Bowling Green State University Department of Athletics

Jason Knavel Assistant Athletics Director for Athletic Communications Phone - 419-372-7075 E-mail - [email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Named Head Coach Of Bowling Green Hockey

Bowling Green, Ohio – Bowling Green State University Director of Athletics Greg Christopher has announced that Chris Bergeron has been named the seventh head coach in the history of the BGSU hockey program. Bergeron comes to Bowling Green after spending ten seasons as an assistant coach at .

“Chris’ passion, energy and commitment to excellence won us over,” Christopher said. “As a player he set the foundation for Miami’s program, then as a coach he helped build the program to its current championship caliber. At every stage, Chris has been known as a tremendous leader. This is his time to step into a head coaching role and lead Bowling Green hockey to prominence.”

As an assistant coach at Miami since 2000, Bergeron was part of eight 20-win sea- sons and six trips to the NCAA Tournament. The RedHawks advanced to the Frozen Four in each of the past two seasons, playing in the national championship game dur- ing the 2008-09 campaign. Bergeron was heavily involved in the recruiting process, bringing in six players who would become All-Americans, and worked extensively with the team’s forwards.

Under his guidance, nine forwards have earned all-CCHA accolades and over the last three seasons, Bergeron helped a trio land All-America honors. He was part of a staff that was honored with the CCHA Coach of the Year award four times (2000-01, 2003-04, 2005-06 and 2009-10) and the AHCA National Coaching Staff of the Year award in 2005-06.

Bergeron played at Miami from 1989-93 and was a two-year team captain, leading the team to a CCHA Cham- pionship as a senior. He then spent seven years playing professionally before returning to Miami as an assis- tant coach. During that time, he played with the (AHL), the Birmingham Bulls (ECHL), the (ECHL), the (IHL) and the (CHL), being named a league all-star four times.

“We are excited to welcome Chris to Bowling Green,” BGSU President Dr. Carol A. Cartwright said. “As we honor our strong commitment to bring BGSU hockey back to the top ranks and continue the success of the Bring Back the Glory fund-raising campaign, Chris is the right leader for the program. As someone who has been a strong contributor in the CCHA and knows BGSU, he understands what it will take to develop and sus- tain a winning program.”

Bowling Green’s Bring Back The Glory campaign is designed to raise funds to endow hockey scholarships and for facility upgrades. The BG Ice Arena is already undergoing $4 million in renovations to upgrade the com- pressors, chillers and infrastructure.

-- more -- Bowling Green State University Department of Athletics

Jason Knavel Assistant Athletics Director for Athletic Communications Phone - 419-372-7075 E-mail - [email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

“I’m very excited to be a part of putting Bowling Green back where it belongs in the hockey world,” Bergeron said. “My family and I are looking forward to becoming part of the Bowling Green community. What excites me the most, though, is seeing how hungry everyone is to make Bowling Green hockey successful again -- from Dr. Cartwright to Greg Christopher to everyone I talked to during the interview process.”

Bowling Green’s history of success in hockey culminated with the NCAA Division I National Championship in 1984 after a 34-8-2 campaign. The program won at least 25 games eight times in a nine year stretch from 1981-1990 and has posted five other 25-win seasons in the 41-year history of the program. However, the team has not finished above .500 since 1996-97.

Bergeron takes over the program from interim Head Coach Dennis Williams, who was promoted to the position on June 30, 2009 after seven-year Head Coach resigned to become a regional manager for USA Hockey’s American Development Model.

Bergeron is married to Janis and the couple has two sons, Logan, age 9, and Connor, age 6.

MEDIA ADVISORY The Bowling Green Athletic Department will hold a press conference to introduce Chris Bergeron as the new hockey coach Monday afternoon at 4 p.m. The press conference will take place in the Wilcox Board Room on the third floor of the Sebo Center. For more information, please contact Assistant Athletics Director for Athletic Communications Jason Knavel by phone at 419-372-7075 or by e-mail at [email protected]. The press con- ference will be streamed live on BGSUFalcons.com for fans and friends of the hockey program but attendance at the press conference is open to media only.

Press Conference Website Link: http://wbgustream.bgsu.edu/bgsu/live/