Bio

Joe Shawhan enters his seventh season as head coach of the Michigan Tech hockey team in 2023-24 after being named the 22nd head coach of the Huskies on May 30, 2017. He is second in wins at Tech with 119 and is the second coach in program history to take their team to at least three NCAA Tournaments. Shawhan was named the 2023 CCHA Coach of the Year. He was an assistant coach at Tech for three seasons (2014-17) before being hired as the head coach.

In his first season as head coach in 2017-18, Shawhan led the Huskies to their second straight NCAA Tournament after winning the inaugural Jeff Sauer Trophy as WCHA Playoff Champions. Tech finished with a 22-17-5 overall record and a No. 15/16 ranking in the final polls. The Huskies won the 2017 Ice Breaker Invitational in the program’s first-ever invite and won Winter Carnival for the sixth straight season. Defenseman Mitch Reinke was named to the All-WCHA Third Team and was one of three players to sign an NHL contract (St. Louis) after the season, joining Joel L’Esperance (Dallas) and Dane Birks (Pittsburgh).

The Huskies won 14 games in 2018-19 and ranked 11th in the nation in power-play goals (33) and 13th in shots on goal (1,215). Forward Brian Halonen was named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team after leading league freshmen and the Huskies in scoring. Senior forward Jake Lucchini signed an NHL contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins after the season.

The 2019-20 Huskies won 21 games, reaching the 20-win mark for the second time in three seasons. Tech won the 55th Great Lakes Invitational after defeating Michigan State and Michigan for the first time in tournament history en route to its 11th title all time and first since 2012. In the playoffs, Tech swept Northern Michigan in the first round with Game 2 being the 17th longest game in NCAA history. The WCHA Semifinal series at Minnesota State was canceled due to concerns over Covid-19. The Huskies led the country in road wins (14) and hat tricks (5) after Tommy Parrottino (twice), Trenton Bliss, Logan Pietila, and Alec Broetzman all potted three goals in a game. Goaltender Matt Jurusik was named to the All-WCHA Third Team.

The 2020-21 team went 17-12-1 and was ninth in the country in wins. The Huskies ranked fourth in the nation in penalty kill (90 percent) and were seventh in scoring defense (2.1). Colin Swoyer (second team), Trenton Bliss (third team), and Arvid Caderoth (all-rookie) were named All-WCHA, and Blake Pietila was a finalist for the Mike Richter Award.

The 2021-22 team earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and had a 21-13-3 overall record and 16-8-2 mark in the CCHA—good for a No. 2 seed in the CCHA Mason Cup Playoffs. Brian Halonen was a Second Team All-American and Top 10 Finalist for the Hobey Baker and Blake Pietila was a semifinalist for the Mike Richter Award. The Huskies were ranked as high as No. 13 during the season and finished No. 14. Brian Halonen (first team), Trenton Bliss (second team), Blake Pietila (second team), and Colin Swoyer (second team) were named All-CCHA. Halonen and Bliss both notched their 100th career points in February, and Pietila broke the program record for shutouts in a season with seven. Seven Huskies signed professional contracts after the season with Halonen (New Jersey) and Swoyer (Pittsburgh) inking NHL deals. Bliss (Grand Rapids) and Michael Karow (Texas) signed in the AHL while Justin Misiak (Idaho), Tommy Parrottino (Idaho), and Mark Sinclair (Cincinnati) went to the ECHL.

Tech made its second straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2022-23 and its third under Shawhan. The Huskies finished 24-11-4 overall and second in the CCHA with a 15-7-4 record. Joe Shawhan was named the CCHA Coach of the Year and won his 100th game on November 4 at Bowling Green. Tech won the Desert Hockey Classic with wins over Arizona State and No. 6 Boston University. Blake Pietila was named a First Team All-American, the CCHA Player of the Year, CCHA Goaltender of the Year, All-CCHA First Team, Mike Richter Top 3 Finalist, and Hobey Baker Top 10 Finalist. He set school records for shutouts in a season (10) and career (20) and tied the all-time wins record (58). Kyle Kukkonen was named the CCHA Rookie of the Year after he scored the fifth-most goals by a Michigan Tech freshman in program history and his 18 goals were the most by a Tech freshman since 1988. Ryland Mosley (first team) and Brett Thorne (second team) also earned All-CCHA honors. Mosley was second in the nation in shorthanded goals (3) and Kukkonen was fifth in game-winning goals (5). Kyle Kukkonen (Anaheim), Blake Pietila (Dallas), Trevor Russell (New Jersey), and Max Vayrynen (Calgary) went to NHL Development Camps in the offseason.

Shawhan was brought on staff as an assistant coach in July 2014 to work with the goaltenders and defensemen. Tech went 75-34-14 during his first three seasons, going to the NCAA Tournament twice, winning the MacNaughton Cup in 2015-16, and the Broadmoor Trophy in 2016-17. The Huskies were ranked in the top two in the WCHA, and top 10 in the nation, in goals-against average all three years. Goaltenders Jamie Phillips and Angus Redmond flourished under Shawhan, breaking Tech records and leading the Huskies back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 80s.

Phillips left as Tech's all-time shutout leader, was a two-time All-WCHA selection, named the WCHA Outstanding Student-Athlete, and was a finalist for the Senior Class Award, and the Mike Richter Award. He signed a two-year contract with the Winnipeg Jets after his senior season in 2015-16.

Redmond played one season at Tech, going 22-10-5 with four shutouts. His 22 wins were tied for ninth in the nation and set a Michigan Tech record for wins by a freshman goaltender. Redmond was a WCHA All-Rookie selection and signed a three-year contract with the Anaheim Ducks.

Before coming to Tech, Shawhan spent six seasons at Northern Michigan University. He was a volunteer assistant in 2007-08, the director of hockey operations in 2009-10, and an assistant coach for four seasons. He coached former Detroit Red Wing and Grand Rapids Griffins goaltender Jared Coreau. Shawhan was also an assistant coach at his alma mater Lake Superior State University from 2005-08.

As the head coach and general manager of the Soo Indians from 1995-2005, Shawhan compiled a 474-162-43 record to become the winningest coach in the history of the North American Hockey League. He had two 50-win seasons, six 40-win stints, and two seasons with over 30 victories. Under Shawhan's guidance, the Indians never recorded a losing record, captured three NAHL titles, and earned four trips to the USA National Tournament. He was a three-time recipient of NAHL Coach of the Year honors and had more than 120 of his former players go on to play Division I college hockey, including Cam Ellsworth (Michigan Tech) and Hobey Baker Award winner Ryan Miller (Michigan State). He also coached Tim Blashill the brother of current Detroit Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill.

Shawhan earned four letters as a goaltender for LSSU from 1982-87, where he amassed 1,130 saves. He led the CCHA in both goals-against average and save percentage during the 1985-86 season and left the program tied for first all-time in career GAA at 3.83.

An active member of USA Hockey, Shawhan led the 2004 U.S. Junior National Team to a silver medal at the 2004 Viking Cup in Alberta as head coach and a bronze medal in 2002 as an assistant. He also served as the head coach of Team Michigan U-17 and U-18 five times and was a member of the USA Hockey Tier I Oversight Committee.

The Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, native holds a bachelor's degree from NMU in technical and applied sciences. He and his wife, Laura, have three children, Mia, Jordan, and Rachel.

What they're saying about Joe Shawhan

"When I got my first head-coaching job in Indiana, one of the first calls I made was to Joe Shawhan for advice. I had always been extremely impressed with the job Joe did as the head coach of the Soo Indians. I thought he always maximized his team's talent level, and my brother played for him as well. That was one of the first calls I made to pick his brain on ways to be an effective head coach. I think Joe is somebody who has great hockey knowledge. I think he understands what it takes to win, and is a lifelong student of the game. He will be an excellent head coach for Michigan Tech."
   -- Jeff Blashill, Detroit Red Wings Head Coach

"Michigan Tech is getting a guy who really cares about his players and prides himself in watching them develop into their full potential. That is something that is really important at the college level."
   -- Ryan Miller, Vancouver Canucks Goaltender

"I spent a lot of time with Joe at Lake State both as his coach for one year and afterwards during his time with the Soo junior team. I learned to respect Joe for his knowledge and passion for the game. He's paid his dues and he is very deserved of getting the opportunity to become a head coach. He's worked for some good people and that has only accelerated his development as a coach. Joe's a good man, and I'm really happy for him."
   -- Jeff Jackson, Notre Dame Head Coach

"Joe is definitely a tremendous asset to Michigan Tech hockey. Tech has had nothing but success since he's been there, and he cares passionately about the players, the program, and especially the community. He wants to put a winning program together and be a winning program for years to come. There's no better choice than Joe to be the head coach, and I'm very pleased to hear that he is the choice."
   -- Jamie Phillips, Professional Goaltender/Former Husky