{"id":32249,"date":"2024-06-14T11:15:19","date_gmt":"2024-06-14T15:15:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/?p=32249"},"modified":"2025-01-15T16:14:12","modified_gmt":"2025-01-15T21:14:12","slug":"coach-schafer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/coach-schafer\/","title":{"rendered":"A Conversation with Coach Schafer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

With nearly three decades at the helm of Big Red men’s ice hockey, Mike Schafer \u201986 is beloved by players and fans alike<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Editor’s note: In mid-June 2024, Schafer announced that he would retire<\/a> after the 2024\u201325 season. His successor: Clarkson University head coach and CALS alum Casey Jones \u201990<\/a>. A former Big Red captain and assistant coach, Jones will initially return to the Hill as associate head coach, serving alongside Schafer for a season before taking the reins.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Beth Saulnier<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mike Schafer \u201986 wasn\u2019t actually born in a hockey rink, but he may as well have been. A native of Durham, Ontario, he grew up in a family of nine children\u2014six boys and three girls\u2014and he can\u2019t recall a time when the sport wasn\u2019t an integral part of his life.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn Canada, it\u2019s woven into the culture,\u201d says Schafer, the <\/em>Jay R. Bloom \u201977 Head Coach of Men\u2019s Hockey<\/em><\/a>. \u201cI grew up playing from a young age. It was what our family did on weekends and what everyone talked about at school.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The CALS alum is closing in on his 30th anniversary in the role\u2014and he already has the longest tenure of any men\u2019s hockey head coach in Big Red history. Since taking the helm in 1995, he has carved out a stellar record: going into the current season (2023\u201324<\/em><\/em>), he had 520 wins, 282 losses, and 105 ties.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Schafer
cornell athletics<\/figcaption>
Playing for the Big Red against Brown.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Among his many laurels: under his leadership, the Big Red has won the ECAC tournament five times; in 2020, he was co-named the top head hockey coach in the U.S; and two dozen of his former players have gone on to the NHL.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In February 2024, the team clinched its 26th Ivy League title\u2014its 13th under Schafer.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But long before he was head coach, he was a player: he lettered all four years of undergrad, serving two seasons as co-captain. His senior year, Cornell won the ECACs and was ranked fifth in the nation.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Schafer has notable Big Red ties off the ice. He married a classmate, Human Ecology grad Diane Composti Schafer \u201986; their three children include an alum, John Schafer \u201918, MBA \u201922.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In February, Schafer took time out to chat with <\/em>Cornellians about the sport, his coaching philosophy, the agony of being a Maple Leafs fan, and much more.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Has hockey changed since you started playing?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s much different. It used to be a much more violent game; there was more fighting. Rules that took effect in the late \u201990s and early 2000s made it much more of a skills game. It\u2019s still rough, but not like it used to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think is special about hockey?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>

\"Schafer
cornell athletics<\/figcaption>
Early days: The 1998\u201399 season. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Like in basketball and soccer, you\u2019re playing both offense and defense. Like lacrosse, there\u2019s the element of the stick. But in hockey you have skating, which makes it totally different from any other team sport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s something you took from your time as a player that informs you as a coach?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That you\u2019re part of a team. Regardless of successes and failures, it all comes down to a group of people, not individuals. But actually, I probably learned more about coaching from growing up in a big family than anything else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Actually, I probably learned more about coaching from growing up in a big family than anything else.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s your coaching philosophy?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s an old saying that a coach should be \u201cthe calm in the eye of the storm, and the storm when it\u2019s too calm.\u201d I\u2019ve tried to live by that. Our athletes are the driving force. If you tried to motivate them between every play of every game, you\u2019d lose your team in a hurry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think the consistency of how you treat them, what you say and do, is the most important thing. There are times where you have to push and prod\u2014but they happen a lot less than people think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Mike
Eldon Lindsay \/ Cornell Athletics<\/figcaption>
At home against Harvard in January 2020. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Why do you think hockey is so popular at Cornell?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, it\u2019s a winter sport, and it gives people something to do in Ithaca in the wintertime. [He laughs.]<\/em> It\u2019s had a tradition of winning, way back to the late \u201960s\u2014and I think success breeds fans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s something that gets townspeople, faculty, staff, and students together. It\u2019s been entrenched in the culture for many years, to have this special place where people can come and scream their brains out and cheer for the University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Schafer
Riley Joslin \/ Cornell Athletics<\/figcaption>
Coaching on the ice. <\/figcaption><\/figure>
\n

School spirit is so important; athletics is another venue for students and alumni to be very proud of Cornell. That can\u2019t be underestimated or undervalued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can you describe what\u2019s it like to play a home game in Lynah?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s nothing more special than coming in and feeling the roar of the crowd. It\u2019s a tremendous experience. It gives you goosebumps when you go on the ice. You never get used to it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You obviously play for each other as a team, but you really play for Cornell, and I wore that jersey proudly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think it\u2019s like for visiting teams? Do they dread it?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think a lot of teams love to play here. The atmosphere\u2014the crowd, the cheers and chants\u2014is something they never forget. When you talk to alumni and coaches from other schools, they say they enjoy the Lynah experience\u2014and they wish they had that at their university.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Mike
Matt Dewkett \/ Cornell Athletics<\/figcaption>
Speaking to the media after the Big Red’s 2-0 win over B.U. in the 2019 Red Hot Hockey contest in NYC’s Madison Square Garden. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

When you\u2019re recruiting a player, what do you look for?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Obviously they have to have the skills, so it comes down to things that are hard to see: hockey sense and character. Everybody says they want to develop, to pursue excellence\u2014but when it gets down to having to work hard to overcome adversity, does the kid have that makeup? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So that\u2019s what we look for: not just good skills, but kids we can help become better players.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

You obviously play for each other as a team, but you really play for Cornell, and I wore that jersey proudly.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

You mentioned \u201chockey sense.\u201d Could you define that?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a tough thing to quantify. It\u2019s like the difference between \u201cbook smart\u201d and \u201cstreet smart.\u201d Some kids can \u201cthink\u201d the game really well and make adjustments themselves. It\u2019s how you read and react, how you see things, how you anticipate, how you can take coaching and put it into action. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The game is so fast and complex; as kids climb higher and get better, hockey sense becomes more and more important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do you attract the players you want, given that the Ivy League doesn\u2019t allow athletic scholarships?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kids will choose Cornell, obviously, because of the quality of the education. They\u2019ll choose us athletically because we have a history of winning and because our alumni have succeeded in getting to the NHL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the Lynah crowd is one of the biggest selling points: not all schools, regardless of how much money they have, can offer such a great environment to play in. So you combine all those factors, and that\u2019s our niche. That\u2019s why kids turn down full scholarships at other schools to attend Cornell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
Matt Dewkett \/ Cornell Athletics<\/figcaption>
At a game against Denver (which the Big Red won 2-0) during the 2023 NCAA Regional Semifinals in Manchester, NH. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s it like for you to see your former players play professionally?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s so much pride. To see their perseverance and mental toughness in getting to the highest level of the sport\u2014to reach their childhood dream\u2014is really something special. It\u2019s always exciting to watch them on TV or get a chance to see them live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What pro team do you root for?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, I\u2019m from Ontario, so the Toronto Maple Leafs\u2014but I\u2019ve had many, many, many, many years of disappointment. [He laughs.]<\/em> I also like to cheer on our alumni, to root for whatever NHL team they\u2019re playing on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Mike
provided<\/figcaption>
With wife (and \u201986 classmate) Diane.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\n

What\u2019s something about you that Big Red hockey fans might not know?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I love my boat. I just love floating or driving around, being with my family and friends on Cayuga Lake in the summertime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you still play hockey for fun?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yeah, I\u2019m getting up there in age, but I try to play once a week in the spring and summer. I still enjoy the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you think it\u2019s important for you as a coach to keep your stick in, so to speak?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not really as a coach\u2014but mental health-wise, it\u2019s great.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve met so many people playing hockey who\u2019ve become friends whom I would have never met otherwise, in all walks of life\u2014from CEOs to teachers to prison guards to professors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think hockey keeps you grounded in what\u2019s real. Always has, and always will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Top: Schafer in the Lynah locker room. Photo by Ryan Young \/ Cornell University.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Published February 22, 2024; updated June 14, 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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