Zack Cisek
Zack Cisek
Title: Associate Head Coach
Phone: (906) 635-2835
Email: zcisek@lssu.edu
Previous College: B.S. MSU '15, M.S. Miami (OH) '17

Zack Cisek enters his fifth season with the Lake Superior State hockey program in 2022-23. In July, Cisek was selected as an assistant coach behind the bench for the 2022 U.S. Under-17 Men's Select Team. In July 2021, Cisek was promoted to Associate Head Coach and agreed to terms on a multiyear contract extension. Previously, Cisek served as an assistant coach since joining the Lakers in August 2018.

In his most recent season behind the bench, the Lakers earned a statement victory when they defeated then No. 1 ranked and eventual national runners-up, Minnesota State on Nov. 26. He also helped coach two All-CCHA Second-Team performers as well as an All CCHA Rookie-Team honoree.

In 2020-21, the Lakers success has continued as the program made its 11th all-time appearance in the NCAA Division I Tournament after receiving an automatic bid. The Lakers secured a place in the tournament after winning the 2021 WCHA Championship on Saturday, March 20 in a 6-3 victory over Northern Michigan. The year's accomplishments included a second place regular season finish in the WCHA standings, winning the program's first WCHA Championship, qualifying to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 25 years, posting the program's 1000th all-time win, and ending the season with the program's highest win percentage in 25 years. Lake Superior State finished the 2020-21 season with a 19-7-3 overall record and a 13-6-0 mark in conference play. 

Among the many strong individual performances during the 2020-21 season was Cisek's starting goaltender, Mareks Mitens, who was named All-WCHA Second Team and finished as a finalist for the Mike Richter Award, which is awarded to the top goaltender in Division I hockey. 

In Cisek's second season with the Lakers, the team posted a 14-23-4 overall record and a 11-14-4 mark in conference play. The Lakers held the seventh place spot in the WCHA standings to qualify for the playoffs for consecutive seasons since Cisek joined the coaching staff. 

In his first season with the Lakers, Cisek was part of the coaching staff for the team's most successful season since 1995-96 as the team posted a 23-13-2 overall record and a 16-10-2 mark in WCHA competition. Additionally, the Lakers eclipsed 20 wins for the first time since the 2006-07 season, recorded the program’s longest winning streak since 1996-97 (seven games), won the first Great Lakes Invitational Championship in program history and captured a WCHA playoff series win for the first time after defeating the Bemidji State Beavers in the Quarterfinals. 

Cisek joined the Lake State staff in August 2018 after spending the 2017-18 season as a volunteer assistant coach with Notre Dame under the tutelage of college hockey icon and former LSSU bench boss, Jeff Jackson. 

As a member of Jackson’s Fighting Irish staff, Cisek was responsible for goaltender development, practice planning, individual film sessions, and postgame film analysis and player evaluation. During his lone season in South Bend, Cisek was a part of a UND team that won the Big Ten Regular Season and Playoff Championship, appeared in the Frozen Four and came up just short of an NCAA Championship falling to Minnesota-Duluth, 2-1, in the title game.

Individually, Cisek was instrumental in guiding Irish goaltender, Cale Morris, to one of the most successful season’s in program history. The sophomore was the 2018 recipient of the Mike Richter Award, which goes annually to the top goaltender in country. Morris was also a Hobey Baker Award Top 10 Finalist and Big Ten Player of the Year.

Prior to his stint with the Fighting Irish, Cisek spent two seasons (2015-17) as a graduate assistant with the University of Miami (Ohio) serving under Head Coach Enrico Blasi where he assisted the staff with day-to-day operations, opponent scouting and film analysis, on-ice skill sessions and player evaluation. Cisek completed his Master's Degree in Kinesiology & Health in August 2017.

A native of Canton, Mich., Cisek was a goaltender for Michigan State from 2013-15 where he was a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection with the Spartans and was also named to the Dean's List three times. He graduated from Michigan State in 2015 and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology.

Cisek lives in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. with his wife, Emily.