University Of Alaska Anchorage: Seawolf Alum Matt Shasby Named UAA Hockey Head Coach

Press release from the University of Alaska Anchorage:

October 20, 2021

University of Alaska Anchorage Director of Athletics Greg Myford announced former
Seawolf Matt Shasby as the seventh head hockey coach in school history on Wednesday.

“The hiring of Matt is the next step in securing UAA hockey’s future for our university,
our city and our state,” said Myford. “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,” said 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.”

Shasby is currently the vice president of player development for the State of Alaska
and serves as a coach with the Anchorage Hockey Association. He has coached numerous
age groups in addition to high school teams during his coaching career that started
in 2009.

Shasby is a Seawolf alumnus 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.

Shasby went on to play professional hockey, appearing in 375 games, primarily with
the Alaska Aces of the ECHL. He has served as a volunteer with USA Hockey at numerous
camps and coaching education programs.

Shasby earned a bachelor's degree in history from UAA 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 currently resides in Anchorage with his wife Brooke and children Camden (16),
Brynn (14) and Taves (5).

Q&A with Coach Shasby

What drew you to apply for this position?“Plain and simple, this is my dream job. I saw the program that I have loved for over
30 years in a transition period. I felt I was in a unique situation with my connections
to the community, being an alumni and my connections in the hockey world that I could
lead this program during its relaunch.”What are you most excited for now that you've accepted the job?“The thing that I am most excited about now that I have accepted the job is having
those first recruiting conversations with prospective student-athletes. I strongly
believe we have everything at this university to offer any student-athlete an incredible
college experience. We have the most unique city in college hockey, great facilities
and fabulous academics.”What are your priorities in the coming months?“My priorities in the coming months are to re-establish ourselves on the recruiting
trail as a vibrant college hockey program that is committed to long term success.
Along with that, we will be working to build a quality schedule for the 2022-23 season
and beyond.”

This press release was produced by the University of Alaska Anchorage. The views expressed here are the author’s own.