There has been little reason for celebration regarding the Rensselaer men’s hockey program this season or last. Two early exits from the playoffs and sub- .500 records have resulted in a cloud which dampened the spirit surrounding the program, and eventually led to the resignation of former Head Coach Dan Fridgen.
Nevertheless, President Shirley Ann Jackson, last Friday, declared the night a celebration for the Rensselaer men’s hockey program as administrators, players, and fans crammed into the Mueller Center Lobby to welcome the Engineers’ new head coach: Seth Appert.
“RPI is blessed with a great hockey tradition, and now we have a great head coach,” Jackson said prior to introducing the 12th head coach in Rensselaer hockey history.
Appert, accompanied by his wife Jill and one-year-old daughter Addison, entered the room to a hero’s welcome. Go Be Red teams chanted the fight song and his new players stood behind him with smiles on their faces as the 31-year old launched a new era in Rensselaer men’s hockey history.
“Change is exciting … and I’m extremely excited,” Appert, who said this was the first job he really pursued, told the crowd. “I’ve found the match in values and vision at Rensselaer that I’ve been looking for.”
This change has come about quickly, especially considering the methodical nature RPI typically takes with the hiring process. It took a selection comm-ittee composed of key administrators, athletic department staff, hockey alumni, and a student athlete just over a month to select Appert.
Athletic Director Ken Ralph received over 100 inquiries about the job, which eventually dwindled to 40 “hard-core applicants” with a complete résumé. From there, nine candidates were selected for phone interviews before welcoming three individuals—former Los Angeles Kings Head Coach Andy Murray, Boston College Associate Head Coach Mike Cavanaugh, and Appert—to campus for personal interviews.
Appert was offered the job after Murray declined because he did not want to move his daughter (currently in high school) across the country, sources told The Polytechnic.
The expedited process allowed Ralph to name his coach before the American Hockey Coaches Association national convention, which occurs this weekend in Florida.
Ralph maintained that he wanted what he called “the essence of coach: an educator, motivator, and mentor.”
However, the fourth-year athletic director also stated that the selection committee sought a proven winner.
“We take ice hockey very seriously at Rensselaer,” Ralph said. “We want to win and we make no apologies for that.”
Ralph quickly followed by saying they had found their winner.
Appert coached as an assistant for nine years under George Gwozdecky at the University of Denver, where he helped the Pioneers win back-to-back NCAA championships in 2004 and 2005. While at Denver, he was in charge of recruiting, on-ice coaching, video breakdown, game analysis, and the development of Denver’s goaltenders—two of which are currently seeing limited action in the National Hockey League.
Appert, who plans to implement a new up-tempo, transition-style of hockey, refused to make predictions about when Rensselaer would start winning again, but did say this team is not in a rebuilding phase.
“There is a tremendous amount of character, integrity, and talent in that locker room,” Appert said. “The cupboard is not bare. Coach Fridgen did a tremendous job bringing talented players into this program with the capacity to be successful and to be great role models and graduates of Rensselaer.”
Jackson mentioned at the press conference that Houston Field House will be undergoing a rebuilding phase. Extensive renovations to the facility have been added to the East Campus Athletic Project, and may be moved up into “phase one” of the project. The construction of a new hockey facility is not out of the question, but, Jackson admitted, space could be an issue. The overall project is still in the funding stages and is also awaiting approval from the city of Troy.
Appert had his first team meeting with his new team earlier on Friday in the Field House. The Engineers are returning 18 players from last year’s squad, including 12 forwards, but only three defensemen. He has also spoken to or called all six of RPI’s recruits for next year. Appert has said he wants to bring in at least one more scholarship defenseman, a walk-on defenseman, and possibly another forward.
“Our strengths are our depth at forward and our goaltending,” Appert said. “We are lacking on defense, not in terms of skills, but in experience and sheer numbers.”
Multiple players have said they are happy the process is over with and are excited about Appert and the new style of play he plans to bring to the table.
His fast, up-tempo, transition style fosters creativity and personal freedom, something Rensselaer players and fans are not necessarily accustomed to seeing. Appert’s system also allows defensemen to generate and initiate offense out of their own zone.
“He really stresses generating offense in your own zone, and getting the forwards buzzing around the puck once it crosses the [opponent’s] blue line,” senior defenseman Brad Farynuk, who will be graduating in May, said. “I’ve never thought of it that way before.”
Farynuk, a captain last year who missed substantial time due to injuries, admitted he was jealous to a degree about the new atmosphere around the program.
“When I met him and heard him speak I was ready to throw on my shoulder pads, hit the ice, and fly around out there,” Farynuk said. “As a player, it’s tough not be excited.”
That is the point Appert wants to make. Apparently, he is off to a good start.
