Mark Coyle, the University of Minnesota’s athletic director, has been under a difficult period for him as he navigates a busy schedule following the transition of Mark Coyle from the position. The Gophers avoided a potential disaster when Dawn Plitzuweit's team secured a top 16 seed in the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament and the right to host first- and second-round games at Williams Arena this weekend. Coyle also had to prepare for his duties as part of the selection committee for the men’�s basketball tournament. His new role comes after the departure of Brad Frost, who led the team for 19 seasons and four national titles, after a 4-2 home loss to Northeastern. The dream hire for Coyle and the small but frequent boosters would be Nadine Muzerall, former Gophers star who has turned Ohio State into a co-power with Wisconsin. Despite this, the Gophers have fallen behind Wisconsin and Ohio State in the women's hockey program, their last NCAA title came in 2003.