Griffin Loughran celebrates vs SCSU on November 8, 2019 (Photo Prout)
St. Cloud, MN – It’s one thing to lose a seven-year head coach following the season but quite another with just 116 days before your first exhibition game with arch-rival Michigan Tech University. But that’s what the Northern Michigan University hockey program has to deal with following the unexpected announcement on June 11th that head hockey coach Grant Potulny would resign effective June 11th to pursue other opportunities. According to AHL insider Tony Androckitis, Potulny would accept the head coaching position for the Wilkes-Barre Penguins of the American Hockey League. Along with Potulny, associate head coach Byron Pool and assistant coach Nick Peruzzi would be resigning, as well for other opportunities.
As a result, the baton is being passed to Athletic Director and now interim head coach Rick Comley to hold things together and shape the process of finding a new head coach before the start of the season.
NMU’s first and longest-serving head coach of the men’s hockey program, Comley is the Hobey Baker Memorial Award Foundation’s 2020 Legend of College Hockey recipient. He spent 26 years behind the Wildcat bench, where he posted a 538-429-68 record while leading the ‘Cats to the 1991 national championship, four frozen-four appearances – including a runner-up finish in 1980 – seven NCAA Tournament appearances, six conference playoff championships, and two regular season championships.
Comley became the first head coach in NMU hockey program history in 1976, spending 26 seasons with the Wildcats as head boss before taking the head coach position at Michigan State (2002-11). Comley owns a combined 38-year career coaching record of 783-615-110, which ranks fifth on the all-time NCAA Division I coaching wins list. He was the NCAA Division I national coach of the year in 1980 and 1991 and runner-up in 2007. Comley retired from coaching in 2011.
He was inducted into NMU’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1998, the Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame in 2013, and the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 2023.
Nevertheless, it will still be a challenging process for the 77-year-old Comley, who hasn’t coached for 13 years. “The world today is so different in athletics,” commented Comley in his June 12th press conference. “It’s a tremendously challenging time. I’m being completely honest. A part of me says maybe you should coach, but a bigger part of me understands that time has come and gone. What I can do for the program right now is lead it. I consider myself a coach of coaches. When Gavin (Leach, VP of Administration) asked me to return, I was thrilled, not because it’s an ego thing. It’s just how do we make this better. So, I’m going into this the same way.”
Although Potulny’s resignation was announced on June 11th, Comley admits, “We knew potentially for weeks (Potulny might depart), and we have been preparing. Grant has been open and honest. He never once said he was leaving because he wasn’t happy. He resigned, and it was 100% his choice. I’m happy for Grant. I think it’s a good time in his life to make this move. Moving is difficult, so I’m happy for him, and the assistants have to make their own choices.”
It’s been a tumultuous offseason for the program, with 14 Wildcat players entering the transfer portal. The stress on the program will now be compounded by the NCAA’s option for their freshman recruits to exit the program within 30 days after June 11 because of the coaching change. Freshmen include NHL draftees Hampton Slukynsky, perhaps the top goaltender in the USHL in 2023-24, and defensemen Rasmus Larson and Vladislav Lukshevich. It also includes forwards Adam Pietala, Jakub Atrichter, Billy Renfrew, Will Diamond, goaltender Julian Molinaro, and defensemen Anthony Ciche and Joe Schiller.
“We have to see how the roster plays out. We want to carry 28 ultimately, and it might be a challenge to get to 28,” commented Comley. I think there will be attrition; I don’t know how many. The freshmen are just being hounded by other schools. We have a large freshman class, and they are being poached right now. I’m in the process of calling agents, NHL teams, and players. Other schools have more NIL money. I just want to get through this, hire properly and efficiently, and let’s see our roster. Let’s get it on, and that’s the approach. There is nothing negative, just opportunity.”
Regarding timing, Comley doesn’t intend to rush things. “Time is important, but we don’t have a specific window,” said Comley. The committee will meet for the first time on Monday. It’s an advisory committee and not a selection committee. We won’t rush anything. The word is out, and I’m taking applications. As you can imagine, my phone is buzzing, which is great. It shows the interest in the program. It might be a terrible time to hire a coach, but it might be the best time. We are not bringing someone in to build a program or create something that has never been here. There are no shortcuts that lead to success. That’s why a hire has to be done properly; that’s why the guidance has to be done properly.”
The program has had stability with only three coaches, Rick Comley (1976-20020, Walt Kyle (2002-2017), and Grant Potulny (2017-2024), in 47 seasons. The apex of the program’s success was in the 1990-91 season, winning the national championship under Comley. Since then, the program has only advanced to the NCAA tournament four times, the last being in the 2009-10 season under the guidance of Walt Kyle. The Wildcats have had moderate success under Potulny, with a career coaching record of 128-113-47 and four twenty-win seasons.
“To the prospective athletes, there is excitement about change,” commented Northern Michigan President Dr. Brock Tessman. “This is an opportunity to be part of a major transformation in a positive way.”
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