1980 Olympian Johnson to Lead 2010 USA Women's Team

Mark Johnson was a member of perhaps the most famous hockey team in United States history. The 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team stunned everyone by beating the mighty Soviets and then Finland to win the gold medal in the famous "Miracle on Ice".

Johnson, the son of famous college and NHL coach "Badger" Bob Johnson, played for a time in the NHL, and then he eventually got into coaching. He became the coach of his alma mater University of Wisconsin women's team in 2003. He has led the Badgers to two national titles, narrowly missed out on a third, and has his team in position to win another championship this season.

Johnson's success as a coach has won him another Olympic-related honor. When the United States fields their women's hockey team for the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, Johnson will be behind the bench as head coach.

"Mark is a hockey icon with unmatched experience on the international stage," said Dave Ogrean, USA Hockey's executive director. "His level of success as both a player and a coach made him an excellent choice for this position. He is well-suited to help our team return to the gold-medal podium in Vancouver."

It's really an obvious move by USA Hockey. Johnson (.802 winning percentage at Wisconsin) is easily the most accomplished American who is coaching women's hockey. It's not even really close. The only other active college head coach who has won NCAA championships is Shannon Miller of Minnesota-Duluth (four titles), and she's Canadian.

Johnson will lead the women's national team in the IIHF World Championships starting April 4 in Finland, and he will coach the team during a tour of exhibition games around the country.

Based on the page you see when you dial up the University of Wisconsin's athletic site, I'd say the school is pretty proud of this announcement. They've also announced that Johnson will miss the 2009-2010 season to coach the Olympic team.