RoughRiders Carlson a 'strong candidate' for UMass head hockey job

Jul. 10, 2012 1:09 am

Several reports from the East Coast on Monday night indicated Cedar Rapids RoughRiders head coach/general manager/owner Mark Carlson is a "strong" candidate to become the new head hockey coach at the University of Massachusetts.

UMass has been searching for a coach to replace "Toot" Cahoon, who left the program recently. Several possible replacements have emerged but most have bowed out of the running after interviews

Carlson said Monday in a text message that he is a candidate at UMass and has interviewed but has not officially been offered the job. He has been the RoughRiders' lone head coach/general manager since the franchise relocated to Cedar Rapids from Mason City for the 1999-2000 season.

He has led the Riders to the United States Hockey League playoffs 12 straight seasons, including a Clark Cup championship in 2004-05. The club won the Anderson Cup for most regular-season points in 2010-11.

Carlson has interviewed previously for head college coaching positions, including Massachusetts-Lowell, his alma mater, two years ago. He is reportedly one of two finalists for the UMass job.

Head coach Mark Carlson gives instructions to members of the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders during a game against the Tri-City Storm in January 2007. Carlson got his 400th win as a RoughRiders coach a 2-1 victory over the Des Moines Buccaneers, on Tuesday night, March 22, 2011. (Gazette file photo)