March 21, 2006
Fridgen Resigns from Rensselaer

The first men's Division I college hockey coaching vacancy was announced Tuesday, as Dan Fridgen resigned as head coach of the Rensselaer Engineers.

Fridgen was the head coach of RPI for the last 12 years, and has been a member of the coaching staff for the last 17 years. The Engineers have had a winning record just once in the last four years.

Fridgen led RPI to its only ECACHL championship in his first season. The Engineers finished the regular season in sixth place that year but won the conference tournament and earned an automatic berth into the NCAAs.

Rensselaer regularly participated in the league's championship weekend early in Fridgen's tenure, advancing to Lake Placid four times in six years. Since then, RPI has made the final weekend just once (2002) in six years. His teams were 10-0-2 in the Big Red Freakout!, an annual February homecoming-type weekend celebrating RPI hockey.

"Dan Fridgen has served Rensselaer admirably over the past 17 years, including 12 as the head coach, and his efforts are greatly appreciated," Director of Athletics Ken Ralph said. "As we enter this period of transition, there is great excitement about the new opportunities ahead for our student athletes and dedicated fans."

On-ice results slipped in recent seasons for the two-time national champions, but RPI maintained its excellent academic standing. The team had 13 All-Academic ECACHL honorees this year, 11 last year, and nine in 2004.

Rensselaer President Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson said, "Rensselaer has a great hockey tradition, and we will now take the necessary steps to begin a new chapter in our program's history."

In his 12 years as the head coach, Fridgen compiled an overall record of 211-193-38, including a league mark of 116-116-31. He enjoyed eight
winning seasons, including five 20-win campaigns, and his teams finished in the top three in the league standings three times.

"Rensselaer has offered me a tremendous opportunity over the past 17
years," Fridgen said in a press release. "My family and I are very thankful for all the experiences we have shared with some tremendous people in the program, on the campus and in the community. I wish the team nothing but success."

Second-year assistant coach Frank Bretti will manage the day-to-day operations of the men's hockey program while the search for a new head coach is in process.