Mel Pearson Position: Associate Head Coach Experience: 10th Season (22nd Season Overall)

Mel Pearson, in his 22nd year as an assistant coach and 10th season as the associate head coach at U-M, has played an integral role in developing the Michigan program into one of the most successful in the country. Since his arrival, the Wolverines have posted a 612-214-66 record while capturing 10 Central Collegiate Hockey Association regular-season titles, two NCAA Championships (1996 and 1998), and making 10 NCAA Frozen Four appearances.

Pearson assists head coach Red Berenson with on-ice coaching and performs many of the program's administrative functions. He is also heavily involved in the Wolverines' recruiting efforts, helping Michigan land the core of its 1996 and 1998 NCAA champion teams.

After he helped Michigan to the 1999-2000 CCHA regular-season championship, Pearson was awarded the Terry Flanagan Award by the American Hockey Coaches' Association, which honors an assistant coach's career body of work. Pearson also served as a coach with the 1996 United States World Junior Championship team, and helped the Americans to a silver medal, the country's second-best finish at the event.

Perhaps destined to coach with the Wolverines, Pearson's prep (Willard Ikola) and college (John MacInnes) mentors earned varsity letters as goaltenders at Michigan. Pearson was a standout high school player for Ikola (1952-54) at Edina East (Minn.) High School, while playing his collegiate career out at Michigan Technological University under MacInnes (1946-50), one of college hockey's legendary coaches.

As a collegian (1977-81), Pearson collected 56 points (21-35-56) in 97 games, helping Michigan Tech to a third-place finish at the 1981 NCAA Championship. Ironically, Pearson's most "famous" goal was scored against the Wolverines in the championship game of the 1979 Great Lakes Invitational. He broke a 4-4 tie at 2:28 of the third overtime to give the Huskies the GLI title. The game still stands as longest in the 43-year history of the tournament.

After earning his bachelor's degree in business administration in 1981, Pearson remained at his alma mater to serve as an assistant ice hockey coach on the Huskies' staff from 1982-88. He joined the Michigan staff as an assistant coach in 1988 and was promoted to associate head coach in 1999.

The Vancouver, B.C., native comes from a hockey family. His father, George "Mel" Pearson, played 15 seasons of professional hockey with the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League and with Minnesota of the World Hockey Association. His brother, Ted, played for the University of Wisconsin and spent time in the Calgary Flames organization.

Pearson and his wife, Susie, have three children - Kim (23), Sarah (20) and Paul (17) - and reside in Saline, Mich.