Steve Freeman (ice hockey)
Steve Freeman is an American college ice hockey coach. He has been the head coach of the Wisconsin–River Falls Falcons since 1996.
He was born in New Brighton, Minnesota, and played hockey at Irondale High School and for the Minneapolis Junior Bruins. Freeman earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point and a master’s degree in education and professional development from the University of Wisconsin–River Falls.
His coaching career included leading Stevens Point Area Senior High School (SPASH), serving as head coach/GM of the Dubuque Fighting Saints, and working as an assistant at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point and Wisconsin–River Falls before becoming head coach at River Falls in 1996. He led the Falcons to the NCAA Championship win as an assistant in 1994 and has guided River Falls to multiple conference titles. The team reached the Frozen Four in 2001.
Freeman’s teams have faced changing conference structures and NCAA bid rules. In 2015, despite winning the WIAC, River Falls did not receive an NCAA tournament invitation due to the conference’s automatic-bid rules at the time. In 2021, the season was shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic, and River Falls withdrew from the playoffs before play began.
Freeman was inducted into the Wisconsin Sports Hall of Fame in 2016. His career record as a head coach stands at 410–233–61 (.626). Notable championships include 2007 NCHA regular-season title, 2014 WIAC regular-season title, 2015 WIAC tournament title, 2016 WIAC regular-season title, and 2021 WIAC regular-season title.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 08:18 (CET).