{{Short description|Cornell University ice hockey coach}} {{for|the American author|Mike Schafer (author)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}} {{Infobox college coach | name = Mike Schafer | image = Cornell ice hockey coach Mike Schafer.jpg | alt = | caption = Schafer at the NCAA East Regional in 2019 | current_title = | current_team = | current_conference = | current_record = | contract = | birth_date = | birth_place = Durham, Ontario, Canada | death_date = | death_place = | alma_mater = Cornell University | player_years1 = 1982–1986 | player_team1 = Cornell | player_positions = Defenseman | coach_years1 = 1986–1990 | coach_team1 = Cornell (assistant) | coach_years2 = 1990–1995 | coach_team2 = Western Michigan (assistant) | coach_years3 = 1995–2025 | coach_team3 = Cornell | overall_record = 561–300–117 ({{winpct|561|300|117}}) | tournament_record = 11–14 ({{winpct|11|14}}) | championships = {{Plainlist| * 6× ECAC regular season champion (2002, 2003, 2005, 2018, 2019, 2020) * 7× ECAC Tournament Champion (1996, 1997, 2003, 2005, 2010, 2024, 2025) }} | awards = {{Plainlist| * 2020 Spencer Penrose Award Division I Coach of the Year (co-winner) * 5x ECAC Hockey Coach of the Year (2002, 2003, 2005, 2018, 2020)<ref>[https://cornellsun.com/2020/03/19/schafer-named-ecac-mens-hockey-coach-of-the-year-for-5th-time/ Schafer Named ECAC Men’s Hockey Coach of the Year for 5th Time] By Christina Bulkeley for ''The Cornell Daily Sun'' March 19, 2020</ref> * 4x Ivy League Coach of the Year (2018, 2019, 2020, 2024) }} | coaching_records = }}
'''Mike Schafer''' is a former men's ice hockey coach who was the head coach at Cornell University from 1996 until 2025. He graduated from Cornell in 1986 with a degree in business management after leading the team to its first conference tournament championship in six years.<ref>{{cite news|title=ECAC Tournament|url=http://www.augenblick.org/chha/ecac_trn.html|publisher=College Hockey Historical Archives|accessdate=2013-06-17}}</ref> Schafer retired as a player after his senior season and immediately became an assistant with the Big Red. Schafer left his alma mater after the 1989–90 season, taking a similar position with the Western Michigan Broncos of the CCHA. Five years later, after a downturn in the program that saw three consecutive losing seasons (including back-to-back single digit-win years) Cornell replaced Brian McCutcheon with Schafer as head coach. Schafer quickly returned the Big Red to prominence, winning the ECAC Hockey conference tournament his first two seasons back in Ithaca. Schafer has remained with Cornell ever since, becoming the longest tenured and the winningest coach in team history.<ref>{{cite news|title=Cornell Men's Ice Hockey Coaching Staff|url=http://www.cornellbigred.com/coaches.aspx?rc=1731&path=mhockey|publisher=Cornell Big Red|accessdate=2013-06-17}}</ref>
On June 13, 2024, Schafer announced that he would retire at the conclusion of the 2024-2025 hockey season.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2024/06/mike-schafer-86-retire-hockey-coach-after-next-season | title=Mike Schafer '86 to retire as hockey coach after next season | Cornell Chronicle }}</ref>
==Career== Schafer has been credited as one of college hockey's premier defensive coaches as his teams consistently produce among the lowest goals allowed annually. Two of Schafer's goaltenders (David LeNeveu in 2003 and David McKee in 2005) hold the second and third lowest goals against averages in NCAA history for one season<ref>{{Cite web| title=Division I Men's Records | url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_icehockey_rb/2009/MIH%20DI%202009.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120516073804/http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_icehockey_rb/2009/MIH%20DI%202009.pdf | archive-date=2012-05-16}}</ref> with the former backstopping the Big Red to their first frozen four since 1980 and first overall seed in 2003 (a rarity for ECAC programs). Schafer has made more appearances in the ECAC tournament championship game than any other head coach with 13 and has the record for most victories at seven. Schafer's 2003 team is thus far the only one to reach 30 wins in Cornell's history (though the 1970 undefeated and untied championship team only played 29 games, finishing 29-0-0).
Schafer was named co-winner of the 2020 Spencer Penrose Award as Division I Coach of the Year with Brad Berry of University of North Dakota. The Big Red went 23-2-4 (18-2-2 ECAC) before the season was cut short by the coronavirus pandemic.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.uscho.com/2020/04/07/north-dakotas-berry-cornells-schafer-named-co-winners-of-2020-spencer-penrose-award-as-mens-d-i-coach-of-the-year/|title=North Dakota's Berry, Cornell's Schafer named co-winners of 2020 Spencer Penrose Award as men's D-I coach of the year|date=7 April 2020}}</ref>
==Head coaching record== {{CBB Yearly Record Start |type=coach |conference= |postseason= |poll=no }} {{CIH yearly record subhead |name = {{color|white|Cornell Big Red}} |color = color:white; background:#B31B1B; {{box-shadow border|a|#222222|2px}} |startyear = 1995 |conference = ECAC Hockey |endyear = 2025 |}} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = conference tournament | season = 1995–96 | name = Cornell | overall = 21–9–4 | conference = 14–4–4 | confstanding = 4th | postseason = NCAA Regional Quarterfinals }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = conference tournament | season = 1996–97 | name = Cornell | overall = 21–9–5 | conference = 14–6–2 | confstanding = 2nd | postseason = NCAA Regional Semifinals }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 1997–98 | name = Cornell | overall = 15–16–2 | conference = 9–12–1 | confstanding = 8th | postseason = ECAC Four vs. Five }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 1998–99 | name = Cornell | overall = 12–15–4 | conference = 9–10–3 | confstanding = 7th | postseason = ECAC Quarterfinals }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 1999-00 | name = Cornell | overall = 16–14–2 | conference = 10–9–1 | confstanding = t–4th | postseason = ECAC Third Place (Loss) }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 2000–01 | name = Cornell | overall = 16–12–5 | conference = 11–8–3 | confstanding = 4th | postseason = ECAC Runner-Up }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = conference | season = 2001–02 | name = Cornell | overall = 25–8–2 | conference = 17–3–2 | confstanding = 1st | postseason = NCAA Regional Semifinals }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = confboth | season = 2002–03 | name = Cornell | overall = 30–5–1 | conference = 19–2–1 | confstanding = 1st | postseason = NCAA Frozen Four }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 2003–04 | name = Cornell | overall = 16–10–6 | conference = 13–6–3 | confstanding = 2nd | postseason = ECAC Quarterfinals }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = confboth | season = 2004–05 | name = Cornell | overall = 27–5–3 | conference = 18–2–2 | confstanding = 1st | postseason = NCAA West Regional Finals }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 2005–06 | name = Cornell | overall = 22–9–4 | conference = 13–6–3 | confstanding = 3rd | postseason = NCAA Midwest Regional Finals }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 2006–07 | name = Cornell | overall = 14–13–4 | conference = 10–8–4 | confstanding = t–4th | postseason = ECAC Quarterfinals }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 2007–08 | name = Cornell | overall = 19–14–3 | conference = 12–9–1 | confstanding = t–4th | postseason = ECAC Third Place (Win) }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 2008–09 | name = Cornell | overall = 22–10–4 | conference = 13–6–3 | confstanding = 2nd | postseason = NCAA Midwest Regional Finals }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = conference tournament | season = 2009–10 | name = Cornell | overall = 21–9–4 | conference = 14–5–3 | confstanding = 2nd | postseason = NCAA East Regional Semifinals }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 2010–11 | name = Cornell | overall = 16–15–3 | conference = 11–9–2 | confstanding = t–4th | postseason = ECAC Runner-Up }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 2011–12 | name = Cornell | overall = 19–9–7 | conference = 12–4–6 | confstanding = 2nd | postseason = NCAA Midwest Regional Finals }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 2012–13 | name = Cornell | overall = 15–16–3 | conference = 8–11–3 | confstanding = t–9th | postseason = ECAC Quarterfinals }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 2013–14 | name = Cornell | overall = 17–10–5 | conference = 11–7–4 | confstanding = 4th | postseason = ECAC Semifinals }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 2014–15 | name = Cornell | overall = 11–14–6 | conference = 9–9–4 | confstanding = 7th | postseason = ECAC First Round }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 2015–16 | name = Cornell | overall = 16–11–7 | conference = 8–8–6 | confstanding = t-7th | postseason = ECAC Quarterfinals }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 2016–17 | name = Cornell | overall = 21–9–5 | conference = 13–4–5 | confstanding = 3rd | postseason = NCAA Northeast Regional Semifinals }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = conference | season = 2017–18 | name = Cornell | overall = 25–6–2 | conference = 17–3–2 | confstanding = 1st | postseason = NCAA Northeast Regional Semifinals }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = conference | season = 2018–19 | name = Cornell | overall = 21–11–4 | conference = 13–5–4 | confstanding = T–1st | postseason = NCAA East Regional Finals }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = conference | season = 2019–20 | name = Cornell | overall = 23–2–4 | conference = 18–2–2 | confstanding = 1st | postseason = Tournament Cancelled }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 2021–22 | name = Cornell | overall = 18–10–4 | conference = 12–6–4 | confstanding = 4th | postseason = ECAC Quarterfinals }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 2022–23 | name = Cornell | overall = 21–11–2 | conference = 15–6–1 | confstanding = 3rd | postseason = NCAA East Regional Final }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = conference tournament | season = 2023–24 | name = Cornell | overall = 22–7–6 | conference = 12–6–4 | confstanding = 2nd | postseason = NCAA Northeast Regional Final }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = conference tournament | season = 2024–25 | name = Cornell | overall = 19–11–6 | conference = 10–8–4 | confstanding = 6th | postseason = NCAA Midwest Regional Final }} {{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal | name = Cornell | overall = 561–300–117 ({{winpct|561|300|117}}) | confrecord = 347–182–88 ({{winpct|347|182|88}}) }} {{CBB Yearly Record End |overall = 561–300–117 ({{winpct|561|300|117}}) |confrecord = }}
==See also== *List of college men's ice hockey coaches with 400 wins
== References == {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{icehockeystats}}
{{s-start}} {{s-ach}} {{succession box | before = Mark Morris<br />Stan Moore<br />Rick Bennett<br />Casey Jones| title = Tim Taylor Award | years = 2001–02 / 2002–03<br />2004–05<br />2017–18<br />2019–20 | after = Stan Moore<br />Bob Gaudet<br />Casey Jones<br />Rand Pecknold}} {{succession box | before = Greg Carvel| title = Spencer Penrose Award | years = 2019–20 <small>(with Brad Berry)</small> | after = Mike Hastings}} {{S-end}}
{{Cornell Big Red men's ice hockey navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schafer, Mike}} Category:Canadian ice hockey coaches Category:Cornell Big Red men's ice hockey players Category:Western Michigan Broncos ice hockey coaches Category:Cornell Big Red men's ice hockey coaches Category:Ice hockey people from Ontario Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Canadian ice hockey defencemen