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Rick Gotkin
Head Coach
814-824-2542
rgotkin@mercyhurst.edu
Head coach Rick Gotkin enters his 23rd year as head coach of the Mercyhurst College men’s hockey team. Since coming to Erie in 1988, Gotkin has spent more than two decades instilling a winning tradition in the men’s hockey program.
Gotkin, the only coach in NCAA history to take a team to the NCAA Tournament at all three levels, has guided the Lakers to nearly 400 wins, six NCAA tournament appearance and four league championships. Overall, he has accumulated a 399-272-52 record, which includes a Division I mark of 212-162-37. His teams have averaged 18 wins a season and have made the postseason in 20 of the 22 years he has been at Mercyhurst.
During his tenure, Gotkin has produced seven All-Americans, four ECAC Players of the Year, three ECAC Rookies of the Year, five MAAC First-Team selections, 11 AHA All-Conference selections, one AHA Rookie of the Year and in 2010, an AHA Sportsman of the Year honoree. In 2001, Gotkin earned an honor for himself as he was named MAAC Coach of the Year and a finalist for the Spencer Penrose Award.
Additionally, many of his players who have been honored have gone on to have successful professional careers, including Jamie Hunt (2003-06), who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Washington Capitals. 11 players have played in the American Hockey League, while numerous alums have spent time in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) and the United Hockey League (UHL).
Outside of Mercyhurst, Gotkin spends a great deal of time helping others in the sport. 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. Gotkin has also been a featured speaker at many USA Hockey coaching clinics and symposiums. He has served on the Hobey Baker Award Committee and currently serves on four other national committees: the American Hockey Coaches Association Division I Committee, the US College Hockey Online.com National Poll Committee, the Division I East region advisory committee, and the USA Today/American Hockey Magazine College Hockey Poll.
Along with their coach, the Lakers have been very active outside of school as well. Under Gotkin’s direction, players have volunteered their time each year with 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. Defenseman Matt Fennell won the conference's 2007 Student Athlete of the Year Award as a freshman with a perfect 4.0 GPA and later earned a share of the award following the 2009-10 season.
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.
Gotkin's Record at Mercyhurst
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Overall
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Conference
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|
| Year |
W |
L |
T |
|
W |
L |
T |
|
| 1988-89* |
11 |
16 |
1 |
|
5 |
12 |
1 |
|
| 1989-90* |
18 |
8 |
4 |
|
16 |
3 |
2 |
|
| 1990-91* |
19 |
13 |
1 |
|
15 |
3 |
0 |
NCAA Qualifier |
| 1991-92* |
19 |
12 |
0 |
|
13 |
8 |
0 |
|
| 1992-93* |
18 |
10 |
0 |
|
15 |
3 |
0 |
NCAA Qualifier |
| 1993-94* |
12 |
13 |
0 |
|
6 |
4 |
0 |
|
| 1994-95* |
23 |
3 |
2 |
|
6 |
1 |
1 |
NCAA Qualifier |
| 1995-96* |
18 |
7 |
2 |
|
5 |
4 |
0 |
|
| 1996-97* |
16 |
9 |
2 |
|
5 |
5 |
1 |
|
| 1997-98* |
17 |
9 |
1 |
|
4 |
5 |
1 |
|
| 1998-99* |
16 |
10 |
2 |
|
3 |
4 |
1 |
|
| 1999-00# |
23 |
10 |
4 |
|
19 |
6 |
2 |
|
| 2000-01# |
22 |
12 |
2 |
|
19 |
6 |
1 |
NCAA Qualifier |
| 2001-02# |
24 |
10 |
3 |
|
21 |
2 |
3 |
|
| 2002-03# |
22 |
13 |
2 |
|
19 |
5 |
2 |
NCAA Qualifier |
| 2003-04^ |
20 |
14 |
2 |
|
16 |
7 |
1 |
|
| 2004-05^ |
18 |
16 |
4 |
|
14 |
7 |
3 |
NCAA Qualifier |
| 2005-06^ |
22 |
13 |
1 |
|
19 |
8 |
1 |
|
| 2006-07^ |
9 |
20 |
6 |
|
9 |
15 |
4 |
|
| 2007-08^ |
15 |
19 |
7 |
|
11 |
10 |
7 |
|
| 2008-09^ |
22 |
15 |
3 |
|
17 |
8 |
3 |
|
| 2009-10^ |
15 |
20 |
3 |
|
15 |
10 |
3 |
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| Career |
399 |
272 |
52 |
|
272 |
136 |
36 |
Six NCAA Appearances |
*member of the ECAC West
#member of the MAAC Hockey League
^member of Atlantic Hockey
NCAA Appearances: 6 (1991, 1993, 1995, 2001, 2003, 2005)
ECAC Playoff Appearances: 10 (1990-1999)
ECAC Final Four: 10 (1990-1999)
ECAC Runners-up: 3 (1991, 1992, 1999)
ECAC Regular Season Champions: 1 (1995)
ECAC Champions: 1 (1995)
MAAC Hockey League Regular Season Champions: 3 (2001, 2002, 2003)
MAAC Hockey League Playoff Appearances: 4 (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003)
MAAC Hockey League Final Four: 4 (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003)
MAAC Hockey League Runners-up: 1 (2002)
MAAC Hockey League Championships: 2 (2001, 2003)
Atlantic Hockey Playoff Appearances: 7 (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
Atlantic Hockey Final Four: 5 (2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009)
Atlantic Hockey Championship Appearance: 3 (2005, 2008, 2009)
Atlantic Hockey Champions: 1 (2005)
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