ERIE, Pa. – Mercyhurst men's hockey head coach Rick Gotkin has announced Karlis Zirnis as the newest member of the coaching staff. Zirnis is set to join the team for Gotkin's last season at the helm in 2025 before current assistant coach Tom Peffall takes over for the 2026-27 season.

"Karlis' passion and knowledge of the game make him the perfect fit to join our staff at this time" Peffall said. "His experience in Division I, junior hockey and on the national stage with Team Latvia will add great perspective to our program. We look forward to welcoming Karlis to Erie and are eager to get going."

Zirnis comes to Mercyhurst from RPI where he has spent the last two seasons on staff.

He also brings experience on the international level to the Lakers staff, working as an assistant coach for the Latvian National Team since 2012. Zirnis was behind the bench at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, and most recently coached the U-20 team at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championships.

"We are very excited to welcome Karlis to Mercyhurst and our men's hockey program" Gotkin said. "With his background and experience in coaching, skill development, and recruiting, Tom and I know he will make an immediate impact on our program."

Zirnis coached 18 AHCA Scholar All-Americans in his time at RPI and helped the team to an upset victory over Clarkson in the first round of the ECAC Tournament in 2024.

He got his start in coaching in 2009 with the Thunder AAA Tier 1 hockey club before moving on to coach the Nashville Junior Pedators from 2014-16.

A 2003 graduate of Alabama Huntsville, Zirnis had a successful playing career with the Chargers, scoring 119 points from 1999-2003. His 46 goals and 73 assists are the second most in Charger program history in the modern Division I era. He returned to his alma mater to coach in the 2020-21 season before moving into a role as the Director of Player Development for the Amarillo Wranglers in the NAHL.

Zirnis also spent time with the Latvian National Team as a player from 1995-2002 and earned a Canadian Hockey League Regular Season Championship with the Bossier Shreveport Mudbugs.