Tech Athletics Mourns Loss of Al Renfrew

HOUGHTON, Mich. – Former Michigan Tech hockey coach Al Renfrew passed away Monday (Nov. 10) at the age of 89.

"Al is one of the greatest men I ever met," current Tech coach Mel Pearson said. "You don't find people better than Al Renfrew, and he will be sorely missed by a lot of people."

Renfrew coached five seasons for the Huskies from 1951-56. He led Tech to its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament with a runner-up finish during the 1955-56 season. Renfrew's overall record with the Huskies was 48-68-2.

"Al was always a real proponent of Michigan Tech," added Pearson. "I spent a lot of time with him during my time at Michigan. He always had good things to say about Tech and really enjoyed his time as a coach here. He was so excited for me when I got the job and excited for the program."

After Tech, Renfrew coached a season at North Dakota (1956-57) before moving on to Michigan (1957-73). He led the Wolverines to the 1964 National Championship and had an overall record of 223-206-11 (.517) in 16 seasons.

As a player at Michigan, Renfrew had 172 points on 91 goals and 81 assists from 1946-49. He was a member of the 1948 National Championship team.

Funeral arrangements are pending.