Don Lucia talked about how he was hired as the Gophers hockey coach before the 1999-2000 season on his weekly radio show Monday on 'CCO.
The reason the subject came up, of course, was the hiring of the new football coach at the U, Jerry Kill.
He said his wife never wanted to move; she didn't want to move from Alaska Fairbanks to Colorado College, nor from CC to Minnesota. "But now she loves it here," Don Lucia said. "It is kind of the way it is with our family.
"I enjoyed every step I have been. When I was in Alaska I honestly thought I was going to be there forever."
The Lucias bought a motor home the summer before they left to enjoy the outdoors in Alaska.
"And than a year later, I am in Colorado," Don Lucia said. "We turned to love it in Colorado and then the opportunity comes forth here and you make a decision. Are you going to go for it or not? No pun intended."
Lucia said when he was in Alaska, he applied for a couple jobs, at Miami and Michigan Tech, and never got an interview. Then when the CC job opened up, it was terrible timing for the Lucias. His wife Joyce was pregnant with their youngest child, Mario. But he decided to apply at the last minute.
"I ended up getting the job," Lucia said. "It was really the last thing I expected. I didn't give it much thought. I always enjoyed the Colorado Spring area and a chance to coach in the WCHA. It was something you had to do.
