Blair named top assistant at Alaska-Anchorage Former UM coach gets recruiting coordinator job

Campbell Blair, who has been a full-time assistant coach at the University of Maine for the past five seasons, has officially been named as the top assistant/recruiting coordinator at the University of Alaska-Anchorage.

His wife, Kate, who was an assistant for the Maine women’s hockey team this past season, will accompany him to Anchorage.

The Seawolves, who play in the WCHA, went 6-27-3 in Dave Shyiak’s first season as the head coach last year.

Blair was the No. 2 assistant behind 18-year recruiting coordinator Grant Standbrook, who retired recently but will stay on as the volunteer assistant.

Last year’s volunteer assistant, Dan Kerluke, is expected to be considered to fill Blair’s role.

Blair said he would have stayed if Maine head coach Tim Whitehead had elevated him to Standbrook’s former position “but Tim didn’t feel I had enough experience.

“If I want to become a head coach, this is a good move for me. I’m looking forward to the challenge. We’ve got some work to do. It’s a difficult league from top to bottom,” said Blair, who feels he needs recruiting experience.

Whitehead said “in my heart, I would have loved to have bumped him up. But he has just five years of overall college experience and I have to do what’s best for the program. With the success that the program has been able to sustain over the last five, 10, 15, 20 years, we’ll be able to attract guys who have had a lot of recruiting success.”

Whitehead said “I hope a few years down the road, I’ll have the opportunity to bring him back. But I expect that he’ll be a head coach by then. In my opinion, he’s more than ready to be a head coach right now.”

Campbell and wife Kate said they enjoyed their time at Maine.

“The year was awesome. I loved working with the girls, the staff and everything,” said Kate Blair.