Karlis Zirnis was named associate head coach of the UAH hockey program on August 4, 2020.
Zirnis comes to UAH after two seasons as an assistant coach at Alaska, where he helped guide the squad to back-to-back WCHA playoff appearances.
Prior to his time at Alaska, Zirnis was the first head coach for the Shreveport Mudbugs of the North American Hockey League, and he went on to lead his squad to the 2018 Robertson Cup as NAHL Champions. He was named 2017-18 NAHL South Coach of the Year following his team’s 41-12-7 record during the campaign.
A native of Riga, Latvia, he has additionally been on Team Latvia’s coaching staff since 2012-13 as both an assistant and head coach, while serving as Team Latvia’s Under-20 head coach at the 2018 D1A World Junior Championships.
Moreover, Zirnis has additionally served as head coach of the NA3HL Nashville Junior Predators Hockey Club from 2014 to 2016.
Before he began his coaching career, Zirnis – a 2003 graduate of UAH – played as a forward with the Chargers from 1999-2003 appearing in 133 career games with 119 points on 46 goals and 73 assists. He is currently second in the program’s modern Division I era with his 119 career points.
