KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and Director of Athletics Dan Bartholomae have announced new contracts for WMU hockey head coach Pat Ferschweiler, men's tennis head coach Dave Morin, women's gymnastics head coach Penny Jernigan and women's basketball head coach Shane Clipfell.
Ferschweiler's new contract runs through the 2025-26 season. In his first season at the helm, Ferschweiler coached the Broncos to unprecedented heights. WMU made the National Collegiate Hockey Conference Froze Faceoff Finals for the first time in program history, secured a No. 1 Seed for the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history, oversaw the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament win, saw Ethen Frank become the first Bronco to lead the nation in goal-scoring and Frank and Ronnie Attard were both named AHCA All-Americans. WMU also maintained its academic success, with 27 student-athletes being named NCHC Academic All-Conference. Senior Drew Worrad was named NCHC Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year and Worrad, Aidan Fulp and Jacob Bauer were named AHCA All-American Scholars.
"I am very excited about the opportunity to guide the Bronco hockey program forward," said Ferschweiler. "I would like to thank A.D. Dan Bartholomae for his trust in me and my staff and the incredible support he has shown the hockey program. Being entrusted to lead this program is a huge honor and responsibility. My staff and our players look forward to building on the many program firsts that we accomplished last season. Will we continue to raise the bar for Bronco hockey and pursue excellence in the classroom and on the ice."
"It is no coincidence that Coach Ferschweiler experienced unprecedented success in his first year as our head coach," Said Bartholomae. "He is the epitome of a Bronco – an alumnus with grit and determination that cares deeply about the experience of the student-athletes he coaches. His team not only achieved history on the ice, but in the classroom as well with a record 27 NCHC All-Academic team members. We know we are primed for more historical performances with Fersch on our bench, and appreciate the continuity in leadership that this affords our hockey program. Today is truly a GREAT day to be a BRONCO."
Morin's new contract runs through 2026-27 season. Morin coached the Broncos to the program's 27th Mid-American Conference Regular Season Championship and then the program's 14th MAC Tournament Title. He was named MAC Coach of the Year for the 13th time in his career at WMU, also seeing Anton Arzhankin named MAC Freshman of the Year and the Broncos earning three All-MAC selections in Arzhankin, Peter Kuszynski and Fynn Lohse. Seven Broncos went on to earn Academic All-MAC honors after the season.
"I'd like to thank President Montgomery and our AD Dan Bartholomae for their trust and belief in the vision our student-athletes and our staff have for our men's tennis program," said Morin. "Western Michigan University and the Kalamazoo/Portage area has been a great place to work and live for my family and I for over 25 years and we're super excited about this long-term commitment. Go Broncos!"
"We are all blessed to be witnessing one of the finest coaching careers in the history of Western Michigan University and the Mid-American Conference," Bartholomae said. "Coach Morin's reign as our head coach includes 13 MAC Coach of the Year honors, 14 MAC Tournament Championships, and 12 MAC Regular Season Championships. His teams not only compete at the highest level, but also serve as model students and citizens on our campus and in our community. It is an honor to recognize Coach Morin's tenure at WMU with this multi-year contract extension, and I am thrilled to partner with him for many years to come."
Jernigan's contract runs through the 2024-25 season. The Broncos have qualified the last two seasons for the NCAA Championship under Jernigan, an unprecedented accomplishment in the history of the program. She coached the Broncos to a MAC Championship 2020 and has had Broncos win seven individual titles during her tenure. WMU continues to excel academically under Jernigan, whose 2018 and 2019 teams had the second highest GPA in the nation in the sport.
"This is a tremendous honor," said Jernigan. "I'm grateful every day to have the opportunity to lead our women's gymnastics team. Our program's nationally recognized success is a direct reflection of the amazing student-athletes, assistant coaches, administrators and support staff we have here at Western Michigan. I'm so thankful to A.D. Bartholomae for believing in us and I can't wait to continue to build on the many accomplishments we've achieved together so far. Go Broncos!"
"We have experienced an unparalleled streak of success within our gymnastics program, having qualified for the NCAA Championship in two straight seasons under Coach Jernigan's leadership," said Bartholomae. "Her teams have garnered both team and individual recognition at the highest levels of the MAC, and continue to reach new heights academically with a Top 10 GPA nationally and 16 WGCA Scholar All-Americans in 2022. The future is bright for our Gymnastics program."
Clipfell's contract runs through 2024-25. He is the program's third winningest coach with 148 total wins and has the second-most MAC wins with 80. Under his guidance 14 Broncos have earned All-MAC honors and 34 have been Academic All-MAC selections. He's also coached the program's all-time leader in rebounding, Breanna Mobley.
"It is such an exciting time at the university and I'm very thankful for the support and trust that both Dan Bartholomae and President Montgomery have presented me with. I've always considered this job to be both a privilege and an absolute responsibility to all former and current Broncos and we will have to continue to strive for excellence. The landscape of collegiate athletics may be changing, but the dedication to our student-athletes is and always will be our highest priority.
"Coach Clipfell's program is on an upward trajectory both competitively and academically, and we are excited to extend his tenure as our Head Women's Basketball Coach," added Bartholomae. "Shane's teams have consistently qualified for the MAC Championship, and most recently represented WMU in a reduced field in Cleveland. Additionally, his program set a record in 2022 with 10 Academic All-MAC selections. Our women's basketball program is poised for championship level success and we are thrilled to have Coach Clipfell leading these exceptional women."
