In 1988, the Mercyhurst men’s hockey team appointed a young man by the name of Rick Gotkin as its head coach.
Nearly four decades, 600-plus wins, and a lasting legacy later, he’s preparing for his final season as Gotkin has announced that the 2025-26 campaign — his 38th with the Lakers — will be his last, marking the end of an extraordinary career behind the bench.
“Rick Gotkin is more than a coach — he’s a cornerstone of Mercyhurst University and a legend in the world of college hockey,” said Mercyhurst president Kathleen A. Getz, Ph.D. in a statement “For nearly four decades, he has shaped the lives of countless student-athletes, instilling in them not only a passion for the game but also the values of dedication, teamwork, and integrity. His impact on this university and the sport itself is immeasurable. As he prepares for his final season, we celebrate his extraordinary career and the legacy he leaves behind. Mercyhurst is forever grateful for Coach Gotkin.”
Gotkin was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1959. He attended college at Brockport, where he made the varsity hockey team and played in more than 40 games as a defenseman. He also played hockey for the Binghamton Barons and at Canton.
His time on the ice reinforced his belief that he could never give up the electric atmosphere that is so deeply woven into a career in hockey. So, moving forward, he spent a short time in Scotland where he was a player-coach.
During an interview with USCHO.com a year ago, Gotkin reminisced, “I was not much of a player, so as the coach I was smart enough not to play myself. But I had the opportunity to stay in hockey.”
Gotkin returned to the U.S in 1984 and became the head coach at Canton for a season followed by a stint as assistant coach at RPI for a few seasons, enhancing his experience and coaching style in the process.
It was in 1988 when Mercyhurst named the 29-year-old Gotkin the head coach of its men’s hockey team. The hockey program had just started a season prior with Fred Lane at the helm. In Gotkin’s first season, the Lakers finished with an 11-16-1 record. It took just one season for Gotkin to instill a winning culture in Mercyhurst’s hockey program as the Lakers finished 18-8-4 in his second season.
“Rick not only built the program from the ground up, but he also put Mercyhurst hockey and Mercyhurst University on the national map,” said Lakers athletic director Joe Spano. “It has been an honor and a privilege to work alongside him for over 25 years. He has been one of my greatest mentors as a coach. His success is historic, and his legacy will last forever.”
In Gotkin’s 37 years behind the bench, much has changed with Mercyhurst hockey, but he has always taken care of his guys and treated his hockey teams like family. In his early years at Mercyhurst, Gotkin and his wife, Diane, were known to do the team’s laundry and manage the equipment. Prior to the Mercyhurst Ice Center opening in 1991, the players affectionately referred to themselves as the “boys on the bus” due to constantly being on the road.
While Mercyhurst hockey now enjoys access to on-campus facilities and many more staff members than those first few years, to this day, you may still see Gotkin picking up spare hockey pucks around the Mercyhurst Ice Center.
Of historic note, the Mercyhurst men’s hockey team has competed in all three divisions of NCAA hockey during Gotkin’s tenure. Originally hired when the Lakers were Division III, Gotkin oversaw the move to scholarship hockey in D-II and eventually to D-I where the Lakers have remained since 1997.
“Rick Gotkin has been more than just a coach to our men’s ice hockey program—he’s been a mentor, a father figure, and the heart and soul of Mercyhurst hockey,” said Mercyhurst vice president for student life Dr. Laura Zirkle. “His legacy is etched into every corner of our rink, and his impact on the lives of his players will be felt for generations to come. I am happy to count Rick as my friend and I know I speak for many others when I say, we will miss him.”
Gotkin has achieved enviable success in his illustrious career as a head coach. He has 611 total wins, 551 losses, and 111 ties for a 52.4 winning percentage. Currently, he ranks 16th on USCHO.com’s list of all time-winningest coaches. He has coached 1,273 games, surpassing the 1,200 mark in a dominant 7-3 win against Army in the 2022-23 season. Gotkin’s teams have won their conference six times, won the postseason conference championship three times, and appeared in the NCAA tournament six times. Of those six NCAA tournament appearances, two of them featured national championship appearances. Gotkin is also the only hockey coach in NCAA history to take a team to the NCAA tournament at all three divisions of competition.
Gotkin is the longest tenured active coach in the NCAA, posting a winning record in 26 seasons. He has also won AHA coach of the year two times and MAAC coach of the year once. He was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame Erie Chapter in 2015 and added to the SUNY Brockport athletic wall of honor in 2023.
“I have spent 37 years coaching at Mercyhurst, a place that always felt like home,” said Gotkin. “I will always cherish the countless memories I have made with our student athletes, alumni, and members of the Erie community and beyond. I want to thank my family, the administration, faculty, staff and my colleagues for their unwavering support. I look forward to what’s ahead for the Mercyhurst hockey program, and I am honored to be part of its legacy.”
