Lance West

In July of 2017, Alaska Nanooks Director of Athletics Dr. Gary Gray has named Lance West the head coach for the men’s ice hockey program. West has served as the Nanooks’ assistant coach for the past nine seasons. 

The Penticton, British Columbia native becomes the program’s ninth head coach and replaces Dallas Ferguson.

A four-year letter winner as a forward at the University of Alabama-Huntsville, West was hired in Ferguson’s inaugural year as head coach prior to the 2008-09 season. West also served as a volunteer assistant coach and video coordinator for the Nanooks throughout the 2007-08 season, while also working full-time at the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Student Recreation Center as the Facility Manager. As Alaska’s assistant coach, West was primarily responsible for Alaska’s forwards, the penalty kill and served as the team’s recruiting coordinator. 

West has been with the Nanooks throughout the entirety of the Ferguson era, which included six seasons with winning records and seeing the program make its first-ever trip to the NCAA Division I Ice Hockey Tournament in the 2009-10 postseason. Under West and Ferguson’s tutelage, the Nooks have also claimed six Alaska Airlines Governor’s Cup titles and nine non-conference tournament championships. 

Prior to moving to Fairbanks, West served as an assistant coach to his alma mater for seven seasons (2000-07), helping the Chargers to win two College Hockey America regular season championships, four conference tournament appearances and one NCAA tournament appearance in his final season (2006-07). West had previously served as the volunteer assistant coach for UAH from 1995-98, helping the Chargers capture two NCAA Division II National Championships in 1996 and 1998.

As a player, West was considered an offensive-minded centerman who amassed 43 goals and 65 assists for 108 points in 106 career games. As a senior, West was named the team captain and received the UAH hockey team’s Coaches Award. 

West graduated the University of Alabama-Huntsville with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology with a minor in Chemistry and also earned a Class B Teaching Certification from UAH. 

West resides in Fairbanks with his wife, Kristina and their daughter, Olivia.