 |  |
Mercyhurst Extends Its Hockey Coaches
Two of the most successful coaches in the history of Mercyhurst College have been awarded four-year contract extensions. Men's varsity hockey coach Rick Gotkin and women's hockey coach Michael Sisti, with a combined 501 wins and 31 years of experience on the hill, will remain at Mercyhurst through the 2009-2010 season. The contract extensions were announced today by Director of Athletics, Pete Russo.
"I am delighted that we were able to keep Rick and Mike here at Mercyhurst for an extended period," said Russo. "They are quality coaches who have brought local, regional, and national attention to the institution. Under their leadership, the college boasts two of the finest athletic programs in the region. We are proud of the student-athletes that Rick and Mike develop annually."
Mercyhurst President, Dr. Thomas Gamble, echoed Russo's remarks: "I am very pleased to have these two fine coaches continue their work at Mercyhurst. We all know how successful Rick and Mike have been in terms of their win-loss record, but what is even more impressive is that their commitment to the highest level of athletic and academic achievement is combined with a deep commitment to the full development of their players as people. I am confident that the entire Mercyhurst community feels the same pride that I do to have Rick and Mike stay on as members of the Mercyhurst family."
Under Gotkin's leadership, Mercyhurst owns a seven-year Division I record of 151-88-18, three NCAA playoff appearances, three regular season conference titles, four regular season runners-up, seven conference playoff appearances, three conference playoff championships, and one conference runner-up. He ranks 9th among Division I coaches in all-time winning percentage (.623; 18 years) and 11th in victories (338).
Gotkin was the conference's Coach of the Year in 2000-01 when he took the Lakers all the way to the conference regular and postseason titles and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. For his efforts, he was a finalist for the 2001 Spencer Penrose Award, given to the men's ice hockey University Division Coach of the Year.
Gotkin's 18 years at Mercyhurst represent the longest tenure of any Mercyhurst College head coach, past or present, and his 338 wins are also a Mercyhurst best. He came to Division III Mercyhurst from Division I Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in 1988 and quietly began to build a varsity program that would bring the college local, regional, and national recognition. Eighteen years later, there can be no doubt that Gotkin has achieved those goals.
Mercyhurst has won 18-or-more games 13 times and 20-or-more seven times. The Lakers made the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) playoffs every year they were eligible, won an ECAC title in 1995, and reached the NCAA Playoffs six times (1991, 1993, 1995, 2001, 2003, and 2005). In fact, Gotkin is the first coach ever to take the same program to the NCAAs at all three levels. That notoriety got him a spot in Sports Illustrated's "Faces in the Crowd" segment at the conclusion of the 2000-01 season.
Over the years, he and his staff have produced seven All Americans, four ECAC Players of the Year, three ECAC Rookies of the Year, five MAAC First Team selections, four Atlantic Hockey First Team selections, and one AH Rookie of the Year.
In addition, junior defenseman Jamie Hunt signed a two-year contract with the National Hockey League's Washington Capitals following the 2005-06 season and became the first Mercyhurst player ever to jump directly to the NHL from college. Several other seniors also went to professional teams following the season in leagues such as the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) and the United Hockey League (UHL).
Meanwhile, former defenseman Jody Robinson (1999-2003) is under contract with the NHL's New York Islanders and just finished his second season with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL where he was chosen the team's Man-of-the-Year. Former defenseman T.J. Kemp (2001-2005) and ex-goaltender Andy Franck (2002-2005) were ECHL All-Stars last season while forward David Wrigley (2001-2005) earned similar honors in the UHL.
Gotkin has overseen the program's transformation from Division III to Division II (1993) to Division I (1999) status. The Lakers were members of the ECAC West from 1988 through 1999 before joining the Division I MAAC Hockey League. Mercyhurst and the eight other MAAC teams withdrew from the conference in June of 2003 to form Atlantic Hockey.
It took awhile for Gotkin's program to generate momentum. In fact, without a home rink, the Lakers played nearly 70% of their games out-of-town during Gotkin's first three years. But in the spring of 1991 came word that the College Board of Trustees had approved building an on-campus facility. The Mercyhurst Ice Center opened for business December 8, 1991.
Gotkin is very active with USA Hockey, having coached several "USA Select" National Festival Teams throughout the years. He has been involved with the NCAA Youth Education Through Sports (YES) Program, and was one of a dozen coaches invited to help during the 2004 Frozen Four. Gotkin has also been a featured speaker at many USA Hockey coaching clinics and symposiums. He currently serves on four national committees: the Hobey Baker Award Committee, the American Hockey Coaches Association Division I Committee, the US College Hockey online.com National Poll Committee, and the USA Today/American Hockey Magazine College Hockey Poll.
The Laker hockey team has also been very active in the community during Gotkin's tenure. The team has been involved with, among others, the Edmund L. Thomas Adolescent Center, the Shriners Hospitals for Children, the annual college food drive, and the Skating Club of Erie. In 1995, the varsity hockey team won the Sister Rita Panciera Award given annually to the Mercyhurst College group that "best exemplifies the values of mercy". In March of 1998, the team was honored again, this time by the Erie Achievement Center for its work with the disabled.
Meanwhile, during Gotkin's stay at Mercyhurst, the team's cumulative QPA has been consistently good with his players majoring in such fields as Criminal Justice, Accounting, Pre-Dental, History, and Business Administration.
Gotkin is married to the former Diane Kaminski of Erie, Pa. They are the parents of two children: Lindsey Ann was born September 2, 1991, and Brandon Reed arrived April 1, 1995. The family resides in Erie, Pa.
"It's been an honor to serve as the leader of the Mercyhurst College men's program for the past 18 years," noted Gotkin. "I've had the great privilege to work with an outstanding group of administrators, assistant coaches, and student athletes - both past and present. Having been given the wonderful opportunity to develop a varsity hockey program from inception, and then watching it grow into what it's become today, has been very exciting for me both personally and professionally. I'm looking forward to continuing on this same path for many more years to come."
