Sault Ste. Marie's Joe Shawhan has been named the Central Collegiate Hockey Association's coach of the year.
Shawhan helped lead the Michigan Tech Huskies to a 15-7-4 conference record in CCHA play this season, good for second in the league standings, two points behind league-leading Minnesota State.
The Huskies posted an overall record of 24-10-4. The 24 wins are the most wins by the program in Shawhan's six years with the school and put the Huskies in a position for a potential at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.
It would be the second consecutive tournament appearance for the Huskies and the third for the school during Shawhan's tenure with the program. Should the Huskies earn the bid, Shawhan would become only the second coach to lead Michigan Tech to three NCAA tournaments.
Shawhan was named head coach of the Huskies in the spring of 2017 after spending three seasons with the program as an assistant coach. The team won the Western Collegiate Hockey Association title in 2018.
He joined the Huskies as an assistant coach in July 2014.
Prior to that, Shawhan spent six seasons at Northern Michigan University. He began as a volunteer assistant at NMU in 2007-08 and spent time as the director of hockey operations with the program in 2009-10. Shawhan also spent four years as an assistant coach with the program.
Shawhan was head coach and general manager of the Soo Indians in the North American Hockey League from 1995 to 2005. He posted a 474-162-43 record with the Indians to become the NAHL's winningest coach. With Shawhan at the helm, the Indians posted two 50-win seasons, six 40-win seasons, and two more with over 30 wins. The team never recorded a losing season under Shawhan and won three NAHL titles and four USA National Tournamnent appearances.
Shawhan was a three-time NAHL coach of the year.
As a player, Shawhan tended goal for four years locally at Lake Superior State and led the old CCHA in goals against average and save percentage during the 1985-86 season.
