College Sports

Coach Schafer ’86 imparts hockey-infused wisdom in ‘Last Lecture’

Sullivan Mack ’25 had heard it all before. The third-leading scorer on this year’s Cornell men’s hockey team, Mack has absorbed four years of inspirational, passionate, occasionally profane and always brutally honest locker-room talks from Mike Schafer ’86, the soon-to-be-retired Jay R. Bloom ’77 Head Coach of Men’s Hockey. So when fellow members of a senior […]

Published

1 month ago

April 29, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Sullivan Mack ’25 had heard it all before.

The third-leading scorer on this year’s Cornell men’s hockey team, Mack has absorbed four years of inspirational, passionate, occasionally profane and always brutally honest locker-room talks from Mike Schafer ’86, the soon-to-be-retired Jay R. Bloom ’77 Head Coach of Men’s Hockey.

So when fellow members of a senior honor society asked Mack if he thought Schafer would be up for delivering the latest installment in Cornell’s “Last Lecture” series, he gave it a shot.

The crowd laughs along with Schafer during the lecture.

“I mean, he’s given us some of the best pre-game speeches that I’ve been a part of, so I thought for him to be able to talk to the general student body would be an awesome opportunity,” said Mack, a forward from Anchorage, Alaska, who is bound for the American Hockey League.

Schafer agreed, and in the process undoubtedly made some “Last Lecture” history: This “last” lecture was also the lecturer’s first.

“Intimidating” is how Schafer – who last month coached his final game in a remarkable 30-year career at his alma mater – characterized the prospect of giving a lecture in an academic setting, which he did April 23 in Baker Lab.

The Last Lecture series, which began three decades ago and resumed this past fall following a five-year hiatus due to COVID, invites a respected professor or staff member to give a lecture as if it were their final one.

“When I talk to our players, or our alumni, when I talk for fundraising, that’s a little bit of a different venue,” he said. “I’m an expert in hockey and Cornell hockey, so it makes it a lot easier.

“But to really think about what you’d say in your ‘last lecture,’” he said, “and try to piece that all together with all the different things that you try to teach your players throughout the course of a four-year career is kind of intimidating.”

Schafer needn’t have worried. He had a rapt audience of students, student-athletes (including several of his own players), a professor or two and some alumni, many dressed in “Lynah Faithful” regalia.

“It was a huge honor to host Coach Schafer,” said Avery Look ’25, a biological sciences major from Queens and a member of the society that invited Schafer. “During our speaker selection process, we thought it was important to find someone who can bring people together and leave an audience inspired. With hockey being a huge part of Cornell culture and this being his final semester with the team, choosing Coach Schafer was a no-brainer.”

Among the approximately 600 in attendance – including around 100 in an overflow room, watching on Zoom – were his coaching compatriots: Casey Jones ’90, who will take over for Schafer behind the Big Red men’s bench next season; and Doug Derraugh ’91, the Everett Family Head Coach of Women’s Ice Hockey.

With no notes and no script, Schafer spoke “from the heart,” he said, touching on the lessons he learned both as the youngest of nine children growing up in Durham, Ontario; as a small-town kid arriving in 1982 at a major university, the first from his family to go to college; and as a defenseman for the Big Red.

“I still remember being at North Campus,” he said, “listening to all these kids talk about their achievements, and how smart they were, and I was like, ‘Oh, my God, I don’t belong here.’”

He soon proved that he did – earning athletic and academic awards from Cornell and ECAC Hockey, serving as team captain for two years and graduating from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences with a degree in business management and marketing.

With a diploma in his hand but hockey in his blood, he stayed on East Hill for four years as an assistant coach under Brian McCutcheon ’71 before realizing “I needed to leave … I needed a challenge.” He headed to Kalamazoo, Michigan, to become an assistant coach at Western Michigan University.

After five years in the Midwest, Schafer returned to Cornell in 1995 and embarked on a coaching journey that included 561 victories (second all-time among Cornell coaches in any sport), 15 NCAA Tournament appearances, seven ECAC Hockey Tournament championships and six regular-season conference titles.

Schafer spoke passionately for nearly an hour, touching on themes of hard work; having a “growth mindset” – focusing on the process of getting better instead of the result you’re seeking; and what it means to be a contributor to your group, team, family and society.

“Go for the money, have success – but what are you going to do with it?” he asked. “Are you going to help others? Are you going to be in service to others? Are you going to use it wisely and be a strong person in your community? Those are things we talk about with our guys.”

He spoke of the legacy a person will leave, regardless of the records set, the championships won, the acclaim received.

“I just moved all my stuff out of my office – championship rings, coach of the year awards,” he said. “You know where they are? Where my wife (Diane ’86) put all my awards from college: in a bin in the basement, on a shelf. So the awards really mean nothing, in the sense of, ‘But how did I do it?’”

One of his closing themes was leadership – the fact that making the right decision for the organization is more important than trying to keep everyone happy. A tough decision will always make someone unhappy, Schafer said.

“I always thought, make the right decision, what your gut says, and live with it,” he said, “because then you can put your head down to sleep at night.”

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College Sports

Daniel Park – Associate Head Coach – Cowgirl Golf Coaches

Daniel Park is in his first season as Oklahoma State’s associate head coach after successful stints at Houston (2021-25) and UTSA (2018-21). Head coach Annie Young announced the hire on June 11, 2025, stating: “I am thrilled to have Daniel join our coaching staff. He is one of the best in the business. […]

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50 minutes ago

June 12, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Daniel Park is in his first season as Oklahoma State’s associate head coach after successful stints at Houston (2021-25) and UTSA (2018-21).

Head coach Annie Young announced the hire on June 11, 2025, stating:

“I am thrilled to have Daniel join our coaching staff. He is one of the best in the business. We’re excited to have him and his family in Stillwater.”

Park spent a portion of his summer working with some of the world’s best men’s and women’s collegiate golfers at the 2025 Arnold Palmer Cup, a Ryder Cup-style competition played at Congaree Golf Club in Ridgeland, S.C. He served as an assistant coach for Team International, which outscored the United States, 35-25, to claim its first win since 2022 and first on U.S. soil since 2020.

At Houston (2021-25):

Park helped coach the Cougars to three NCAA Regional appearances in four years under head coach Lydia Lasprilla. During his tenure, the team racked up four tournament titles along with the two highest postseason finishes in program history. The 2025 Cougars placed sixth at the Columbus Regional (just three strokes shy of an NCAA Championship berth) after tying for sixth at the 2024 Auburn Regional (two strokes back).

Five of Park’s Cougars earned all-conference honors and two more made the Big 12’s all-tournament team. UH student-athletes also excelled off the course, combining for 15 conference all-academic honors and nine WGCA All-American Scholar Athlete nods.

Park was promoted to associate head coach ahead of the 2024-25 season, during which the Cougars tied a school record with three team titles and finished 27th in the final Scoreboard by Clippd national team rankings. In addition, junior Moa Svedenskiold was a two-time medalist and advanced to the NCAA Championship as an individual.

In 2023-24, Park helped Houston make a successful leap from the American Athletic Conference to the Big 12. Svedenskiold became the program’s first All-Big 12 recipient and set a new single-season school record for stroke average (71.47).

The Cougars opened their season with the third-lowest 54-hole tournament total in NCAA history (-48, 816) at the Sam Golden Invitational, helped by a school record 268 (-20) in the final round, and a brilliant debut from freshman Ellen Yates, who fired a 14-under, 202 to finish atop the leaderboard.

A trio of Houston freshmen enjoyed similar success in 2022-23 helping the Cougars return to the NCAA Regionals for the first time since 2021. Svedenskiold became the first Houston rookie to win a tournament title, capturing medalist honors at the Jim West Challenge, and later landed on the American Athletic Conference’s all-league team. Fellow freshman Natalie Saint Germain tied the school’s low-18 record with a 64 in the Final Round of the Schooner Fall Classic.

In Park’s debut season (2021-22), the Cougars played some of their best golf by season’s end, finishing runner-up at the AAC Championship in Pinehurst, N.C. Three Cougars earned all-conference honors — Nicole Abelar, Maria Jose Martinez and Annie Kim – with Kim landing a spot in the NCAA Franklin Regional field.

At UTSA (2018-21):

Prior to Houston, Park spent three seasons at the University of Texas at San Antonio working with head coach Summer Batiste. The pair led the Roadrunners to five tournament titles, including the 2019 Conference USA crown, as well as two NCAA Regional appearances.

Park coached four different UTSA golfers to all-conference honors, including 2019 CUSA medalist Ana Gonzalez.

The Roadrunners also performed well in the classroom under his watch, earning 16 CUSA Commissioner’s Honor Roll spots, four CUSA Commissioner’s Academic Medals and one WGCA All-American Scholar nod. The program twice earned NCAA Public Recognition Awards after posting perfect Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores in 2019 and 2020.

UTSA earned only the second at-large berth in program history in 2021 and went on to secure a 13^th place finish at the Louisville Regional.

The 2020 squad was on a similar trajectory, winning two of its last three tournaments before the season was shut down in mid-March by COVID-19.

During the pandemic, Park used his downtime to complete Level 2 certification from the Titleist Performance Institute.

In 2018-19, Park helped lead UTSA to three team titles, highlighted by a 12-stroke win at the CUSA Championship. The Roadrunners set the program’s 54-hole record with a 10-under, 854 to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Norman Regional.

In Auburn, Ala. (2015-17):

Park came to San Antonio from Auburn, Ala., where he held dual roles as marketing and tournament director for the Southeastern Junior Golf Tour and as a golf coach at Auburn High School.

Park also served as a tournament services intern with Global Golf Management in Opelika, Ala., where he helped promote event opportunities and assisted with general operations during PGA Tour’s 2017 Barbasol Championship.

As a Student-Athlete:

A former standout collegiate golfer for Alabama State, Park helped lead the Hornets to three consecutive Southwestern Athletic Conference championships from 2013-15. As a senior, he earned First Team All-SWAC honors and was a Cleveland/Srixon All-American Scholar.

Education:

Park graduated summa cum laude from Alabama State with a 3.94 GPA while majoring in communications and minoring in finance. He was a President’s Award recipient and made the Dean’s Honor Roll in every year of college.

From 2015-17, Park worked as a public speaking instructor with Auburn University’s Communications Department while completing his master’s degree in communication.

Personal:

Park is a native of Kendall, England. He and his wife, Shanon, were married in 2017 and have a son, Lucas David, born in May 2024.

The Park File:

Coaching Experience:

2025-Pr. – Oklahoma State, Associate Head Coach

June 2025 – Arnold Palmer Cup, Assistant Coach (Team International)

2024-25 – Houston, Associate Head Coach

2021-24 – Houston, Assistant Coach

2018-21 – UTSA, Assistant Coach

2017-18 – Auburn HS, Varsity Assistant/JV Head Coach

Postseason History:

2025 – NCAA Championship Individual Qualifier (Moa Svedenskiold, Houston)

2025 – NCAA Columbus Regional (Houston)

2024 – NCAA Auburn Regional (Houston)

2023 – NCAA Pullman Regional (Houston)

2022 – NCAA Franklin Regional Individual Qualifier (Annie Kim, Houston)

2021 – NCAA Louisville Regional (UTSA)

2019 – NCAA Norman Regional (UTSA)

Playing Experience:

2012-15 – Alabama State

3x SWAC Team Champions (2013, 2014, 2015)

First Team All-SWAC (2015)

Cleveland/Srixon All-American Scholar (2015)

3x Letterman (2013, 2014, 2015)

Personal:

Hometown: Kendall, England

Education: Alabama State (2015), Auburn (2017)

Wife: Shanon

Son: Lucas David

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College Sports

Herb Brooks National Hockey Center to be renovated with state funds

SAINT CLOUD — The Huskies’ den is getting an upgrade. The Herb Brooks National Hockey Center is receiving $12.9 million from a bonding bill passed by the Minnesota Legislature on Tuesday, June 10 in a special session. The $700 million package addresses statewide projects using money from a state bond and general fund bill. Aside from […]

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1 hour ago

June 12, 2025

Your Sports Nation

SAINT CLOUD — The Huskies’ den is getting an upgrade.

The Herb Brooks National Hockey Center is receiving $12.9 million from a bonding bill passed by the Minnesota Legislature on Tuesday, June 10 in a special session. The $700 million package addresses statewide projects using money from a state bond and general fund bill. Aside from the historic Herb, some of the infrastructure projects are in water systems, transportation and housing.

St. Cloud representative Dan Wolgamott (DFL-14B) advocated for the funding as co-chair of the house higher education committee.

“I’m proud of all we accomplished for St. Cloud during the most bipartisan session in Minnesota House history,” Wolgamott said in a statement. “Our key achievements will get more police officers on our streets, tackle the healthcare workforce shortages, attract and incentivize developers to downtown St. Cloud, and provide much-needed renovations to the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center.”

St. Cloud Technical and Community College also received $1.3 million in infrastructure funding as part of the bonding package, passed the same day as the remainder of the state budget.

The SCSU athletic department will release a statement on its plans for the investment by the end of the week, according to athletics communications director Andrew Melroe.

The Herb Brooks National Hockey Center was built in 1989 to facilitate the SCSU men’s and women’s teams’ move to NCAA Division I. It now hosts the Huskies, the Division III St. John’s University Johnnies, youth teams and community events. Last summer, it hosted then-presidential candidate Donald Trump for a rally that sat an estimated 8,000 people.

“I think that it’s a humongous victory not just for Husky hockey, not just for St Cloud State University, not just for downtown St Cloud, but for our whole community (considering) the economic benefits that the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center provides for our local economy,” Wolgamott said in an interview.

For several years, St. Cloud State officials have campaigned for state funding to upgrade the original refrigerant system for its two ice sheets from R-22, which has been outlawed for its damage to the ozone in the atmosphere. The Municipal Athletic Complex is upgrading its system to ammonia this summer, part of a $16 million project that includes roof work, new locker rooms and more training and mechanical space.

One difference between the sheets at the MAC and the National Hockey Center is the size of the ice — SCSU plays on the larger Olympic rink compared to NHL dimensions. Most teams, including all of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, play on the smaller ice. Two rinks in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association are bigger than NHL and smaller than Olympic.

The arena had been upgraded recently. Before last season, the video boards and sound system were upgraded thanks to $1.3 million in gifts. In 2019, the school added a new workout room connected to the nearly $20 million addition in 2013 that built a new atrium, suites and locker rooms.

Contact reporter Reid Glenn at rglenn@gannett.com

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College Sports

Female athletes appeal NCAA settlement arguing it violates Title IX

An attorney representing the athletes said in a statement that the settlement violates Title IX, the federal law that bans sex-based discrimination in education. Eight female athletes filed an appeal Wednesday of a landmark NCAA antitrust settlement, arguing that women would not receive their fair share of $2.7 billion in back pay for athletes who […]

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1 hour ago

June 12, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Female athletes appeal NCAA settlement arguing it violates Title IX

An attorney representing the athletes said in a statement that the settlement violates Title IX, the federal law that bans sex-based discrimination in education.

Eight female athletes filed an appeal Wednesday of a landmark NCAA antitrust settlement, arguing that women would not receive their fair share of $2.7 billion in back pay for athletes who were barred from making money off their name, image and likeness.

U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken approved the settlement last week, clearing the way for direct payments from universities to athletes and the end of the NCAA’s amateurism model.

The athletes who appealed the settlement competed in soccer, volleyball and track. They are: Kacie Breeding of Vanderbilt; Lexi Drumm, Emma Appleman, Emmie Wannemacher, Riley Hass, Savannah Baron and Elizabeth Arnold of the College of Charleston; and Kate Johnson of Virginia. They have standing to appeal because they previously filed objections to the proposed settlement.

Ashlyn Hare, one of the attorneys representing the athletes, said in a statement that the settlement violates Title IX, the federal law that bans sex-based discrimination in education.

“We support a settlement of the case, but not an inaccurate one that violates federal law. The calculation of past damages is based on an error that ignores Title IX and deprives female athletes of $1.1 billion,” Hare said. “Paying out the money as proposed would be a massive error that would cause irreparable harm to women’s sports.”

The House settlement figures to financially benefit football and basketball stars at the biggest schools, who are likely to receive a big chunk of the $20.5 million per year that colleges are permitted to share with athletes over the next year. Some athletes in other sports that don’t make money for their schools could lose their partial scholarships or see their roster spots cut.

“This is a football and basketball damages settlement with no real benefit to female athletes,” Hare said. “Congress has expressly rejected efforts to exempt revenue-generating sports like football and basketball from Title IX’s antidiscrimination mandate. The NCAA agreed with us. Our argument on appeal is the exact same argument the conferences and NCAA made prior to settling the case.”

The appeal was filed by the law firm Hutchinson Black and Cook of Boulder, Colorado, and was first reported by Front Office Sports. It would be heard by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

College Sports

Female athletes appeal NCAA settlement arguing it violates Title IX

Published

1 hour ago

June 12, 2025

Your Sports Nation

An attorney representing the athletes said in a statement that the settlement violates Title IX, the federal law that bans sex-based discrimination in education.

U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken approved the settlement last week, clearing the way for direct payments from universities to athletes and the end of the NCAA’s amateurism model.

Ashlyn Hare, one of the attorneys representing the athletes, said in a statement that the settlement violates Title IX, the federal law that bans sex-based discrimination in education.

College Sports

SEC communications staff members honored with College Sports Communicators 25-Year Awards

The Southeastern Conference is proud to recognize two of its communications staff members, Jill Skotarczak and Tammy Wilson, who have been honored by College Sports Communicators (CSC) with the prestigious 25-Year Award. The award is presented to CSC members who have completed 25 years in the athletics communications profession and is vetted and voted on […]

Published

2 hours ago

June 12, 2025

Your Sports Nation

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College Sports

RPI Engineers women’s hockey schedule released – Troy Record

DANBURY, Conn. — ECAC Hockey unveiled its 2025-26 women’s league schedule, setting the stage for another thrilling season of collegiate hockey battles. The quest for the ECAC Hockey regular season title will take place over the league’s traditional 132-game slate, beginning on October 24 and concluding with the ECAC Hockey Women’s Championships from February 20 […]

Published

3 hours ago

June 12, 2025

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