TROY, N.Y. – Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) Director of Athletics Jim Knowlton has announced that the contract of head men's hockey coach Seth Appert has been extended and will now run through the 2017-18 season.

“I would like to thank Dr. Jackson, Dr. Knowles and Jim Knowlton for the opportunity to continue to lead the Rensselaer men's hockey program,” said Appert, who recently completed his fifth season. “I am excited about how far we have collectively moved our program forward and I am excited by the challenge of continuing our climb. We have great young men and alumni in the RPI Hockey Family and it is an honor for me to continue to serve as the coach.”

“Seth continues to do an excellent job representing Rensselaer in all facets as the head men's hockey coach,” said Knowlton. “As exhibited by our first NCAA Tournament appearance in 16 years, the team continues to make strides on the ice, which is tremendous. Equally important is the fact that the student-athletes are exceptional men in the classroom, on campus and in the community. Seth has a passion and dedication to being successful and doing so the right way. We are thrilled to see him continue his stay at RPI.”

The 2010-11 Engineers posted a 20-13-5 record, a national ranking for most of the season and the program's first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 1995. The team was an impressive 13-6-1 overall at the Houston Field House on its way to recording back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in nearly 10 years (2000-01 & 2001-02). Rensselaer ranked in the top-15 in the country in scoring defense (7th – 2.37 goals against average), penalty kill (12th – 84.3%) and winning percentage (15th – .592).

Individually, RPI saw numerous student-athletes earn prestigious awards, including senior forward Chase Polacek, who was the ECAC Hockey Player of the Year, a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award and a National All-America First Team honoree – all for the second straight season. Sophomore defenseman Nick Bailen earned National All-America Second Team recognition and junior goaltender Allen York was a finalist for the league's Ken Dryden Award as the top netminder for the second straight year.

Academically, 21 of the 26 team members were on the Dean's List in the fall of 2010, including 14 who earned a term grade point average of 3.50-or-better. Three student-athletes had perfect 4.0 GPAs. As a team, the grade point average was a 3.481, which was the highest among all Rensselaer men's athletic programs and second overall.

The 2009-10 campaign saw Rensselaer win the most games in Appert's tenure to that point (18-17-4) and saw numerous players earn awards. In addition to Polacek's honors, York earned All-ECAC Hockey recognition, Jerry D'Amigo was selected as the ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Year and an All-Rookie Team honoree, along with classmate Brandon Pirri. D'Amigo and Pirri, both forwards, signed National Hockey League (NHL) contracts following their freshman years.

D'Amigo and Pirri helped make up a nationally-ranked recruiting class for Appert and his staff – the third straight distinction for the Engineers. Other highlights during Appert's first three seasons include leading RPI to the ECAC Hockey quarterfinals in 2009, back-to-back titles in the Governor's Cup Tournament — Rensselaer's first championships of any kind since 1998 — and seeing six student-athletes drafted by NHL teams. Current freshman Patrick Koudys, a defenseman, is a highly-rated prospect for this summer's Entry Draft.

While there have been numerous All-ECAC Hockey and All-League Rookie honorees, there has also been a Student-Athlete of the Year Award finalist (Andrew Lord), a Hockey Humanitarian Award finalist (Kirk MacDonald) and a nominee for the Derek Hines Unsung Hero Award (John Kennedy).

In his five years at the helm, Appert, a native of Cottage Grove, Minn., has a career record of 69-98-23, while playing one of the most difficult schedules in the nation since taking over the program in April of 2006.

In addition to his position at RPI, Appert served as an assistant coach for the 2007 U.S. Under-18 Select Team that competed in the Memorial of Ivan Hlinka Tournament and as the head coach of the team in 2008. He was also a coach in the 2008 NCAA Pontiac Skills Challenge and was named president of the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA), which has almost 1,400 members. He is currently in his final year of the three-year term as AHCA President.

A four-year letterwinner as a goaltender at Ferris State from 1992-96, Appert and his wife, Jill, have two daughters, Addison and Campbell.