Mike Schwartz (ice hockey)

Michael Schwartz is an American former ice hockey player and coach who was the NCAA Division III coach of the year.[1]

Mike Schwartz
Biographical details
BornMinneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Alma materUniversity of Wisconsin–River Falls
Augsburg College
Playing career
1981–1983Augsburg
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1986–1990Johnson HS
1990–1991Sioux City Musketeers
1991–1992San Jose Sharks (scout)
1992–1996White Bear Lake HS
1996–2006Augsburg
Head coaching record
Overall124–110–30 (.527) [college]
Tournaments2–2–0 (.500)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
1998 MIAC champion
1998 MIAC tournament champion
Awards
1998 Edward Jeremiah Award

Career

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Schwartz began attending college at the University of Wisconsin–River Falls right after graduating from Johnson High School in 1975. After two years, however, he left school. In 1979 he returned to the college ranks, this time at Augsburg College. After settling in, he began to play hockey again and was part of the Auggies 1982 Championship team.[2]

Schwartz graduated with a BA in education in 1983 and embarked on a professional career. In 1986 he returned to ice hockey once more as the head coach for his alma mater, Johnson High School. He helped the team win back-to-back twin cities championships in '89 and '90 and was hired by the Sioux City Musketeers as head coach.[3] Schwartz did not see much success in the USHL and was fired after just one season with the Musketeers finishing last in the league. After working as an NHL scout for a year, Schwartz was back behind the bench, this time for White Bear Lake High School. His second turn in high school just as good as the first and he led the White Bears to three consecutive state tournament appearances.

In 1996, Ed Saugestad retired from coaching after 38 years with Augsburg. Schwartz was chosen as his successor and he got off to a good start with a winning season in his first year. For an encore, He led Augsburg to its first conference title in 16 years and the program's first every MIAC Tournament championship (the tournament began in 1986).[4] Despite the NCAA not using automatic qualifiers at the time, the Auggies were also able to make their second NCAA Tournament appearance (the first in 14 years). Augsburg finished 4th in the tournament after taking down Wisconsin–River Falls in the quarterfinals and Schwartz was named as the Division III coach of the year.

The team declined sharply the following year, but Schwartz was able to rebuild the Auggies into a contender in the MIAC. After 2003, however, the program sank out of the playoff picture. In spite of the diminishing returns on the ice, Schwartz was named as the school's director of athletic facilities and helped with major extensions and renovations to several structures on campus, including the Si Melby Hall and Edor Nelson Field. He remained as the facilities director even after resigning as head coach in 2006.[5] Two years later, however, Schwartz left Augsburg to pursue a career in the financial sector.[6]

Schwartz was inducted into the Minnesota Hockey Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2019.

Statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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    Regular Season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1981–82 Augsburg MIAC
1982–83 Augsburg MIAC
NCAA totals

Head coaching record

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USHL

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Team Year Regular season Post season
G W L T Pts Finish Result
Sioux City Musketeers 1990–91 46 9 38 1 (20) 10th N/A
Totals 46 9 38 1

College

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Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Augsburg Auggies (MIAC) (1996–2006)
1996–97 Augsburg 14–10–1 9–7–0 5th
1997–98 Augsburg 21–8–4 12–3–1 T–1st NCAA third place game (loss)
1998–99 Augsburg 11–12–4 8–5–3 T–4th MIAC Semifinals
1999–00 Augsburg 10–13–4 8–5–3 3rd MIAC Semifinals
2000–01 Augsburg 12–11–2 9–6–1 T–4th
2001–02 Augsburg 14–9–3 10–5–1 3rd MIAC Semifinals
2002–03 Augsburg 17–9–0 10–6–0 3rd MIAC Semifinals
2003–04 Augsburg 8–13–4 5–8–3 6th
2004–05 Augsburg 8–12–5 5–8–3 T–6th
2005–06 Augsburg 9–13–3 5–8–3 7th
Augsburg: 124–110–30 81–61–18
Total: 124–110–30

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References

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  1. ^ "American Hockey Coaches Association". Archived from the original on 2010-01-16. Retrieved 2012-07-11.
  2. ^ "Mike Schwartz resigns as Augsburg's athletic facilities director". MIAC. July 18, 2008. Archived from the original on 2022-02-11. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  3. ^ "MHCA Class of 2019". Vintage Minnesota Hockey. Archived from the original on 2022-02-11. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  4. ^ "Augsburg Men's Hockey History". Augsburg Auggies. Archived from the original on 2022-02-11. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
  5. ^ "Augsburg Coach Mike Schwartz resigns; Assistant Chris Brown named interim Head Coach". MIAC. April 13, 2006. Archived from the original on 2022-02-11. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  6. ^ "Mike Schwartz". Linked In. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
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Awards and achievements
Preceded by Edward Jeremiah Award
1997–98
Succeeded by