Lance West is the new interim head hockey coach at the University of Alabama-Huntsville.
West, who skated at forward for the Chargers from 1991 to 1995, was elevated to the head job following the resignation of head coach Mike Corbett, who had guided UAH since 2013-14, and assistant coach Gavin Morgan.
The UAH hockey program, which has more than 40 years of history from the club level to the NCAA, last month was terminated for the second time in a decade due to financial concerns, including those sparked by the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. A major public fundraising campaign brought in more than a half-million dollars in under one week to help enable the Chargers to play at least the 2020-21 campaign, which will be their last in the current WCHA before seven of its teams leave the conference to form their own league.
UAH went 48-181-24 altogether in Corbett's seven seasons at the helm, including 2-26-6 overall in 2019-20. In their history, the Chargers have earned two NCAA Division II national titles (1996, 1998) and two NCAA Division I tournament berths (2007, 2010).
West, 49, served as an assistant coach at Alaska (Fairbanks) from 2007 to 2018 before overseeing the Nanooks as their interim head coach for 2017-18. The British Columbia native then returned as an assistant to Huntsville, the place where he recorded 45 goals and 68 assists for 113 points to go along with 100 penalty minutes in 108 career outings with the Chargers.
West ranks 15th-time in career points at UAH, and also tallied a pair of hat tricks in his time with the Chargers. Immediately after finishing his collegiate playing career, he spent 10 seasons as a volunteer/assistant coach with his alma mater before going to Fairbanks.
ADDENDUM: On July 22, UAH elevated West to permanent head coach of the Chargers.
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