Lenawee United Hockey has announced the hiring of a Director of Hockey Operations and JV Head Coach for the 2020-21 season. Rick Fernandez, a native of Dearborn, Michigan, served briefly as an assistant coach during the team’s inaugural season in 2019-20.
Fernandez played collegiately at Michigan State (1982-86) under legendary head coach Ron Mason and was part of the National Championship team during the 1985-86 campaign. After his college days, Fernandez worked his way up the ladder of officiating all levels of the game throughout Metro Detroit for ten years while also serving as a coach for an additional ten years with various amateur hockey programs.
“I’m excited and looking forward to the challenge of building a program,” said Fernandez. “It all starts with quality individuals who bring a positive attitude and are willing to put forth the effort.”
“Our top priority during the off-season was to find a group of coaches who had a passion for the game and a genuine interest to help build a program,” said Lenawee United Hockey Boosters President Gregg DeVitto. “Rick spent some time with our younger players last year and he had such a positive influence that our players were very vocal about their desire to have him back in an expanded role.
“Rick is passionate about developing players on the ice and off,” added DeVitto. “As Director of Hockey Operations, he’s going to be instrumental in mapping out the Lenawee United Hockey program that goes well beyond the scholastic season for a student-athlete and creates opportunities for performance improvement and advancement for our players.”
“Rick’s mentor abilities for our entire group of coaches helps solidify a program designed to take a player from their beginning steps all the way through Junior or College hockey if the student-athlete desires,” said DeVitto
Entering its second season of MHSAA competition Lenawee United’s Varsity team will once again skate in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) White Division. The high school co-op program comprises eight Lenawee County schools including Adrian, Tecumseh, Clinton, Onsted, Lenawee Christian, Madison, Addison, and Sand Creek.
The Lenawee United Hockey JV team is rostered as a 16UA under USA Hockey and will compete in a blended schedule of a Midget Travel division within the Little Caesars Amateur Hockey League (LCAHL) and exhibition games with several JV clubs in and around the Toledo area.
This article is comprised of media and information from a Lenawee United press release. For more sports, news and entertainment, follow us on Twitter @MWSNsports or like the MWSN page on Facebook.
