Alaska coach Erik Largen has agreed to a new five-year extension that will keep him behind the Nanooks bench through the 2027-28 season.
Largen just completed his fifth season as the head coach of Alaska in 2022-23. In their second straight season as a full-time Division I independent, the Nanooks posted their most successful season since 2001-02, grabbing a final record of 22-10-2, tying the third-most wins in program history and posting the most wins since the 2001-02 season when they went 22-12-3 (15-10-3 CCHA) under Guy Gadowsky.
“I would like to thank Dr. Brock Anundson, UAF chancellor Dr. Dan White and president Pat Pitney for their continued support of our hockey program,” said Largen in a statement. “We still have things we want to accomplish as a program and I’m excited to continue working towards great things with our staff and student-athletes. It has been an honor to lead this program and I look forward to building on the great traditions of Nanooks hockey both on and off the ice.”
“Today is another great day for the University of Alaska and Nanooks hockey as we announce the extension of Coach Largen’s contract,” added Anundson, “As a proven leader for our program and his student-athletes, Erik has shown that his incredible dedication and vision for the future of Alaska Nanooks hockey will pave our path to success for years to come. Under Erik’s guidance, the program has risen to one of the top-ranked teams in the NCAA. I know with Erik at the helm, we will continue to solidify the championship culture he has put in place and that Nanook Nation has established here in Fairbanks. Additionally, Associate Head Coach Chris Brown and staff have allowed us to create one of the best support teams in NCAA Division I hockey, which adds tremendous value to our student-athlete experience. We’re excited to get to work in the success that lies ahead for Alaska Nanooks hockey.”
Alongside the record number of wins, the Nanooks made a strong push for the postseason down the stretch. Their run began in December with the return of the Alaska Airlines Governor’s Cup and the return of games against Alaska Anchorage. The Nanooks grabbed their 12th-straight Governor’s Cup over UAA, going 6-0 against their in-state rivals, including two come-from-behind 4-3 OT wins in late January.
Their 20-game stretch to end the season also included road-wins at then-No. 19 Notre Dame on Dec. 31, 2022 and their first-ever win at Magness Arena on Jan. 6, 2023 against then-No. 1 Denver. They’d end up splitting both of those series, giving them two of their three losses in their final 20 games. Alaska also completed a four-game season-sweep of Arizona State, defeated Lindenwood in their first-ever matchup, and took three of four from Lomg Island, going 17-3-0 down the stretch and posting a 15-1-0 record against fellow independent teams.
On Feb. 6, 2023, after a home sweep of the Sun Devils, the Nanooks earned a top-20 ranking in the USCHO.com Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Poll — their first media poll appearance since the 2014-15 season. They’d end the season ranked No. 15 in both the USCHO.com Poll and the USA Today/USA Hockey Poll and ranked 14th in the PairWise Rankings, just missing out on the NCAA tournament.
“We are delighted to have Erik signed on to continue leading our path to an elite hockey program at Alaska,” White said. “We have a rich tradition of Division I hockey. And while there are many factors that will power our drive to championship hockey, it starts with the high-quality leadership Erik provides the Nanooks.”
