Lawrence's Szkodzinski Tapped for Role as LU Athletic Director

Men's hockey head coach Mike Szkodzinski will be pulling double-duty this upcoming season as he was recently named acting Director of Athletics by Lawrence University.

Szkodzinski to act as AD

Szkodzinski named Lawrence Director of Athletics

APPLETON, Wis. -- Lawrence University head hockey coach Mike Szkodzinski has been named the Acting Director of Athletics, Provost Dave Burrows announced Friday.

Szkodzinski, who has been Lawrence's head hockey coach since June 2006, takes over for head softball coach Kim Tatro and head football coach Chris Howard, who shared the duties of Acting Director of Athletics during the 2008-09 academic year.

"Mike is a person of high energy and spirit, with strong organizational skills," Burrows said. "He will work closely with the other members of the Department of Athletics to strengthen our athletic programs."

Szkodzinski believes Lawrence possesses a strong group of coaches and wants to work with them in an effort to develop each team.

"I am looking forward to working with the fine staff of coaches we have at Lawrence," Szkodzinski said. "Our goal as a department is to utilize the individual talents of each coach in order to improve our programs across the board. The hope is to continue to build on the momentum started by not only Kim and Chris, but Bob Beeman as well."

The community, both on and off the campus, also plays a vital role in the success of Lawrence athletics, Szkodzinski said.

"Lawrence has historically received strong support from our campus community and from fans throughout the Fox Valley," Szkodzinski said. "They have filled the Banta Bowl, packed Alexander Gymnasium and the Appleton Family Ice Center, and come out to cheer on every team here at Lawrence. The backing of local fans and our alumni around the world make coaching and playing at Lawrence an extraordinary experience."

Szkodzinski has turned around the fortunes of the Lawrence hockey program in his three seasons at the helm. The Vikings posted a school-record 16-11-1 mark in 2008-09 and won the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association Northern Division title. Lawrence finished second in the MCHA regular-season standings. In three seasons, Szkodzinski has a 39-39-6 record with the Vikings, including a 32-25-3 mark in MCHA play.

A 2000 graduate of St. Norbert College, Szkodzinski has a bachelor's degree in business administration. He earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Findlay, where he served as an assistant coach for two seasons. Szkodzinski was an assistant coach at St. Norbert for two seasons before coming to Lawrence.