Alaska Anchorage announced Wednesday that former Seawolves player Matt Shasby has been named the seventh head hockey coach in school history.
Shasby replaces Matt Curley, who resigned in June, and was one of three finalists for the job.
Currently the vice president of player development for the state of Alaska and serving as a coach with the Anchorage Hockey Association, Shasby has coached numerous age groups in addition to high school teams during his coaching career that started in 2009.
“The hiring of Matt is the next step in securing UAA hockey’s future for our university, our city and our state,” said UAA director of athletics Greg Myford in a statement. “Matt’s playing and coaching career comes with a proven passion for his alma mater, UAA hockey, developing talent and prioritizing education. Combine that with his deep ties and desire to positively impact our community and the game of hockey, and he is the right coach at the right time for Seawolf hockey.”
“I am incredibly honored and humbled to be chosen to lead the UAA Seawolf hockey program into its new era,” added Shasby. “It is the greatest privilege in the world to get to say those words. The Seawolf hockey program is a vital part of our hockey and professional community in Anchorage. My goal will be to make sure it will continue to produce high quality professionals that will go on to be leaders in our community and beyond. I want to make sure everyone knows we are all in this together. Every single person and corporate donor who participated in the Save Seawolf Hockey campaign is a part of this relaunch and will continue to be. I have bled green and gold my entire life and work tirelessly to make sure the alumni, the fans, the student body, and the university is proud of this program.
“I would like to thank athletic director Greg Myford for showing confidence in my abilities. I would also like to thank chancellor Sean Parnell and the search committee for this tremendous opportunity. Lastly, I would like to thank Kathie Bethard and Save The Seawolves for their amazing efforts over the past year and a half.”
Alaska Anchorage had its program shuttered in August 2020, but fundraising efforts helped get it reinstated in August for the 2022-23 season.
Shasby is a Seawolves alum who played in 127 games during his four-year career for the Seawolves from 1999 to 2003. He was an All-WCHA Second Team Defenseman and was named to the All-WCHA Academic Team three times. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Alaska Anchorage in 2008 and a master’s degree in secondary education from the University of Phoenix. He currently teaches seventh and eighth grade social studies at Northern Lights ABC
Shasby went on to play professional hockey, appearing in 375 games primarily with the Alaska Aces of the ECHL.
He has also served as a volunteer with USA Hockey at numerous camps and coaching education programs.
