<P> Herbert Paul Brooks Jr . ( August 5 , 1937 -- August 11 , 2003 ) was an American ice hockey player and coach . His most notable achievement came in 1980 as head coach of the gold medal - winning U.S. Olympic hockey team at Lake Placid . At the games , Brooks ' US team upset the heavily favored Soviet team in a match that came to be known as the ' Miracle on Ice ' . Brooks would go on to coach multiple NHL teams , as well as the French hockey team at the 1998 Winter Olympics , and ultimately returned to coach the US men 's team to a silver medal at the 2002 games in Salt Lake City . Brooks was killed in a 2003 car accident . At the time of his death , Brooks was the Pittsburgh Penguins ' director of player personnel . </P>
<P> Herbert Paul Brooks Jr . ( August 5 , 1937 -- August 11 , 2003 ) was an American ice hockey player and coach . His most notable achievement came in 1980 as head coach of the gold medal - winning U.S. Olympic hockey team at Lake Placid . At the games , Brooks ' US team upset the heavily favored Soviet team in a match that came to be known as the ' Miracle on Ice ' . Brooks would go on to coach multiple NHL teams , as well as the French hockey team at the 1998 Winter Olympics , and ultimately returned to coach the US men 's team to a silver medal at the 2002 games in Salt Lake City . Brooks was killed in a 2003 car accident . At the time of his death , Brooks was the Pittsburgh Penguins ' director of player personnel . </P>
who was the coach of the 1980 usa olympic hockey team
who was the coach of the 1980 usa olympic hockey team
Herbert Paul Brooks Jr .
Herbert Paul Brooks Jr .