Michigan State University Athletics
Rick Comley Named Michigan State's Ice Hockey Coach
3/24/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
March 24, 2002
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Former Northern Michigan mentor Rick Comley will be introduced as Michigan State's fifth hockey coach at a noon press conference on Monday, March 25, MSU Athletics Director Dr. Clarence Underwood announced Sunday night. Comley replaces the legendary Ron Mason, who is stepping down as hockey coach to become MSU's Director of Athletics July 1.
"I entrusted Ron Mason to conduct the search for his successor," Underwood said. "Ron did all of the legwork and I fully support his recommendation. I'm proud to introduce Rick Comley as only the fifth coach in the history of Michigan State hockey."
"I'm very excited about having the opportunity to lead one of the best hockey programs in the country," Comley said. "Ron Mason has established a program of national prominence. I'm looking forward to this new chapter in my life. My goal is to continue to pursue excellence, both in the classroom and on the ice. Our goal at Michigan State remains the same and that's to win national championships."
The Stratford, Ont., native brings 29 years of head coaching experience to the Spartan program. He began his coaching career as an assistant coach to Ron Mason at Lake Superior State College in 1972-73, following his four-year Laker playing career. Comley took over the reins at Lake Superior State in 1973 following Mason's departure to Bowling Green. He spent three seasons (1973-76) at Lake Superior State before moving on to Marquette, Mich., to start the varsity program at Northern Michigan University where he spent the past 26 seasons (1976-2002) as the head coach. He owns a career mark of 597-475-71 (.553) and stands seventh on the NCAA's college hockey all-time coaching wins list.
In addition to coaching, Comley spent 13 years (1987-2000) in a dual role serving as NMU's athletics director/hockey coach. During Comley's tenure, Northern Michigan constructed the $21-million Superior Dome, which has a capacity of 8,000 for the football team, the $12-million Berry Events Center, home of the ice hockey and men's and women's basketball programs and the Tom Izzo-Steve Mariucci Academic Center.
The 13-sport program at NMU also enjoyed wide success under Comley's leadership. The football program produced 10 winning seasons, advancing to the NCAA II Semifinals in 1987. Women's volleyball won seven Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) titles and won the NCAA II National Championship in 1993 and 1994. Women's basketball won two GLIAC Championships, were selected to the Great Lakes Regional Tournament 10 times, won two regional championships and made one appearance in the Elite Eight. Men's basketball won two GLIAC Championships and made three NCAA II Regional appearances. Women's swimming won five GLIAC Championships, including capturing four straight titles. Meanwhile, men's and women's nordic skiing competed on the national level with several athletes selected for national squads that competed in Europe.
Comley, 55, arrives at MSU after spending the past 26 years as the head coach at Northern Michigan University. The only head coach in NMU hockey history, Comley arrived in Marquette in 1976 and guided an almost all freshman team to a 19-13-1 record. He compiled a 538-429-68 (.553) mark at NMU and is just of just 12 coaches to win 450 games at one school. He also is one of two individuals to have coached regular-season champions in the WCHA and CCHA. Bill Selman is the other, attaining the feat at North Dakota (1966-67) and St. Louis (1972-73, 1974-75, 1976-77).
Comley's greatest unit was the 1990-91 squad which rolled its way to a 38-5-4 overall mark, a 25-3-4 WCHA slate along with the league regular-season and playoff titles and the NCAA Division I title. The 'Cats, which set or tied more than 50 school records, culminated the season with a thrilling 8-7 come-from-behind triple overtime victory over Boston University in the title game in St. Paul, Minn. In addition, NMU finished the year with a school record 26-game unbeaten streak and had a pair of Hobey Baker Memorial Award Finalists in defenseman Brad Werenka and forward Scott Beattie and second-team All-America goaltender Bill Pye.
Prior to the 1990-91 team, Comley's top unit was the 1979-80 group which rolled to a 34-6-1 overall and a 17-3-0 first-place standing in the CCHA. The Wildcats won the CCHA regular-season and playoff titles and finished second in the NCAA Frozen Four, falling to North Dakota 5-2 in the title tilt. That team featured the likes of Bill Joyce, Mike Mielke, Steve Bozek, Steve Weeks and Jeff Pyle.
Five of Comley's other Northern Michigan teams have qualified for the NCAA Tournament, including the 1980-81 unit, the 1988-89 squad, the 1991-92 club, the 1992-93 team and the 1998-99 squad.
"First, Rick Comley is a fierce competitor," said Mason. "Rick was that way as a player and he has carried that competitiveness into his coaching. He's very innovative in terms of his coaching and he's a tireless worker. At Northern Michigan, Rick has literally built that program from scratch and he has done every aspect of the job. At Michigan State, there's so much more to this position than simply coaching. Rick knows how to completely run a hockey program so he can handle both the coaching and administrative roles."
Comley began his coaching career at his alma mater, Lake Superior State, where he served as Ron Mason's varsity assistant and recruiter during the 1972-73 season. Comley was named the head coach the following year after Mason's departure to Bowling Green. Comley guided the Lakers to a 59-46-3 mark from 1973-76, capturing one regular-season CCHA championship and one NAIA national title.
"My relationship with Ron has truly come full circle and it's a special opportunity to work for him," Comley said.
During his career, Comley has coached seven Hobey Baker Memorial Award Finalists, 10 All-Americans (first and second team), four league players of the year, 20 first-team all-league honorees and 80 academic all-league selections. His teams have captured two national championships, three CCHA regular-season titles, two CCHA Tournament winners, one regular-season WCHA crown and three WCHA playoff championships.
Comley has been honored as the Spencer Penrose Memorial Trophy as college hockey's national coach of the year in 1980 and 1991. He was been named the CCHA Coach of the Year on two occasions (1980 and 1981) and the WCHA Coach of the Year twice (1989 and 1991). He also served as the head coach of the West team at the 1981 Senior East-West All-Star game.
He has averaged over 20 wins a season in his collegiate coaching career and is one of eight coaches in college hockey history to win 550 games and one of 10 to post 500 victories at one school.
"Rick's track record is second to none," Mason said. "It's a tribute to Michigan State hockey that it can attract someone with Rick's credentials. He's a perfect fit for Michigan State and the right coach to follow in my footsteps."
Comley played four years of collegiate hockey (1967-71) for Mason at Lake Superior State. He was a two-time NAIA All-American as well as serving as the team captain as a senior in 1971. He was voted the team's MVP and won Lake Superior State's Outstanding Athlete Award in 1971.
He earned his bachelor's degree in political science from Lake Superior State in 1972 and a master's degree in education from Northern Michigan in 1973. He was an honor student as a undergraduate at Lake Superior, receiving the 1971 Kiwanis Scholastic Award in the School of Liberal Arts. He is a member of the Athletic Hall of Fame at both schools.
Comley and his wife, Diane, are the parents of a daughter, Gillian, a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, and a son, Rick, a junior at NMU.
