Wednesday, January 17, 2001

SERTICH NAMED COACH OF MICHIGAN TECH HOCKEY TEAM
      Contract Runs Through 2004-2005 Season

        Houghton, Mich. -- Mike Sertich, who took over as Michigan
Tech's interim men's ice hockey coach on Nov. 8, had the word interim
removed from his title it was announced today at a news conference on
the Michigan Tech campus by Huskies' Athletic Director Rick Yeo.
        "We're extremely excited to have Mike Sertich guiding our
program into the foreseeable future," said Yeo, who noted he signed
Sertich to a contract that will run through the 2004-2005 season.
"Mike is a tremendous teacher and motivator and has the support of
our players, community, and alumni. There is no doubt in my mind Mike
Sertich is the right person for this job."
        "In Mike Sertich we have someone with tremendous experience
that is really a perfect fit for Michigan Tech," said MTU President
Curt Tompkins. "Perhaps the thing that impresses me most about Mike
is his positive vision of the role collegiate athletics can have on
the student-athlete, the school, and the community."
        Sertich, who turned 54 on Jan. 8, says that all he can do is smile.
        "I can't express in words how happy I am. I've had such great
respect for the Michigan Tech hockey program all my life and to think
now that I am the head coach here is quite humbling indeed. I look
forward to the challenge ahead. My wife and children are excited to
be Huskies as well. I'm thankful to Rick Yeo and President Tompkins
for giving me this chance. It's kind of a new lease on life for me
and I intend to make the most of it."
        Prior to his arrival at Michigan Tech, Sertich spent 18 years
(1982-2000) as the head coach at Minnesota-Duluth where he amassed a
350-328-44 record and led the Bulldogs to the NCAA Championships four
times (1982-83, 1983-84, 1984-85, 1992-93).
        In addition, Sertich guided Minnesota-Duluth to three Western
Collegiate Hockey Association titles (1983-84, 1984-85, 1992-93) and
shares with legendary Michigan Tech coach John MacInnes the
distinction of being the only four-time WCHA Coach of the Year.
        Born and raised in Virginia, in the heart of Minnesota's Iron
Range, Sertich's work ethic led him to be a  standout in hockey,
football, and baseball at Roosevelt High School in Virginia. Upon
graduation from the prep ranks in 1965, Sertich was offered a
football scholarship to the University of North Dakota, but instead
opted to pursue his first love, hockey, at UMD, a school which had
just gained entrance into the prestigious WCHA. During his three
seasons (1966-69) with the Bulldogs -- freshmen were not allowed to
compete in intercollegiate sports at that time -- Sertich, as he
himself will attest, was no superstar. However, he was perhaps one of
the most diligent workers on the club, and in 1969 was named the
club's Most Improved Player. His career statistics for his three-year
collegiate stint include two goals and seven assists for nine points
in 64 games.
        Following his graduation from UMD in 1969 with a B.S. degree
in physical education, Sertich wasted little time in landing his
first teaching and coaching job, joining Head Coach Gus Hendrickson
at Grand Rapids (Minn.) High School. After the two had literally
built a hockey dynasty with the Indians in the early and mid-1970s,
UMD officials persuaded both Hendrickson and Sertich to try their
coaching magic at the collegiate level. Sertich, who had also been an
assistant baseball coach at Grand Rapids High School, worked as
Hendrickson's right-hand man and the Bulldogs' chief recruiter for
seven years before accepting the job as UMD's head coach in the
spring of 1982.
        A past president of the American Hockey Coaches Association
and chair of the NCAA Ice Hockey Rules Committee, Sertich has been
active in an array of coaching endeavors with USA Hockey over the
last two dozen years. In the summer of 1999, he was the head coach
for Team White at the U.S. Women's Ice Hockey Festival in Lake
Placid, N.Y. In August of 1998, he served as an associate coach with
the WCHA All-Star team which competed in the three-game Kolin Cup in
Zug, Switzerland.
        Sertich, who owns a master's degree in physical education
from Bemidji State University, and his wife, Audie, have three
children: Scott (32), John (30), and Lori (24) and three
grandchildren: Jeremy (9), Kiley (4), Danny (1), and Joey (2 months).

Notes: Michigan Tech Head Coach Mike Sertich can be reached at (906)
487-2104, while Tech Athletic Director Rick Yeo can be contacted at
(906) 487-3070 . . . Sertich is 4-9-0 since taking over at Michigan
Tech, with 11 of the 13 games against nationally-ranked teams . . .
Michigan Tech will host Alaska Anchorage Friday and Saturday (Jan.
19-20) in the MacInnes Student Ice Arena . . . Sertich has been
involved in college hockey an assistant coach (1975-81 at UMD) and
head coach (1982-2001) in the WCHA for 26 seasons.

What Others Are Saying About Mike Sertich

"Mike Sertich has been just excellent for the game of hockey and is
the type of person we need in the college game. I'm really excited to
see him back."

                -- Ron Mason, Head Coach, Michigan State

"Mike Sertich is well respected as a coach nationally and certainly
within the WCHA. The best part about Mike is that he is a good guy
and great to compete against. I have no doubt that he'll do an
outstanding job at Michigan Tech."

                -- Jeff Sauer, Head Coach, Wisconsin

"It great Sertie's back in our league.He's one of the outstanding
coaches and great people in college hockey and he belongs coaching
young people."

                -- Don Lucia, Head Coach, Minnesota

"Coach Sertich has put the fun back in hockey. He's a great college
coach and I'm glad he's going to remain as our coach

                -- Paul Cabana, Junior, Michigan Tech Huskies