Former Nittany Lion Andrew Sturtz Returns to Penn State Men’s Hockey as Assistant Coach

Andrew Sturtz is coming back to Happy Valley.

The former Penn State men’s hockey forward was named an assistant coach for the Nittany Lions on Monday. The hiring is the result of an NCAA Division I rule change which changes the number of coaches that a team can employ.

He joins head coach Guy Gadowsky, associate head coach Keith Fisher and assistant coach Juliano Pagliero on the Penn State staff.

Sturtz returns to Penn State after spending three seasons with the Nittany Lions from 2015 to 2018. During that time, he helped lead the program to its first Big Ten Tournament Championship appearance in 2017, as well as its first two NCAA Tournament appearances in 2017 and 2018. Sturtz finished his Penn State career with 54 goals and 50 assists, totaling the seventh-most points in Nittany Lion history.

After leaving Penn State, Sturtz signed a two-year deal with the Ottowa Senators but struggled to break through after college. He retired from professional hockey after battling injuries for five seasons. Sturtz spent time with the Belleville Senators, Rapid City Rush, the Orlando Solar Bears and the Toledo Walleye, finishing his career with 41 goals and 39 assists across all competitions.

“We are thrilled to add Andrew Sturtz to our staff,” Gadowsky said in a press release. “…His infectious personality made a very positive and very big impression on everyone he interacted with at Penn State. I never get tired of hearing teammates, students, professors and fans alike tell me how much they enjoyed Andrew Sturtz and we are extremely happy to have him back.”