OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – Ahead of Omaha hockey’s exhibition game against Wisconsin, the Mavericks honored longtime head coach Mike Kemp with an ice dedication. The ice rink inside Baxter Arena, the home of Mavericks hockey, will now be known as “Kemp Ice at Baxter Arena.”
Kemp built the Omaha hockey program from the ground up, becoming the Mavs’ first head coach in 1996 and leading UNO until 2009. In May of 2009, Kemp was elevated to Associate Athletic Director. Ten years later, Kemp stepped into the position of Senior Associate Athletic Director – Events/Facilities.
“To have something like this happen– it’s something I never dreamed,” said Kemp after the ice dedication. “When you start a coaching career you’re focused on winning and focused on developing a program. You don’t know what the rewards are at the end. And this has been just sweet.”
It was a fitting game to honor Kemp before. The Minnesota native spent 15 years at Wisconsin as an assistant coach for the Badgers. Madison, WI was Kemp’s last stop before coming to Omaha and starting the hockey program.
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