Mike Sertich

Mike Sertich, a Duluth hockey icon who devoted 18 years to lifting the fledgling University of Minnesota Duluth hockey program to the elite status it still enjoys, died Thursday at the Solvay Hospice House in Duluth after a two-year battle against pancreatic cancer. He was 77.

Born January 8, 1947, in Virginia, Minnesota, “Sertie” never lost track of his roots, just as he never passed up the chance to poke fun at himself. He played football, baseball and hockey at Virginia High School and then played as a part-time defenseman from 1966-69 at UMD. Sertich earned undergraduate degrees in both history and physical education at UMD in 1969, obtained a Master’s of Education at Bemidji State in 1972.

After playing three seasons at UMD, Sertich joined Grand Rapids High School coach Gus Hendrickson as assistant and moved with Hendrickson to UMD in 1975 as assistant and top recruiter. He became head coach of UMD from 1982 until 1999 and then he coached at Michigan Tech from 2000-2003. Sertich then volunteered as an assistant at St. Scholastica and later helped the Hermantown Bantam team.

“Fishing and friends kept me going. On the water or in the woods you do a lot of thinking, but it was for self-preservation, not fun. It was like going downtown instead of withdrawing; I didn’t want to, but I know I should have. Pizza only lasts 15 minutes, but a conversation lasts forever.”

Sertich moved alone into a modest, rural house just south of the Eveleth-Virginia area. Homeland. It was from there that Sertich battled the pancreatic cancer, leading to home hospice care until the end of July, when he moved into Solvay Hospice House in Duluth.

Mike was preceded in death by his parents, Mark and Mary Sertich, and a sister, Paddy Domier, and his first wife, Carlene, who was killed in a highway crash.

He is survived by brother Steve (Sally); sons, Scott (Tammy) and John (Heidi); daughter, Lori (Derek) Fredrickson; and grandchildren, Jeremy, Joey, Danny, Shon, Lauren, Elise and Sophia; and Audie, the mother of their children.

His family has asked that in lieu of flowers, memorials be directed to the UMD Mike Sertich Men’s Hockey Scholarship at the University of Minnesota Foundation ( https://z.umn.edu/SertichFund ), or mailed to the UMD Advancement office.

The family would also like to thank Mike’s special friend, Helen, as well as Dr. Friday, Dr. Bakken, and Dr. Peterson of Essentia; the East Range Essentia Hospice team, and Solvay Hospice House of Duluth.

Funeral arrangements are being handled by Downs Life Celebration, of Superior, Wis. Time and date for his celebration of life will be forthcoming.