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Andy Slaggert, a two-time hockey monogram winner for the Irish, begins his 19th season as a coach with the Notre Dame hockey program and his fourth as associate coach after being promoted in the summer of 2008.
Slaggert is currently the only person to be involved with the Notre Dame hockey program for 20-plus seasons as he passed his former coach, Lefty Smith, following the 2008-09 campaign. He also holds the unique distinction of having played for the first two coaches of the modern era of Notre Dame hockey - Lefty Smith and Ric Schafer - while also serving as an assistant for Schafer, Dave Poulin and Jeff Jackson.
A tireless worker with a keen eye for talent, Slaggert coordinates the program's highly successful recruiting plan that includes on-and-off campus recruiting and the observation and evaluation of prospective student-athletes.
The popular coach was honored by his peers during the `09-'10 season when he was named the winner of the American Hockey Coaches Association's Terry Flanagan Award for 2010. The award is named in honor of the former New Hampshire player and Bowling Green assistant and honors an assistant coach's career body of work.
Following the `08-'09 campaign, Slaggert received the Notre Dame hockey team's Distinguished Alumni Award that is presented each year to an alumnus of the program to acknowledge their accomplishments and the example they set for others as an alumnus of the Notre Dame hockey program.
During Slaggert's 18 previous seasons as an assistant, he has been involved in the recruiting of 34 players who were selected in the National Hockey League Draft, including three players in the 2011 Entry Draft.
That group of 34 includes four players selected in the first round - Ian Cole (St. Louis in 2007), Kyle Palmieri (Anaheim in 2009), current junior Riley Sheahan (Detroit in 2010) and Jarred Tinordi (Montreal in 2010).
Three players were selected in the 2011 Draft, led by current sophomore forward T.J. Tynan who was chosen by Columbus in the third round, 66th overall and freshman defenseman Robbie Russo who was picked by the New York Islanders in the fourth round, 95th overall. Steven Fogarty, who signed a national letter-of-intent with the Irish, and who will attend Notre Dame in 2012-13, was selected by the New York Rangers in the third round, 72nd overall.
Notre Dame enters the 2011-12 season with 10 NHL draftees on its roster.
The Irish also have had 28 players from the U.S. National Team Development Program play at Notre Dame with 12 playing for the U.S. Junior National Team in the World Junior Championships.
The energetic and hard-working assistant has been highly involved with coaching on the national level since 1997.
During the summer of 2004, Slaggert reached his highest level, when he was named head coach of the U.S. Under-17 select team that went on to finish second at the Five Nations Tournament in Halle, Germany.
The previous year (2003), the veteran assistant got his first taste of coaching with USA Hockey at the international level when he served as an assistant coach on the U.S. Under-18 Select team that captured the gold medal at the Under-18 World Cup held in the Czech Republic.
During the summers of 2002-05, the native of Saginaw, Mich., served as head coach at the United States Select 15 tournament held at St. Cloud State.
Since 1997, Slaggert has been involved in coaching Michigan Select teams. During the summer of 2000, he coached the Michigan Select 15 Junior Olympic Festival Team. In 1998, he served as a head coach at the Michigan State Select 16 Festival helping evaluate players who were competing for a chance to play in the national tournament. In June, he served as the head coach for the Michigan Select 16 Team that skated to the bronze medal at the National Select 16 Festival in Ann Arbor, Mich.
In the summer of 1997, Slaggert served as an assistant coach for Team Michigan at the United States Select 15 Festival. From 1997 to 2004 he served as a head coach and evaluator at the Michigan State Bantam Camp in Big Rapids, Mich.
Slaggert also was the primary moving force behind the Notre Dame hockey program's PowerPlay Run/Walk to benefit the fight against cancer.
The 41-year-old Slaggert received his bachelor of arts degree from Notre Dame in 1989. He then went on to earn his master's degree in physical education from Ohio University in 1991.
A right wing for the Irish from 1986-89, Slaggert totaled seven goals and six assists over 55 games during his three-year Notre Dame career.
Slaggert's first venture into coaching came in 1989 with the Amerisport International European Hockey Tour and he returned to Notre Dame in 1992.
Slaggert and his wife, Tara, were married in the summer of 1996. The couple resides in South Bend with their sons, Graham (12), Landon (9) and Carter (7).
