(UPDATED TUESDAY 4/1 WITH MEMORIAL INFORMATION)Â
MINNEAPOLIS -- Augsburg College alumnus Ed Saugestad '59, who coached the Auggie men's hockey team to national prominence in a coaching career that spanned parts of five decades, died on Thursday, March 20 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 77 years old.
A 1959 Augsburg alumnus, Saugestad began his coaching career during his senior year, 1958, and coached the Auggies until 1996, compiling a 503-354-21 record. His Auggies won Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles six straight years (1977-82), qualified for national tournament play 10 times -- including a run of eight straight years from 1975 to 1982 -- and won NAIA national championships in 1978, 1981 and 1982. He coached 22 All-Americans during his Augsburg career. Saugestad was named NAIA National Coach of the Year three times and MIAC Coach of the Year six times. He compiled a 340-190-12 record in MIAC play in his career.
A memorial service for Saugestad will be held on Thursday, April 3 at 2 p.m. in the Hoversten Chapel at the Foss Center on the Augsburg campus, Augsburg President Paul Pribbenow noted in an e-mail to the campus community on Friday.
Memorials are preferred to the college's Center for Science, Business and Religion, the college athletics program, or the college's men's hockey program.
