A friendly remark from an Omaha local counts as job security for Travis Culhane. 

The Colorado College Director of Hockey Operations has gotten his team to Omaha for the NCHC pod schedule, and his group has already made an impression on the community. 

“We got a compliment from the hotel staff today that they’re really impressed with our guys,” Culhane said on Sunday afternoon.

As the DHO for a major-college hockey program, Culhane’s duties range from breaking down video of opponents, scheduling the team’s travel, and making sure the team’s breakfast spread on road trips includes the preferred staples and condiments. 

In 2020, that also means making decisions based on the NCHC’s COVID-19 protocols, which Culhane has become acutely aware of in his capacity. The Tigers were the last team to arrive in the pod, which has been in use since Dec. 1, due to a positive COVID-19 case within the program. 

“We followed the county and state protocols closely, and we went into their protocols right away as soon as we had a positive,” Culhane said of the situation. “I’m very impressed with our team. We’ve been together for so long, and we’ve only had one,” Culhane continued. “It’s a testament to them and their commitment to this program."

Culhane also takes pride in how the Tigers have been willing to make massive sacrifices in order to play out the season. 

“It’s from the top-down,” Culhane said. “Coaches, players, equipment managers, athletic trainers, strength coaches. Everyone gave up a lot to do this, especially during the holiday season.”

Those sacrifices also extend to academics.

“Credit to our players. They did a great job on the block program, organizing with the professors,” Culhane explained. “They got (the bulk) of their work done early, so they’re still managing their class load. UNO has done a good job and set up academic support services here in the pod.” 

The bob-and-weave nature of working on the administrative and operations sides of college athletics fits Culhane’s profile. As the son of former Western Michigan coach Jim Culhane, Travis has been working behind-the-scenes at the Division I level since he was a sophomore at WMU in 2015. 

“I’ve been around it my whole life,” Culhane said. “I’d go on bus trips with my dad in the CCHA, so I just grew up around the rink and was fortunate enough to get a chance with Coach (Andy) Murray at Western Michigan and spend four seasons there. I’d rather be working sixteen-hour days doing something I’m passionate about than be sitting at a desk.”

The only place Culhane has a desk in Omaha is probably in his hotel room, which suits him just fine. He’d rather be at the rink with his players or dissecting power-play tendencies on video with the other Colorado College staff members. 

“It’s a huge commitment,” Culhane said of the pod life. “We’ve been away from our families for a long time, and to finally see it come to fruition and watch some live hockey is just awesome.”