The Green Bay Gamblers have hired St. Cloud State University Assistant Hockey Coach Eric Rud (pronounced as rude) as the team’s new Head Coach/General Manager.  He will be the team’s 5th head coach/GM.  Rud has spent the past 5 seasons at St. Cloud State where the team had a record of 105-74-24.

“I’m excited to be the head coach for an outstanding organization like the Green Bay Gamblers. The USHL is a great league and I am proud to be a part of it,” said Rud.   “Green Bay is a great family town and that was a big part of it for me,” added Rud who has a wife and 3 kids.

Rud served as an assistant coach at Colorado College during the 2004-05 season. He helped the Tigers win a share of the WCHA title with a 31-9-3, 19-7-2 WCHA record last winter. CC also went on to win its NCAA regional and gained a berth in the 2005 NCAA Frozen Four.  Prior to his tenure at Colorado College, Rud was an assistant coach with Cedar Rapids of the USHL from 2002 to 2004. He was responsible for recruiting many members of the Cedar Rapids team that won the 2005 USHL league title.

“The process was difficult because we had an unbelievable pool of candidates applying for this job, but the easy part was saying yes to Eric Rud,” said Gamblers President Brendan Bruss.  “He exemplifies Gamblers Hockey with great character and we’re confident he’ll be an outstanding coach.”

Originally from Inver Grove Heights, Minn., Rud was voted the WCHA Defensive Player of the Year and earned all-league honors in his final two campaigns at CC.  He helped lead the Tigers to the Frozen Four as a junior and senior – including an appearance in the NCAA championship game in 1996. As a college player, Rud appeared in 168 consecutive games as the Tigers won WCHA regular season titles in 1994, 1995 and 1996 and posted a 111-43-14 record during that run from 1993-97.

Rud was also a standout player with the USHL’s Des Moines Buccaneers (1991-93) prior to his collegiate playing days. At Des Moines, Rud gained league MVP honors (1992-93) and helped the Buccaneers win a national title (1991-92).

Rud graduated from Colorado College with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. He went on to play professional hockey with the San Antonio Dragons (IHL), Quebec Rafales (IHL), Florida Everblades (ECHL), Kansas City Blades (IHL), Utah Grizzlies (IHL) and the Idaho Steelheads (WCHL).  In his professional career, Rud played in 319 games with 34 goals and 97 assists to his credit. In 2009, Rud served as head coach of the USA U18 Select Team at the Memorial of Ivan Hlinka Tournament in Piestany, Slovakia. In 2008, Rud served as head coach of the USA U17 Select team at the Five Nations Tournament in Prievidza, Slovakia.