Cloquet head coach Dave Esse has been named the Liberty Mutual Insurance Responsible Sports coach of the month in the September issue of USA Hockey Magazine.

USAHM wrote:

It is not hard to find a hockey lifer in Minnesota, where the sport is as popular as it is in any state. Dave Esse definitely falls into that hockey lifer category.

Dave has been serving as a coach at Cloqet High School since 1991, including as head coach for the past 12 seasons. He originally graduated from Cloquet in 1985, before playing Junior hockey and then four years at Wisconsin-Superior University, a Division III school. While playing with the Yellowjackets, he was a three-time All-Wisconsin State University Conference selection and a team captain.

He started working with his alma mater right after graduating college. In addition to working with Cloquet High as a coach and a teach, he is also the District 11 head coach for the Minnesota Coaching Education Program and has been exceptional in player and coach development.

"If you want to be good at anything, you have to spend time at," he said. "Hockey is no different."

Esse has spent the majority of his life on the ice. Continuing to work with the sport he grew up with is something he loves to do.

"I just love the speed and the finesse of the game," he said. "I just think with the mental toughness of playing hockey, you have to put a lot of hours in, which is something I love to do."

The feature on Esse, on page 12 of the September issue of USA Hockey Magazine, can be found here.