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GRAND FORKS After one season, UND has reworked Dane Jackson's contract.
A Penrose Cup, a trip to the NCAA Frozen Four and a whole bunch of recruiting momentum led UND athletic director Bill Chaves to amend Jackson's deal just 16 months into his tenure as men's hockey coach.
ADVERTISEMENT While the contract's timeline remains the same through the 2029-30 season it includes a substantial pay increase, bringing Jackson closer to his college hockey peers.
Jackson will make $620,000 this season with scheduled $35,000 bumps each of the following three years.
It will bring his base salary to $725,000 in the final year.
UND also re-signed associate head coach Matt Smaby, general manager Bryn Chyzyk and assistant coach Dillon Simpson.
All three are getting notable pay bumps.
Smaby and Chyzyk are now on three-year deals.
The contracts are being supported, in part, by private funding.
"Our expectation at North Dakota is to compete for championships, and Dane and his staff delivered a remarkable first season that reaffirmed the standard of our hockey program," Chaves said in a statement.
"Winning the Penrose Cup and returning to the Frozen Four in Year One were tremendous accomplishments and a reflection of the culture, leadership and vision Dane has established.
"We're also incredibly appreciative of the extraordinary generosity of our hockey supporters.
Through private philanthropic support, we had the opportunity to enhance Dane's current agreement while also providing additional stability for the leadership team around him.
Investments like these demonstrate our supporters' belief in the future of this program and their commitment to keeping North Dakota hockey among the elite programs in college hockey." ADVERTISEMENT Jackson's pay bump Jackson's initial base salary last season was $400,000, a significant drop from that of his predecessor, Brad Berry.
Berry was scheduled to earn $493,500 in 2025-26 with bonuses that could push the total to almost $700,000.
UND let go of Berry in March 2025 with one year left on his contract.
UND was required to pay Berry $493,500 last year in a buyout.
Three weeks ago, Berry came off UND's books.
Jackson's initial deal lagged behind many of college hockey's top coaches.
Minnesota inked new head coach Brett Larson to a $700,000 annual deal plus bonuses this summer.
Minnesota Duluth's Scott Sandelin signed a new contract last week starting at $645,000 in 2026-27.
Other prominent college hockey coaches are in that range.
Michigan's Brandon Naurato earned a base of $715,000 last season.
Wisconsin's Mike Hastings makes $750,000 annually.
Bonuses put Hastings at $937,500 last season.
Michigan State coach Adam Nightingale makes $1.3 million annually.
ADVERTISEMENT Contracts from coaches who work at private schools like Denver's David Carle, Providence's Nate Leaman, Quinnipiac's Rand Pecknold, Boston University's Jay Pandolfo and Boston College's Greg Brown are not public.
Jackson's deal also has performance bonuses.
He can make $7,500 for winning the Penrose Cup or NCHC playoff title, $10,000 for hosting an NCHC semifinal game, $20,000 for hosting the NCHC title game, $20,000 for reaching the NCAA tournament, $35,000 for reaching the NCAA Frozen Four and $70,000 for winning the NCAA national championship.
If UND reaches the Frozen Four, $15,000 is added to his base salary.
If UND wins the national title, $30,000 is added.
There's also a $10,000 bonus for winning the NCHC's Herb Brooks Coach of the year award and a $20,000 bonus for winning the Spencer Penrose National Coach of the Year honor.
Jackson thanked UND President Andy Armacost and Chaves in a statement.
"I'm equally thankful to the many alumni, donors and fans whose investment in our program continues year-in and year-out, amplifying their commitment to UND hockey and giving our student-athletes every opportunity to succeed," Jackson said.
"I'm especially proud of our coaching and support staffs, including Mark Poolman, John Fitzgerald, Jean-Philippe Lamoureux, Dan Johansson and Pat Swanson, who work tirelessly behind the scenes every day." ADVERTISEMENT Jackson's staff earns bumps According to multiple sources, Jackson worked behind the scenes to make his staff among the highest paid in college hockey.
Smaby will earn $260,000 this season with $15,000 annual increases.
Smaby was initially on a two-year deal.
He is now under contract through 2028-29.
He does not have to pay a buyout if he leaves to become an NHL bench coach, an American Hockey League head coach or an NCAA head coach.
Otherwise, his buyout is 50% of his base contract.
Chyzyk will earn $215,000 with $15,000 annual increases through the 2028-29 season.
Chyzyk started on a one-year deal.
He does not have to pay a buyout if he leaves to become an NHL general manager or assistant general manager.
Otherwise, he owes 50% of his base.
Simpson will earn $190,000 while on a year-to-year deal.
Simpson's pay has nearly doubled from $105,066 in Berry's final season.
Smaby, Chyzyk and Simpson all have identical bonus structures $4,000 for winning the Penrose, the NCHC postseason and hosting an NCHC semifinal game, $8,000 for hosting the NCAA title game, $10,000 for reaching the NCAA tournament, $20,000 for reaching the NCAA Frozen Four and $30,000 for winning the NCAA national title.
ADVERTISEMENT "Matt, Bryn and Dillon have each played an invaluable role in what we're building together," Jackson said, "and our players deserve tremendous credit for embracing our expectations and competing with great character." A successful start Jackson's tenure started with the program in a precarious spot.
UND lost a large senior class and three prominent scorers entered the transfer portal after the coaching change.
But Jackson and his staff quickly rebuilt the roster with deft pickups like undrafted forwards Ellis Rickwood and Jack Kernan, as well as recruiting coups like NHL first-round picks Cole Reschny and Keaton Verhoeff.
UND went on to win the Penrose Cup as National Collegiate Hockey Conference regular-season champions, then reached the NCAA Frozen Four for the first time in a decade.
The Fighting Hawks lost to Wisconsin 2-1 in the Frozen Four semifinals.
ADVERTISEMENT Since the Frozen Four, UND has landed four prominent recruits first-round pick Carson Carels (No.
6 overall), first-round pick Liam Ruck (No.
22), second-round pick Markus Ruck (No.
39) and potential 2027 first-rounder Nolan Fitzhenry of Andover, Minn.
Carels, who is coming to UND this fall, will be the program's third-highest drafted player ever, only behind Jonathan Toews (No.
3, 2006) and Jake Sanderson (No.
5, 2020).
"While we're proud of what we accomplished in our first year, our focus is firmly on what's next," Jackson said.
"Our goal is to continue building a program that consistently competes for NCHC and national championships.".