Northland alum Shane Buckley is returning to his alma mater to lead the LumberJack men’s hockey team.
Buckley takes over for Seamus Gregory, who stepped down in May to become the first head coach at Dubuque.
“The selection process was extremely difficult,” said Northland executive director of intercollegiate athletics Dan Schumacher said in a statement. “There were so many qualified candidates that expressed interest. With that said, Shane came in with a detailed plan of action to lead LumberJack hockey into the future.
“He has a passion for Northland College and the surrounding area, and his coaching and recruiting experience was exactly what we were looking for in a coach.”
Buckley, who graduated from Northland in 2013, returns after five seasons, four of which he spent as head coach for West Virginia University’s ACHA D-I program.
“Words can’t describe how excited I am to return to Northland,” said Buckley. “I have to thank President Chad Dayton, Dan Schumacher, assistant director of athletics Scott Sorenson, and the search committee for giving me the chance to return to a place that I love. I have a definitive vision for LumberJack hockey, and we will do everything we can to make that vision come to life.”
Prior to West Virginia, Buckley worked five seasons as an assistant and head coach at the high school level in Wisconsin for Ashland and Chequamegon/Phillips (Team SEaL).
Originally from Iron Bridge, Ont., Buckley first came to Northland in 2009 after playing two years of junior hockey in northern Ontario. During his time as a LumberJack athlete, he competed for both the hockey and baseball teams, earning multiple academic all-conference awards in both the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference and NCHA.
He graduated from Northland in 2013 with degrees in elementary education and broad field social studies education. Upon earning his degrees, Buckley spent seven years working in various capacities as a teacher, coach, and athletic administrator in Park Falls, Wis., Washburn, Wis., and Morgantown, W.Va. He is also a Level 4 USA Hockey-certified coach.
