Nadine Muzerall isn’t going anywhere.
Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork announced Thursday that Muzerall has agreed to a new five-year contract, securing the future of one of the nation’s premier programs.
There is one person to lead @OhioStateWHKY Happy to announce Nadine Muzerall will be in Columbus for a long time to come w. a new 5 year contract. She hasnt just coached a team; shes built a powerhouse on & off the ice.
— Ross Bjork (@RossBjorkAD) March 19, 2026
Lets go win it ALL this weekend pic.twitter.com/7Q97e4ifZl
The timing of the deal is notable, coming shortly after Minnesota parted ways with longtime head coach Brad Frost. Muzerall, a legendary player for the Golden Gophers from 1998-2001, has deep ties to the program. A two-time All-American, Patty Kazmaier Award finalist and national champion, Muzerall still holds Minnesota’s all-time goals record with 139. She later returned as an assistant coach from 2011-16, helping lead the Gophers to four national titles. Her connections to Minnesota run even deeper, as her husband, Ryan Venturine, also attended the school and played tight end for the football team.
Since taking over at Ohio State in 2016, Muzerall has transformed the program into a national powerhouse. The Buckeyes have won two national championships under her leadership while reaching four title games and seven Frozen Fours.
The top-seeded Buckeyes have continued their dominance this season. Fresh off a WCHA Final Faceoff championship, Ohio State advanced to its sixth consecutive Frozen Four with a 6-1 win over Yale at the OSU Ice Rink last Saturday.
“People know the Buckeyes as who we are today, but I remember 10 years that I've been here ... We can see the road that we've traveled down, and I don't forget it, because I don't want to get complacent of who we are with our recruiting or how we train or who we recruit or what parents we recruit,” Muzerall said after Saturday’s win. “I feel like a proud mom where you gotta get the horses to pull the cart, but it's not just talent that we're looking for, we're looking for the right kid. Because the Ohio State athletic department is the pinnacle of athletics and it's very bedazzling on the outside, and everybody wants to be a part of it. But once you get in it's hard, and it's not for everybody and that's OK. That's our job as coaches to weed out the weak and get the ones that we know are going to be the warriors and survive it.”
The Buckeyes will face No. 5 seed Northeastern in the national semifinals Friday at 4 p.m. (ESPN+) in University Park, Pennsylvania. A win would send them to the championship game against either No. 3 Penn State or No. 2 Wisconsin on Sunday (4 p.m., ESPNU). Ohio State and Wisconsin have met in each of the last three national title games, with the Badgers holding a 2-1 edge.
