Reports: RoughRiders' Carlson strong candidate for UMass coaching position

Cedar Rapids RoughRiders Coach/General Manager/Owner Mark Carlson has been offered the head coaching position at the University of Massachusetts, College Hockey News reported Tuesday, though the Daily Hampshire Gazette in Amherst, Mass., quoted UMass Athletics Director John McCutcheon as saying no offer to anyone has been made.

Carlson told The Gazette late Monday night via text that he was interviewing for the job. He was in Amherst on Tuesday and had not returned a pair of phone messages seeking further comment by late Tuesday night.

RoughRiders players said Tuesday they had not heard from their coach about his future plans.

Carlson, 42, is the only Coach/GM the RoughRiders have had since arriving in town from Mason City for the 1999-2000 season and has led the RoughRiders to the United States Hockey League playoffs 12 seasons in a row, including a Clark Cup championshion in 2004-05. The Riders won the Anderson Cup for most regular-season points in 2010-11.

Carlson originally is from the Philadelphia area and played college hockey at Massachusetts-Lowell. He was an assistant coach at Northeastern (in Boston) when he was hired to lead the RoughRiders.

He and his wife, Tammy, became partial owners of the RoughRiders in the summer of 2009, when he signed a 10-year contract extension. Carlson surpassed 400 career USHL victories last season.

UMass is seeking a replacement for Don Cahoon, who resigned last month. The school has been turned down by at least two other interviewees who were offered the head coaching position.