FSU's Famulak Recipient Of Prestigious Award
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Big Rapids, Mich. - Ferris State University men's ice hockey associate head coach Drew Famulak has been named as the 2012 American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) Terry Flanagan Award winner.
Named in honor of the former University of New Hampshire player and Bowling Green State University assistant coach, the award honors an assistant coach's career body of work.
Famulak, who is currently in his 19th year as a coach at Ferris State, started his coaching career in 1990 as a graduate assistant at Miami under current Denver head coach George Gwozdecky. In August, 2003, Famulak was promoted to associate head coach at Ferris State, the same year (2002-03) that the Bulldogs staff was honored as the NCAA Coaching Staff of the Year after capturing the CCHA regular season title and advancing to the NCAA Final Eight.
Presently, the Bulldogs are ranked among the nation's top six teams in two collegiate hockey polls and presently atop the CCHA standings this season with six regular-season games remaining in the 2011-12 campaign.
In the last six years, Ferris State has enjoyed four winning seasons, including a trip to the CCHA Championship at Joe Louis Arena and the CCHA Frozen Four. Since Famulak's arrival at Ferris State in 1993, he has been instrumental in recruiting and coaching the following student athletes:
Along with his coaching duties, Famulak serves as the Bulldog Hockey's recruiting coordinator and through his tireless efforts, Ferris State has been able to land some of the program's top recruiting classes in the last 11 years, including Hobey Baker Hat Trick Finalist and first-team All-American Chris Kunitz, who's presently skating with the NHL's Pittsburgh Penquins.
Famulak was instrumental in helping FSU post its best season ever at 31-10-1 overall in the program's history and securing its first-ever CCHA Regular-Season title in the 2002-03 season. As a result of the success, Famulak was part of a FSU coaching staff which was recognized as the AHCA's 2002-03 National Coaching Staff of the Year.
Success has accompanied Famulak on every hockey level, both as a student-athlete and coach. As a collegian, he played right wing for Lake Superior State's 1988 NCAA Division I championship team and also for a pair of NCAA Division III champions at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. His coaching experience in the CCHA includes a two-year stint (1990-92) at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where he helped recruit the freshmen class for the RedHawks' 1993 CCHA champions.
Famulak has an impressive background in fundraising, scouting and recruiting at the junior hockey level. In 1992-93, he served as head coach and general manager for the Yorkton Terriers of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL). At Yorkton, he coached the Terriers to a second-place finish while five of his players earned NCAA Division I scholarships.
Famulak played his junior hockey for the SJHL's Melville (Saskatchewan) Millionaires and totaled 69 points (31 goals and 38 assists) during the 1984-85 season. As a collegiate, he played right wing for Lake Superior State University's 1988 NCAA Division I championship team and also for a pair of NCAA Division III champions at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. He was inducted into the Lake Superior State Athletics Hall of Fame as a member of the Lakers' 1987-88 national championship team on Oct. 22, 2005.
He received his bachelor's degree in business administration-management in 1990 from Wisconsin-Stevens Point and holds a master's degree in sports organization from Miami University (1993).
Famulak, and his wife, Cheryl, are the parents of two children - Ian and Emma. The family resides in Grand Rapids, Mich. He's a member of the American Hockey Coaches Association.
| YEAR | WINNER | INSTITUTION |
| 1997 | Terry Flanagan | Bowling Green |
| 1998 | Bob Saunders | HC, RPI, UMB, NU |
| 1999 | Glen Kulyk | UMD |
| 2000 | Mel Pearson | Michigan |
| 2001 | Brian Durocher | AIC, Colgate, Brown, BU |
| 2002 | Kevin Houle | Plattsburgh |
| 2003 | Stu Irving | Merrimack College |
| 2004 | Tom Newton | MSU, WMU |
| 2005 | Grant Standbrook | Maine, Wisconsin |
| 2006 | Bill Powers | Michigan |
| 2007 | David Lassonde | UNH, Miami, Wisconsin |
| 2008 | Dave Peters | Dartmouth |
| 2009 | Steve Miller | Miami, Denver |
| 2010 | Andy Slaggert | Notre Dame |
| 2011 | Brian Hills | RIT |
Other 2012 ACHA award winners include:
