TROY, N.Y. – Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) Director of Athletics Jim Knowlton has announced the hiring of Nolan Graham as assistant men’s hockey coach. Graham, a 2003 graduate of RPI, where he played four years for the Engineers, will aide head coach Seth Appert.
“I am extremely excited to once again play an active role in RPI hockey, and continue building on the advances the program has made over the past couple of seasons,” said Graham, a former forward. “I look forward to giving back to the RPI student-athletes and community and am eager to work with Coach Appert and Coach Vines in building towards a championship program.”
“I am very excited to bring one of our own back to Rensselaer as we continue to elevate our program,” said Appert, who is entering his fifth year as head coach. “Nolan’s passion, work ethic, knowledge of the game and understanding of what it takes to win will be a great asset to the RPI hockey family. He will pass these winning attributes on to our young men much like he did this past year in Alberni Valley.”
Graham joins the Engineers after spending last season as the general manager and head coach of the Alberni Valley Bulldogs Junior A Hockey Club in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) in Canada. In addition to managing the operations of the team, he led it to a regular season conference championship with a franchise single season record 45 wins (45-12-2-1) and its best playoff finish ever, advancing to the third round. He was named the BCHL Coach of the Year.
In his one season with Alberni Valley, Graham developed nine Division I student-athletes, including incoming RPI forward Johnny Rogic, the Bulldogs’ first-ever National Hockey League (NHL) draft pick in Mark MacMillen (113th overall by the Montreal Canadiens) and an NHL free agent signee.
Prior to being hired by the Bulldogs, Graham spent three years with the Nanaimo Clippers of the BCHL as an assistant coach and director of marketing. His assistant coach responsibilities included recruiting, practice planning, on-ice instruction and player evaluations. In that role he helped the team to regular season championships in 2007 & 2008 and the 2007 playoff title.
Graham played collegiately for RPI from 1999-03, totaling 77 points (27 goals, 50 assists) and 130 penalty minutes in 140 games. His best season statistically came in 2000-01 when he scored 11 goals with 14 assists in 29 games. He helped the Engineers to two 20-win seasons and two appearances in the ECAC Final Five in Lake Placid, including the 2000 championship game.
A native of Nanaimo, B.C., Graham went on to play three years of professional hockey, spending time in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL), the Australian Ice Hockey League and the Central Hockey League (CHL). He was the team most valuable player for Newcastle, who he led to the 2005 National Championship in Australia, and the CHL All-Star Game MVP in 2006.
Graham, who earned a Bachelor of Science in Management from Rensselaer in 2003, replaces Jim Montgomery, who is now a general manager and head coach in the United States Hockey League (USHL).