He returns to the University following three successful seasons as head coach at Hamilton College, preceded by eight years as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Colorado College.

"Norm Bazin brings great passion not just for the hockey program, but for the University as well," said University Chancellor Martin T. Meehan. "We believe he can recruit top-quality talent, develop that talent, and raise the bar of expectation at UMass Lowell. In addition, Norm's past experiences as a student and a coach demonstrate clearly that he places education at the center of the college experience."

Bazin replaces Blaise MacDonald, who resigned at the end of the 2010-11 season after 10 years.

"UMass Lowell is my alma mater and it has a special place in my heart," Bazin said. "Hockey East is one of the premier conferences in the country. I was impressed with the dynamic changes Chancellor Meehan and Dana Skinner have made. The energy and the improvements have been tremendous."

Bazin inherits a program which struggled to a 5-25-4 record (4-21-2 in Hockey East) last year but is expected to return 24 players for the 2011-12 season.

"I think the long term potential for the program is the ability to compete for the three major championships," Bazin noted, referring to the Hockey East regular season, tournament and NCAA championships. "Secondly, I think we have a first class facility, a world-class university, a loyal fan base and a solid hockey foundation in terms of support from our administration and staff."

Fast Success at Hamilton College, NCAA Prominence at Colorado College

Under Bazin's direction, Hamilton College improved from a 9-15-1 record in 2008-09 to a 15-9-2 clip in 2009-10 and a 14-7-4 record last season, in which the Continentals finished atop of the New England Small Conference Athletic Conference (NESCAC) regular season for the first time in school history.

For his efforts, Bazin was named the NESCAC Coach of the Year the last two years and helped guide four players to NESCAC All-Conference honors, including 2010-11 Player of the Year and All-American Joe Houk. Additionally, he was named a finalist for the 2011 Edward Jeremiah Award for NCAA Division III Coach of the Year.

Hamilton's 15 victories in 2009-10 marked its highest win total since the 2003-04 season. Consistent with his belief that academic success breeds athletic achievement, Bazin helped guide 11 members of Hamilton's ice hockey team to the NESCAC Winter All-Academic Team honors in his three years.

Prior to becoming head coach at Hamilton, Bazin spent eight years at Colorado College as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator and was instrumental in leading the Tigers to a 205-102-22 overall record (.623) and a 131-76-17 clip in WCHA play (.585).

During Bazin's tenure, Colorado College made six trips to the NCAA Tournament - four quarterfinal bids and a Midwest Region title/Frozen Four appearance in 2005 - and won the WCHA regular season title three times.

Among the players Bazin mentored include 19 WCHA all-stars, 13 All-Americans and two Hobey Baker Memorial Award recipients in Peter Sejna (2003) and Marty Sertich (2005). Additionally, 12 players during Bazin's time went on to play in the NHL.

Bazin was an assistant coach at UMass Lowell from 1996-2000 under Tim Whitehead and helped guide the River Hawks to Hockey East Tournament semifinal appearances in 1997 and 1998. He was integral in recruiting standouts such as All-American Ron Hainsey (currently in his third season with the Atlanta Thrashers) as well as Hockey East all-star Brad Rooney (`01); Yorick Treille ('02) and Laurent Meunier ('02), both members of the French Olympic squad at the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City.

UMass Lowell's Unsung Hero

As a player, Bazin compiled 32 goals and 36 assists (68 points) in 134 career games. He peaked as a senior with 20 goals and 15 assists - including 17 goals in UMass Lowell's final 19 games - as the River Hawks posted a 25-10-5 record.

That year, he helped lead UMass Lowell to the Hockey East Tournament Championship game where it fell, 3-2, to Boston University. Along the way, Bazin scored all three goals in a 3-0 quarterfinal victory over Merrimack and also added a goal in a 4-3 triumph at Michigan State in the NCAA Tournament first round.

Team honors were plentiful for Bazin as he was named the recipient of the Most Improved Player, Unsung Hero and Gus Coutu (Most Spirited) awards - all voted upon by his teammates.

Bazin was also an exemplary student, earning Dean's List honors in each of his eight semesters as well as a place on the Hockey East Academic Honor Roll three times. In 1993, he received the Distinguished Public Service Award from the University for his work with the Special Olympics and SHARE.

Bazin achieved his bachelor's degree in criminal justice in just 3 years and earned his master's degree in education administration in 1999.

"The characteristics which have made Norm such a successful leader since he graduated from UMass Lowell will pay dividends for our hockey program and University," Director of Athletics Dana Skinner said. "We are pleased that one of our most successful alums is returning to the University and we welcome Norm, his wife Michelle, also an alumna, and their two children to the UMass Lowell family."

Bazin played professionally for the Birmingham Bulls of the ECHL and the Cincinnati Cyclones of the IHL in 1994-95.

A native of Notre Dame de Lourdes, Manitoba, Bazin and his wife, Michelle, have two sons, Blake (7) and Coleston (4).

Ellsworth joins the River Hawks after three seasons as an assistant coach with the Sioux City Musketeers of the United States Hockey League. He also adds eight seasons of professional and collegiate experience as a goaltender for Michigan Technological University and several teams in the ECHL.

"We are excited to add Cam to our staff," Bazin said. "His enthusiasm was evident throughout the interview process."

"He will draw from his successful athletic career as he mentors our young goaltenders. His coaching experience was spent in one of the premier junior development leagues and he will be a strong addition to the organization."

While coaching the Musketeers, Ellsworth assisted in all facets of recruiting, including scheduling the trips, player identification and calls. He also coordinated the team's video analysis and travel itineraries.

"I'm thrilled for the opportunity to join a school with such great history," said Ellsworth of UMass Lowell. "I'll be working with two great guys and learning from them as we rebuild the program."

"I hope to bring all my different experiences together to help each player individually as we build towards a large collective goal."

Over the last three seasons, Ellsworth has recruited or coached 10 players drafted by the NHL and another 43 who committed to Division I hockey programs. Among the players he coached were former Merrimack College standout Stephane Da Costa and current UMass Lowell sophomore Joe Caveney (Fitchburg, Mass.), who both skated with Sioux City in 2008-09.

Prior to entering the realm of coaching, Ellsworth played for four teams over four seasons in the ECHL: Augusta Lynx, Greenville Grrrowl, Pensacola Ice Pilots and Stockton Thunder.

His best professional season came in 2006-07, backstopping the Thunder to its first playoff appearance in franchise history with 14-13-3 record, 2.62 goals against average and .907 save percentage.

Ellsworth graduated cum laude with a 3.56 grade point average from Michigan Tech with a B.S. in Business Administration in 2005. A four-year letter winner with the Huskies from 2001-05, Ellsworth was a three-time WCHA All-Academic Team member from 2003-05. He ranks as the program's all-time leader in games played (117) and saves (3,510).

A native of Leamington, Ont., Ellsworth has been married for six years to his wife Julie.

Lammers brings over a decade of coaching experience to UMass Lowell, most recently spending the last two seasons with Colorado College. In addition, he has coached at Ohio State University, SUNY Geneseo, Princeton University, University of Alaska-Fairbanks, Clarkson University and Hobart College.

"I have known Jason for a long time," said Bazin of Lammers. "He has tremendous professionalism, a strong work ethic and is a very positive person. He is an experienced coach who brings his established hockey network to the staff. We welcome Jason and his family to Lowell."

While at Colorado College, Lammers headed the recruiting effort that resulted in the 8th ranked recruiting class nationwide in 2010 and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2011. He also oversaw the team's forwards and offense, including individual skill development, puck support and tactical adjustments.

"I'm excited to join the UMass Lowell staff and look forward to the challenge of revitalizing the program," said Lammers of the opportunity. "The leadership qualities of coach Bazin are outstanding and I look forward to moving my family to the UMass Lowell community."

"I've been fortunate to work with a lot of great coaches over my career; almost all of whom have been nominated for Coach of the Year, and was able to learn a lot from each one of them. The connections and relationships I've developed over the years have been strong and will help with the coaching and recruiting elements at UMass Lowell."

Prior to joining the Tigers, Lammers spent three seasons at Ohio State that included an NCAA Tournament bid in 2009. In addition to his recruiting duties, he assisted in the operation of the team's in-season youth hockey clinics and summer hockey schools.

A 1998 graduate of SUNY Geneseo, Lammers served as the head coach of his alma mater from 2005-06. In his only season behind the bench for the Knights, SUNY Geneseo compiled a 19-9-2 record, won the SUNYAC Tournament and appeared in the NCAA Tournament. He coached two All-SUNYAC players and four SUNYAC All-Tournament Team members.

In addition to overseeing the program and its staff, Lammers managed the Ira S. Wilson hockey rink while at SUNY Geneseo.

Lammers spent the two seasons previous to that working under Guy Gadowsky, current Penn State coach, at Princeton in 2004-05 and Alaska-Fairbanks in 2003-04. While with the Nanooks, he helped the team win the Governor's Cup and recruited what was then the highest NHL draft pick in school history, Tyler Eckford, an All-American seventh round selection in the 2004 draft.

Lammers got his coaching start at Clarkson University as a volunteer assistant in 2000-01 and returned full-time in 2002-03, with a stint at Hobart College in between. While with the Golden Knights, he designed and implemented all team strength and conditioning programs and helped the club win the ECAC Regular Season Championship in 2000-01.

Throughout his career, Lammers has worked a number of summers with USA Hockey to coach its Select Festivals dating back to 2004.

Before entering coaching, Lammers spent three years playing professional hockey in the West Coast Hockey League with the Phoenix Mustangs and the Idaho Steelheads. In his final season, he helped the Mustangs capture the Taylor Cup Championship.

As a player for SUNY Geneseo, Lammers was the team captain as a senior in 1998 while earning SUNYAC All-Conference Second Team honors as a defenseman. He graduated with a B.A. in History while serving as a member of the Student Athletic Advisory Board and Phi Alpha Theta, an honorary history fraternity.

A native of Pittsburgh, Penn., he and his wife, Michelle, are the proud parents of a two-year-old son, Rhett, and a daughter, Bryn, born in April 2011.