Former DU Assistant Begins 2nd Year At RPI

From: Star Tribune
by Patrick Reusse

(left) Seth Appert, 33, started his second season as RPI's hockey coach Tuesday night with a 4-0 nonconference victory at home over Bentley

RPI will arrive in the Twin Cities on Thursday, practice at Xcel Energy Center, and then will face the Gophers on Friday night in St. Paul. The other semifinal game in the Ice Breaker tournament has Boston College playing Michigan.

"I appreciate [Gophers coach] Don Lucia inviting us for the tournament," Appert said. "We're going to have a chance to play in front of 16,000 to 18,000 fans, which is something our kids have never experienced. And, personally, it's exciting because I get to come home and see my family."

Seth played hockey at Ferris State and wound up at Denver University as an assistant coach to George Gwozdecky.

"I was there for nine seasons, working for the one of the best coaches in the college game, and being part of two national championships," Appert said. "When I was contacted by RPI, I wasn't sure. I came here for the interview, saw the commitment from the administration, saw this great campus, felt the enthusiasm from the people, and I wanted to be here."

"We're undertaking a major renovation of Houston Fieldhouse and we're also building a Division III complex for the rest of our athletic teams and students," Appert said. "We're going to spend $110 million over the next four years on these facilities."

RPI was 10-18-8 in Appert's first season. He impressed the administration by bringing in nine freshmen in a highly regarded recruiting class. He will sign six more players for the fall of 2008 in the early period in November.

Appert was recently rewarded with a two-year extension through the 2011-12 season.

"We're a better hockey team than we were last year. And we're getting thrown into it right away with what might be the three best programs in college hockey."

Minnesota and Michigan have an advantage over RPI that goes beyond the tradition of the past two decades. Financially, the two U of Ms can offer percentages of scholarships -- rather than full rides -- because of the price of public education.

Appert learned to deal with this at Denver, a private university that now costs $40,000 a year. And the tariff at RPI -- a renown academic school with 5,000 undergraduates -- is even higher at $48,000.

"We can't split many scholarships," Appert said. "Because of the cost of school here, we have to give full rides. And then we have recruited walk-ons who have to try to get academic scholarships or go through the application process to qualify for need.

"The financial means we don't have the depth of a Minnesota, Michigan or Wisconsin. So, what we can tell the recruited walk-ons is if they come to RPI, they will get a chance to play."