When Scott Sandelin accepted his first collegiate head coaching job with the University of Minnesota Duluth shortly after the new millennium, he had already earned a reputation as one of the profession's more promising up-and-comers. It didn't take long for him to live up to that billing in his new surroundings.

The 2003-04 Spencer Penrose Award winner as the American Hockey Coaches Association NCAA I Coach of the Year, Sandelin, 43 (he was born on 8/8/64), has helped thrust the Bulldog program back firmly into the national forefront. In his seven winters behind the Bulldog bench, he has compiled an overall record of 109-143-31 and taken UMD to three of the past five WCHA Final Five Tournaments. In 2004-05, the Bulldogs were named the preseason league favorite in the Grand Forks Herald WCHA Coaches Poll for the first time ever and, in mid-October, occupied the No. 1 spot in a national poll (uscho.com/cstv and the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine) for the first time in 15 years. Over the Christmas Holidays that year, Sandelin displayed his coaching wares on the international stage as the head coach of Team USA at the 2004 World Junior Hockey Championships.

Sandelin turned UMD into a NCAA Frozen Four participant for the first time in nearly a generation four years ago while shepherding the Bulldogs to their most victories (they were 28-13-4 in all outings) and highest WCHA finish (second place on a 19-7-2 mark) since the 1992-93 season. UMD also sported the nation's second-highest scoring team, and, during the course of the year, pieced together a school-record 14-game unbeaten streak. For his efforts, he was chosen the WCHA Coach of the Year as well as the national coach of the year by both insidecollegehockey.com and uscho.com.

Sandelin's 2002-03 Bulldogs racked up their best overall mark (22-15-5) in a decade while experiencing the greatest one-year turnaround of any WCHA club. UMD ended that season as one of nation’s hottest clubs, going unbeaten in 12 of its final 16 games (11-4-1) and capturing third place at the WCHA Final Five playoff championship. One year earlier, he directed the Bulldogs to a 13-24-1 record in all games -- nearly doubling the number of victories from the previous season (7-28-4). In addition to racking up its most goals in five years, UMD also ranked fifth in the nation in power play scores (47) that season.

Prior to officially becoming the Bulldogs' 12th head coach on March 31, 2000, Sandelin served with the University of North Dakota coaching staff the prior six years, including the last three as an associate head coach. During his tenure in Grand Forks, North Dakota laid claim to two NCAA titles (1996-97 and 1999-2000), three WCHA regular season championships (1996-99), two WCHA playoff crowns (1996-97 and 1999-2000) and earned four straight berths in the NCAA tournament (1996-2000). His primary responsibilities with the Fighting Sioux included handling the team's recruiting coordinator and academic advisor duties, and assisting head coach Dean Blais with all aspects of practice and game preparation.

Sandelin spent the 1993-94 season as the head coach of the Fargo-Moorhead Junior Kings of the Junior Elite Hockey League after working in that same capacity (and doubling as general manager) the previous winter with the American Hockey Association's Fargo-Moorhead Express.

Born and raised in Hibbing, Minn., Sandelin capped off his four-year playing career at North Dakota in 1985-86 by being named one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award. He captained the Fighting Sioux that season and also was an All-WCHA first team pick and an NCAA I All-American second team selection. Named North Dakota's Most Valuable Player as a senior after amassing a career-high 38 points in 40 games, Sandelin went on to play seven years of professional hockey, including National Hockey League stints with the Montreal Canadiens (1986-88), Philadelphia Flyers (1990-91) and Minnesota North Stars (1991-92). The second round pick of the Montreal Canadiens in the 1982 NHL draft (40th selection overall), he was credited with four assists in 25 lifetime NHL outings. A nagging back injury forced him to retire prematurely from the professional ranks following the 1991-92 season. Sandelin, one of two current WCHA coaches to do time in the NHL, also skated for Team U.S.A. at the 1989 Goodwill Games, the 1986 World Championships, and the 1984 World Junior Championships.

Sandelin, who graduated from North Dakota in 1987 with a bachelor's degree in marketing, is a past vice president of the American Hockey Coaches Association. He resides in Hermantown with his wife, Wendy, and their son, Ryan (8) and daughter, Katie (1).

Steve Rohlik, who was part of Scott Sandelin’s original coaching ensemble back in 2000, is in his eighth season with the UMD hockey program.

The 39-year old Rohlik (5/5/68) joined the Bulldog family following a three-year stay as an assistant coach at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. While at UNO, he worked primarily with the Maverick forwards and power play unit in addition to assisting with their recruiting efforts. Before signing on with the the UNO program in its inaugural year of NCAA Division I hockey in 1997, Rohlik spent five years as the head coach at Hill-Murray High School (St. Paul, Minn.) where he amassed a 107-20-1 overall record and piloted the Pioneers to two Minnesota State High School Tournaments (runnerup in 1993 Tier I event and fourth place in 1997 Class AA). He also served one-season assistant coaching stints at the University of Wisconsin (1990-91) and Stillwater High School (1991-92).

A native of St. Paul, Minn., and a 1986 graduate of Hill-Murray High School, Rohlik culminated a four-year playing career (wing) at Wisconsin by captaining the Badgers to NCAA and WCHA championships as a senior in 1989-90. Rohlik, who also handled Wisconsin’s team captaincy role the previous winter, racked up 34 goals and 47 assists for 81 points in 166 lifetime games with the Badgers. The recipient of the Fenton Kelsey Award (Badgers’ Most Competitive Player) following his senior season, Rohlik was selected in the sixth round (151st pick overall) by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1986 National Hockey League draft.

Rohlik, who completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in communications/journalism from Wisconsin in 1990, lives in Duluth with his wife Julie and their two daughters, Erin (4) and Annie (1).

Another UMD coach with deep Western Collegiate Hockey Association roots, Lee Davidson will embark on his sixth year with the Bulldogs this winter.

Davidson arrived in the Twin Ports in 2002 by way of the University of North Dakota where he had been a volunteer assistant coach for three winters. During the first of those three seasons (1999-2000) he was a coaching colleague of his current boss, Scott Sandelin.

A native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Davidson played four seasons at North Dakota and currently holds down the No. 5 spot on the club’s all-time scoring charts with 202 career points (80 goals and 122 assists in what was then a Fighting Sioux-record 167 games). He skated a regular shift with the NCAA and WCHA champion Fighting Sioux as a rookie in 1986-87.

Davidson began a nine-year professional career in 1990-91 as a member of the American Hockey League’s Moncton Hawks and proceeded to do time with the Fort Wayne Komets (1991-94 and 1996-98), the Chicago Wolves (1994-96) and the Atlanta Knights (1995-96) of the International Hockey League.
After concluding his playing days in 1998-99 by skating for the Hannover Scorpions in the German Elite League, Davidson returned to his alma mater where he launched his coaching career. His primary duties included working with the North Dakota forwards and specialty teams.

Davidson, 39 (6/30/68), received his Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education from North Dakota in 2002. He and his wife, Robin, have one daughter, Elena (6) and one son, Simon (4) and make their home in Duluth.




Former two-time All-American and Hobey Baker Memorial Award recipient Bill Watson, a name synonymous with UMD hockey, signed on to be the Bulldogs' volunteer assistant coach in 2006-07.

Watson, 43 (3/30/64), put an exclamation point on a remarkable three-year playing career in 1984-85 by becoming the first -- and only -- Bulldog to ever crack the 100-point plateau. He wound up the year with a then NCAA-record 109 points while helping propel UMD to its second straight NCAA Frozen Four appearance and WCHA championship. The Powerview, Manitoba native paced the WCHA in scoring for a second straight season that year en route to being chosen the league’s Most Valuable Player For his efforts, he was also bestowed with the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the most outstanding player in college hockey and received first team All-American honors for a second consecutive time. In 108 lifetime outings, Watson racked up 210 points for a 1.94 points per game average -- the best figure ever turned in by a Bulldog. He also set club records (all of which still stand) for assists (6) and multiple-point games (36) as well as longest point-scoring streak (33 games).

A member of the UMD Athletic Hall of Fame (Class of 1997), Watson passed up his final year of collegiate eligibility to skate with the National Hockey League’s Chicago Blackhawks, who drafted him in 1982 (fourth round, 70th selection overall). He played four seasons and 115 regular season games as a Blackhawk and in 1986-87 received the Emery-Edge Award for having the best-plus minus rating of any Chicago skater. Watson went on to serve as a student assistant coach at UMD during the 1989-90 season and as head coach with the (Junior B) Northlands Voyageurs (1990-91) and the College of St. Scholastica (1991-95). From 1995-96 to 1997-98, he was employed in an assistant coaching capacity at Western Michigan University.

Watson, who earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication from UMD in 1990, resides in Duluth with his wife, Molly, and their three children -- Anthony (14), Patrick (12) and Emily (11). He currently is a field director for the Northwestern Mutual Financial Network.





Keeping the Bulldogs in peak physical shape falls under the domain of Justin May, UMD’s first full-time strength and conditioning coach who is in year No. 7 at the university.

Prior to enlisting his services at UMD, May, 31 (9/5/76), was employed for six years as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. In that position, May was responsible for developing, training, running and nutrition programs for some 350 athletes.
Born and raised in Hastings, Neb., May was a standout football lineman at Hastings High School, landing all-state honors from both the Omaha World-Herald and Lincoln Journal-Star. After graduating in 1994, he went on to play two years of football at UNO. May received a Bachelor’s degree in general studies from UNO in 1999 and a Master’s degree in exercise science from that same institution two years later.

An active member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association, May and his wife, Christyn (an assistant UMD volleyball coach), live in Hermantown. He has one daughter, Taylr (10).

Tech-savvy Nick Siergiej (SIR-gay) returns for his second season as UMD’s director of hockey operations in 2007-08. He is in charge of any and all video-related endeavors, such as game breakdowns and pre-scouting opponents and also assists the Bulldog coaching staff with various administrative duties.

Siergiej, 23 (11/11/83), joined the Bulldog puck program in 2006 after spending the previous four years at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls where he also served as the director of hockey operations with the Falcon men, a perennial NCAA Division III power. Born and raised in Eagle River, Wis., Siergiej was a four-year letterwinner for the Northland Pines High School golf team and, as a senior team captain was voted the Eagles’ most valuable player. While a student at Northland Pines he also was the equipment manager and administrative assistant for the boy’s hockey team.

Siergiej earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration from Wisconsin-River Falls in 2006 and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in education at UMD. He is single and lives in Duluth.