Larry Olimb was the co-head coach in girls hockey at Wayzata from 2000-06 before stepping aside to get involved with the activities of his three children. He came back to the hockey bench before this season, taking the head coaching job for Orono girls hockey. And he took his team all the way to the Class 1A state championship game against his hometown Warroad, coached by his childhood buddy, David Marvin.
Could Olimb ever have imagined such a scenario?
"Never in a million years, no," Olimb said via phone Friday night. "If I would have guessed this was how the season would end? No, absolutely not."
Though it's a special moment for Olimb as a coach, he also said he's happy for his players, who he said deserved to be in this spot and were enjoying the moment.
Olimb and Marvin shared an embrace in the postgame handshake line after Warroad's 3-1 victory in Saturday's Class 1A championship game.
Growing up in Warroad a block away from Marvin, Olimb learned to skate and play on a rink set up by David's father, Cal Marvin. Being close in age meant the duo played together on youth hockey teams every other year before playing three years of high school hockey together for Warroad, including in the 1987 state tournament, when they took fourth place. Olimb and Warroad returned to state in 1988, and he scored two goals and had four assists in the tournament before going on to be named Mr. Hockey.
Olimb also played with current Warroad assistant coach Derrick Comstock, a sophomore on the 1988 state tournament team. Comstock's daughter, Katy, is a sophomore for Warroad this year.
"I love Derrick Comstock and his family," Olimb said. "His mom and dad were both schoolteachers. His dad [Blane Comstock] was an Olympic goalie on the '76 team, my elementary phys. ed teacher.
