St. Thomas made history in 2021 as the first school in the modern NCAA era to transition directly from Division III to Division I. The Tommies won 10 games in their inaugural Division I season and followed that with 19- and 20-win campaigns over the past two years. This season, they are off to a 3-2 start, aiming to build on the solid foundation established during their transition.
For coach Johnny Tauer, the program’s rise holds personal significance. A former Tommie player from 1991-95, Tauer joined the coaching staff in 2000 and took over as head coach in 2011. His leadership has centered on fostering a strong program culture, as evidenced by the team retaining nearly all of its players, with just two leaving via the transfer portal in the last two years.
Adding to the program’s momentum is the construction of a state-of-the-art arena, a 5,000-seat facility designed for basketball and hockey, set to open in late 2025.
Although the Tommies remain ineligible for the NCAA Tournament this season due to the Division I transition period, the program has set high expectations and continues to progress.
Here’s Tauer thoughts on the team’s rise at the Division I level, its strong culture and expectations for this season:
You can listen to the audio version of the Johnny Tauer interview here.
This interview is sponsored by Nan’s Naughty and Nice cocktail mix. Make sure to check out their award-winning Bloody Mary mix and newly released margarita mixes by visiting their website.
[…] better teams than you would like,” St. Thomas coach Johnny Tauer said to MMB earlier this week. “You always want to have an MTE where you’re like, ‘OK, I think we can get a […]
[…] better teams than you would like,” St. Thomas coach Johnny Tauer said to MMB earlier this week. “You always want to have an MTE where you’re like, ‘OK, I think we can get a […]