The Buffalo Sabres announced today the appointment of Seth Appert as head coach of the Rochester Americans.
Appert has spent the last three years as a head coach within USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program, two with the Under-18 team and one with the Under-17 team.
In 2017-18, Appert guided the U-18 team to a gold medal at the Five Nations Tournament and finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference of the United States Hockey League. He also coached the U.S. entry to a silver medal at the IIHF Under-18 World Championship.
Appert, 46, was an assistant coach for Team USA at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship, helping them to a gold medal, and also served as an assistant at the 2017 World Championship with the men’s national team. Appert was also head coach for the U-18 select team that competed in the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in 2008 and 2011.
Prior to joining USA Hockey, Appert spent 11 seasons as head coach of the men’s program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, guiding the team to an appearance in the 2011 NCAA tournament. He was also an assistant coach at the University of Denver, helping the Pioneers to two national championships.
Appert played collegiately at Ferris State University, where he was a four-year letter winner as a goaltender.
“Seth has a proven track record of developing talent at various levels and we are looking forward to him being the next head coach of the Rochester Americans,” said Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams. “His approach to coaching and leadership, both on and off the ice, is a natural fit with the philosophy Ralph Krueger and I have started to implement as we build the organization. Seth will be an asset to Rochester and to the Sabres organization, and I’m excited to see him succeed behind the bench with the Amerks.”
Appert replaces Chris Taylor, who was the Amerks’ head coach from 2017-20.