FAIRBANKS, Alaska – On Tuesday, Alaska Nanooks Director of Athletics Dr. Gary Gray announced the official hiring of Layne Lewis as the head coach for the Nanooks' coed rifle team.

Lewis, a former Nanook shooter himself, served as the team's interim head coach for the 2016-17 season after replacing former head coach Dan Jordan. A native of Two Rivers, Alaska, Lewis also served as the Nanooks' volunteer assistant coach during the 2013-14 season.

"I am very pleased that Coach Lewis has agreed to continue on as our permanent rifle coach," Gray said on Tuesday. "Layne has a variety of skills that will help our rifle student-athletes individually and our rifle program collectively advance in the future. He is a hard worker and someone who will do what needs to be done to strengthen the program."

"I'm very excited and humbled to once again be a part of the Nanook family," Lewis said. "I look forward to continuing the legacy that is the Alaska Nanooks rifle team."

Last season, Lewis led the Nanooks to their 26th national championship appearance where the team placed fifth overall. Lewis also helped now-redshirt-senior Sagen Maddalena earn three All-America honors, while now-senior Luke Johnson and former shooter Soren Butler garnered one All-America Honorable Mention each.

A 2010 graduate, Lewis earned his Bachelors of Science degree in Geology from the University of Alaska Fairbanks after spending four years as a student-athlete for the Nooks.  After redshirting his first year on campus (2005-06), Lewis qualified for the 2007 NCAA Rifle National Championships his sophomore year, missing the Smallbore final by only one point.

In his junior year, Lewis shot a season-best 580 in Air Rifle against TCU on Oct. 24, 2007 before recording a season-best 575 in Smallbore against Army on Jan.22, 2008. In the spring of 2008, Lewis was named the Alaska Nanooks' Humanitarian of the Year for the 2007-08 season.

During the 2008-09 season, Lewis' work on the range and in the classroom gained national attention by being selected as an All-American Honorable Mention in Smallbore, while also receiving Academic All-American honors.

Since being a student-athlete, Lewis has previously worked as a Geologist at a variety of mines around the state of Alaska. In addition to being the interim head coach this season, Lewis is the current owner and operator of Lewis Shooting Development, LLC and volunteers as a current instructor for the Midnight Sun Sharpshooters Club and the equipment and facility manager at the Tanana Valley Sportsmen's Association.

For more information on the Alaska Nanooks rifle team, follow @NanooksRifle on Twitter or like the Alaska Nanooks Rifle team page on Facebook.