Alasa Anchorage Names Rud as New Head Coach

Alaska Anchorage has named its eighth hockey head coach all-time in Eric Rud, a longtime college assistant coach and former defenseman. 

Rud, 53, joins the Seawolves after spending the past two seasons at St. Cloud State, where he also coached from 2006 to 2010. Prior to his latest stint with SCSU, he served two years as head coach with Sioux Falls (USHL), after three years at Miami (Ohio) and three years before that at his alma mater, Colorado College. He also served as head coach at Green Bay (USHL) in 2010-11, where he led the Gamblers to the Clark Cup final, after earlier working as an assistant with Cedar Rapids (USHL) after three years of serving in the ECHL as a player-assistant coach.

A native of Inver Grove Heights, Minn., Rud skated on the blueline at Colorado College from 1993 to 1997, recording 22 goals and 90 assists for 112 points in 168 outings over four seasons. He also led the Tigers to three WCHA regular-season titles and three NCAA tournament berths, including the 1996 national championship game where he assisted on CC's second goal while serving as team captain. An undrafted free agent, he went on to play in the IHL, ECHL and WCHL as a professional for five seasons, notching 34-98—132 points over 319 regular-season appearances. He prepped with Des Moines (USHL) and Simley (Minn.) High as a player prior to attending CC.

Alaska Anchorage finished 5-27-1 overall last season, its fourth as an NCAA Division I independent, under former head coach and Seawolf defensemen Matt Shasby. UAA will be seeking its first winning campaign since 2013-14, when it went 18-16-4 while in the WCHA. The Seawolves began play in 1979.