JAMESTOWN, N.D. (JimmieAthletics.com) – The University of Jamestown is pleased to announce that Dean Stork is returning to the school to lead the men’s hockey program.
Stork will oversee and serve as coach for both the ACHA Division 1 and the new ACHA Division 2 men’s hockey teams.
“We are thrilled to welcome Coach Stork back to the Jimmie family,” said University of Jamestown Director of Athletics Sean Johnson. “Coach Stork is deeply committed to the development of our student-athletes and to the mission of the institution.”
Stork returns to UJ after serving as Director of Hockey Operations at Miami University.
“It is fantastic to get the opportunity to return to the University of Jamestown,” said Stork. “I’m looking forward to seeing this senior class earn their degrees next year. I’m just thrilled to come to work with everyone in the department and at the University of Jamestown.”
He originally came to UJ in August of 2015 as the first head coach of the program.
During the 2015-16 academic year, he recruited student-athletes to be part of the first ACHA Division 1 team that played its first season in 2016-17.
In that first season, the Jimmies had arguably the best initial season in ACHA Division 1 history as UJ posted a 20-10-3 overall record and finished #7 in the final regular season ACHA Division 1 poll.
Before coming to UJ, Stork coached in the East Coast Hockey League for nine years, the last five seasons as head coach in Greenville, S.C.
As a head coach he led the Warriors to four consecutive Kelly Cup playoff appearances, including a division title in 2010-11 and the conference finals in 2013-14. He posted a winning season in each of his five years as head coach, compiling a record of 201-131-28 and advancing six players to the NHL and 42 to the American Hockey League.
Stork earned his Bachelor of Science in Sports Management and was an NCAA Division 1 hockey player at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, where he was named to the Hockey East Honor Roll Team.
The Penticton, British Columbia native played junior hockey for the Penticton Panthers and the Bellingham Ice Hawks before attending college. After his collegiate career, he signed a three-year contract with the Washington Capitals and played 476 professional games over eight seasons in the ECHL and AHL.
Stork began his full-time coaching career as an assistant with the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones in 2006. During his four years as an assistant, the Cyclones won two ECHL Kelly Cup championships.
Stork replaces Cole Bell, who resigned earlier in the week.