March 10, 2025 - Mercyhurst men's ice hockey head coach Rick Gotkin announced that he will retire following the 2025-26 season. Gotkin is the longest-tenured coach in college hockey, and has racked up 611 career wins.

In 37 seasons behind the bench in Erie, Gotkin has posted a winning record 26 times. He has coached a total of 1,273 games, collecting 611 total wins, 551 losses, and 111 ties, which is good for a winning percentage of .524. He has won AHA Coach of the Year two times (2013-14 and 2017-18), and was MAAC Coach of the Year in 2000-2001.

Gotkin has been at Mercyhurst since 1988, when the Mercyhurst men's ice hockey program was playing at the Division III level. He oversaw the program's rise to Division II in 1992, as well as the move to Division I in 1999.

Gotkin was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame Erie Chapter in 2015 and added to the SUNY Brockport athletic wall of honor in 2023.  

The 2025-26 season will be his 38th and final season.

For more information on Gotkin's announcement, check out the full Mercyhurst release HERE.

About Atlantic Hockey America
Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) embarks on its first season in 2024-25 after the merger between the Atlantic Hockey Association and College Hockey America. The conference fields 11 men’s teams (American International College, Bentley University, Canisius University, The College of Holy Cross, Mercyhurst University, Niagara University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Robert Morris University, Sacred Heart University, the United States Air Force Academy, and the United States Military Academy), and six women’s teams (Lindenwood University, Mercyhurst University, Penn State University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Robert Morris University, and Syracuse University). In 2025-26, Delaware University will join the women’s league. For more information, visit atlantichockeyamerica.com.