Michigan Tech announces big contract extension for Mel Pearson

By @MichaelCaples –

Mel Pearson’s going to be in Houghton for a while.

Michigan Tech athletic director Suzanne Sanregret formally announced today that the school has extended their head coach’s contract five years. That means Pearson is signed through the 2020-21 season (which will also be MTU’s 100th season of intercollegiate hockey).

“Our goal is to bring the hockey program back to national prominence,” Sanregret said in a release. “There are many pieces to that, but finding the right coach is a critical component. Coach Pearson has demonstrated his commitment to this program. He’s brought in top-quality student-athletes and built a solid foundation. We needed this contract to continue the progress we’ve made in returning Michigan Tech hockey to an elite level.”

Pearson, a Michigan Tech alum, returned to the program in 2011-12 after serving as a long-time assistant coach for Red Berenson at the University of Michigan. The Huskies’ head coach was named the WCHA Coach of the Year that same season after leading the Huskies to a 16-19-4 record and an appearance in the Final Five – quadrupling their win total from the previous year.

“I want to thank [Michigan Tech president Glenn Mroz], [Vice President for Student Affairs and Advancement Les Cook] and Suzanne for their support in giving me the opportunity to continue on as the hockey coach at Michigan Tech,” Pearson said in the release. “I’ve really enjoyed my experience here as a player, assistant coach and now head coach. I look forward to the continued growth and development of the program.”

Over the course of his three seasons as head coach, the Huskies have recorded 43 victories – the program’s best three-year stretch in 20 years.

“Our sports teams bring a lot of enthusiasm to campus, and our hockey program is our flagship,” Mroz said. “We really want to build this program to last. You need a coach who’s going to be around because the coach has so much influence in recruiting quality student-athletes. A long-term contract for Coach Pearson says to recruits, alumni and the community that we’re committed to making our hockey program the best it can be.”