Brendan Jensen has been behind the bench for the NAIT Ooks women's hockey team for the past two seasons. He was named head coach on April 19th, 2021, after serving as the assistant coach during the 2020-21 season.
Before joining the Ooks behind the bench, Jensen was coaching with the St. Albert Midget 15 AAA, where in 2018-2019, the team won a Provincial Championship. Jensen started coaching at the minor hockey level in North Dakota, where he was also an assistant coach with West Fargo High School. Jensen's other coaching experiences have been State/District evaluator for USA Hockey, Above The Crease Goaltending Instructor, and owner of Pure Goaltending goalie camps.
Jensen, a native of El Granada, California, was a goaltender for the Ooks Men's team in two separate stints from 2015-2017 and 2018-2020. In 52 career games with the Ooks, he had a 93.2 save percentage and a 2.01 GAA. Jensen was also a member of the 2015-2016 "Perfect Season" Ooks team that went 36-0; in 2016-2017, he was ACAC Player of the Year.
Before becoming an Ook, Jensen played Junior hockey in the USHL, WHL, AJHL, and NAHL. In 2011 Jensen was also an attendee of the NHL rookie camp with the Vancouver Canucks. He also played professionally in the SPHL.
"Brendan is very deserving of this award. His attention to detail is unmatched. He truly believes in giving his student-athletes a positive student-athlete experience. Brendan also promotes success in the classroom as well as on the ice. He is a true professional and is always looking for experiences and initiatives that can make him a better coach. The NAIT Athletic department is lucky to have Brendan as our women's hockey head coach," said NAIT Athletic Director Jordan Richey.
This prestigious award will be recognized at the 2023 ACAC Women's Hockey Championship hosted by NAIT in Edmonton, Alberta.