.
Fans, writers, and hockey professionals explain how Herb Brooks' coaching style helped team USA win the 1980 Olympic gold medal for ice hockey. After winning the February 22nd 'Miracle on Ice' game against the Soviet Union, the US went on to win the Gold medal game against Finland two days later.
As the Herb Brooks Foundation prepares for its first ever “Science of Hockey” Field Trip, we're reflecting on the legacy of Herb Brooks and how he changed hocke...
As the Herb Brooks Foundation prepares for its first ever “Science of Hockey” Field Trip, we're reflecting on the legacy of Herb Brooks and how he changed hockey.
As the Herb Brooks Foundation prepares for its first ever “Science of Hockey” Field Trip, we're reflecting on the legacy of Herb Brooks and how he changed hockey.
Who was Herb Brooks? Why does his legacy live on today? Miracle on ice was not just a sporting event, it was a significant moment in American History. The momen...
Who was Herb Brooks? Why does his legacy live on today? Miracle on ice was not just a sporting event, it was a significant moment in American History. The moment inspired Americans dealing with the effects of the Cold War, and instilled the values of hard work, perseverance and U.S. pride.
Who was Herb Brooks? Why does his legacy live on today? Miracle on ice was not just a sporting event, it was a significant moment in American History. The moment inspired Americans dealing with the effects of the Cold War, and instilled the values of hard work, perseverance and U.S. pride.
Pittsburgh Penguins Coach Herb Brooks goes after John Kelly, the Avalanche television play-by-play announcer.
Kelly said Penguins forward Matthew Barnaby faked...
Pittsburgh Penguins Coach Herb Brooks goes after John Kelly, the Avalanche television play-by-play announcer.
Kelly said Penguins forward Matthew Barnaby faked an injury.
Brooks: ''Did you make that call on Barnaby? You say he has a tendency to embellish? What the hell kind of call was that? You aren't half the person your dad was.''
The NHL suspended Brooks for 2 games - January 2000
Pittsburgh Penguins Coach Herb Brooks goes after John Kelly, the Avalanche television play-by-play announcer.
Kelly said Penguins forward Matthew Barnaby faked an injury.
Brooks: ''Did you make that call on Barnaby? You say he has a tendency to embellish? What the hell kind of call was that? You aren't half the person your dad was.''
The NHL suspended Brooks for 2 games - January 2000
Shortened scene from the movie Miracle where the coach forces the team to work out after a game until one player finally realizes that the name on the front of ...
Shortened scene from the movie Miracle where the coach forces the team to work out after a game until one player finally realizes that the name on the front of the jersey is more important than the name on the back.
Shortened scene from the movie Miracle where the coach forces the team to work out after a game until one player finally realizes that the name on the front of the jersey is more important than the name on the back.
Fans, writers, and hockey professionals explain how Herb Brooks' coaching style helped team USA win the 1980 Olympic gold medal for ice hockey. After winning the February 22nd 'Miracle on Ice' game against the Soviet Union, the US went on to win the Gold medal game against Finland two days later.
As the Herb Brooks Foundation prepares for its first ever “Science of Hockey” Field Trip, we're reflecting on the legacy of Herb Brooks and how he changed hockey.
Who was Herb Brooks? Why does his legacy live on today? Miracle on ice was not just a sporting event, it was a significant moment in American History. The moment inspired Americans dealing with the effects of the Cold War, and instilled the values of hard work, perseverance and U.S. pride.
Pittsburgh Penguins Coach Herb Brooks goes after John Kelly, the Avalanche television play-by-play announcer.
Kelly said Penguins forward Matthew Barnaby faked an injury.
Brooks: ''Did you make that call on Barnaby? You say he has a tendency to embellish? What the hell kind of call was that? You aren't half the person your dad was.''
The NHL suspended Brooks for 2 games - January 2000
Shortened scene from the movie Miracle where the coach forces the team to work out after a game until one player finally realizes that the name on the front of the jersey is more important than the name on the back.
Herbert Paul Brooks, Jr. (August 5, 1937 – August 11, 2003) was an American ice hockey player and coach. His most notable achievement came in 1980 as head coach of the gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic hockey team at Lake Placid. At the games, Brooks' US team upset the heavily favored Soviet team in a match that came to be known as the 'Miracle on Ice'. Brooks would go on to coach multiple NHL teams, as well as the French hockey team at the 1998 Winter Olympics, and ultimately returned to coach the US men's team to a silver medal at the 2002 games in Salt Lake City. Brooks was killed in a 2003 car accident. At the time of his death, Brooks was the Pittsburgh Penguins' director of player personnel.
Brooks continued his hockey career with the University of Minnesota Gophers from 1955 to 1959. He was a member of the 1960 Olympic team, only to become the last cut the week before the Games started. Three weeks later, Brooks sat at home with his father and watched the team he almost made win gold. Afterwards, Brooks "went up to the coach Jack Riley and said, 'Well, you must have made the right decision—you won.'"; this humbling moment served as motivation for an already self-driven person.