St. Cloud State has announced that Gino Gasparini has been appointed special advisor to the president for athletics and will start his new position March 1.
Gasparini, who played (1964-1967) and coached (1978-1994) at North Dakota before taking over as the commissioner of the United States Hockey League (1994-2009), will work with the existing athletics staff and the Athletic Advisory Panel to create a new and expanded vision for the future of Husky athletics.
Gasparini will focus on Division I programs, the expansion and redevelopment of the National Hockey and Event Center, the anticipated changes in the WCHA, fan, donor and sponsor experience and the connection between Husky athletics and the community.
“We are engaging Gino, who has decades of experience with first class-athletic operations, as we’re building a new and renovated facility,” said SCSU president Earl Potter in a statement. “We will seek his insight and he will work with us to help shape the future of Husky hockey and our overall athletic programs.”
St. Cloud State is in the planning stages of a $31.1 million renovation and addition project for the National Hockey Center. The 20-year old building will be renovated and expanded into a regional events center and multipurpose venue for hosting sporting events, concerts, family shows and other campus and community events.
