Bowling Green State University Athletics
BGSU Names Scott Paluch Men's Hockey Coach
April 15, 2002 | Ice Hockey
April 15, 2002
Bowling Green, Ohio - Bowling Green State University announced today the hiring of Scott Paluch as head coach of the Falcon hockey program. Paluch (Paw-lick) will become the fifth head coach in BGSU's 33 years of hockey.
"It's an honor for me to announce the hiring of Scott Paluch as our fifth hockey coach at Bowling Green State University," said Director of Athletics Paul Krebs. "BGSU has a tremendous history in the sport and Scott is the first product of that history to come back and guide the program. His passion for Falcon hockey is genuine and will be clearly evident."
"I am extremely excited to return to my alma mater, Bowling Green State University," said Paluch. "I feel very fortunate to be taking over a hockey program as rich in tradition as BGSU."
Paluch spent the 1992-93 and 1993-94 seasons as a full-time assistant coach at Bowling Green and served the previous two years as a volunteer assistant under head coach Jerry York. He has been an assistant at Boston College under York for the past eight years and has been the associate head coach with the Eagles for the last seven years.
BC advanced to four-consecutive Frozen Fours from 1997-2001, and won the national championship in 2001.
In August of 2000, Paluch served as assistant coach of the U.S. Under-18 Select Team that competed in the 2000 Under-18 Four Nations Tournament in Kezmarok, Slovakia. Last summer, Paluch was head coach for the U.S. Under-17 Select Team that competed in the 2001 Under-17 Four Nations Tournament in Prievidza, Slovakia.
Paluch made his mark on the Falcons' program during his four years as a player (1984-88). Individually, Paluch earned All-America and All-CCHA first team accolades as a senior during the 1987-88 season. That year he tallied 61 points, the second-highest single-season total by a BG defenseman while also serving as team captain. Paluch completed his collegiate career with 169 points (48 goals, 121 assists), 19th on Bowling Green's career list. He is the school's all-time leading goal-scoring and point-producing defenseman. He also holds the career-record in the CCHA for goals scored by a defenseman (48).
He guided BGSU to four-consecutive winning seasons and a .655 winning percentage. The Falcons won 33 games and captured the CCHA regular-season title his junior season (1986-87), and won 30 games and earned the program's first CCHA Tournament title in his final season (1987-88). Bowling Green earned NCAA Tournament bids both years.
Paluch also was a member of the Team USA squad that captured a bronze medal at the 1986 World Junior Championship in Hamilton, Ontario.
Following his graduation, Paluch signed a professional contract with the St. Louis Blues. He played two seasons for Peoria, the Blues' International Hockey League affiliate. In his two seasons, Paluch played 160 games, recording 21 goals and 69 assists.
Paluch will be offered a five-year contract with a salary of $90,000 per year plus incentives.
Paluch earned his degree in sport management from BGSU in May of 1991. Scott and his wife, Amy Jo, have three children, 7-year-old son, Jacob, 3-year-old daughter, Casey, and five-week-old son, Ben.
THE PALUCH FILE
Date of Birth: March 9, 1966
Degree: B.S. in Education, Sport Management, BGSU '91
Hometown: Chicago, Ill.
Coaching Experience: Head Coach, Bowling Green (2002-present), Associate Head Coach, Boston College (1995-2002), Assistant Coach, Boston College (1994-95), Assistant Coach, Bowling Green (1992-94), Volunteer Coach, Bowling Green (1990-92).
