Andrew Sturtz is coming back to Happy Valley.

The former Penn State men’s hockey forward was named the team’s assistant coach Monday, the program announced via Twitter. The hiring is the result of an NCAA Division I rule change which changes the number of coaches that a team can employ.

Sturtz returns to Penn State after spending three seasons with the Nittany Lions between 2015-18. During that time, he led the program to its first Big Ten Tournament Championship appearance in 2017, as well as its first two NCAA Tournament appearances in 2017 and 2018. Sturtz finished his Penn State career with 54 goals and 50 assists, totaling the seventh-most points in Nittany Lion history.

After leaving Penn State, Sturtz signed a two-year deal with the Ottowa Senators but struggled to break through after college. He retired from professional hockey after battling injuries for five seasons. Sturtz spent time with the Belleville Senators, Rapid City Rush, the Orlando Solar Bears, and the Toledo Walleye, finishing his career with 41 goals and 39 assists across all competitions.

“We are thrilled to add Andrew Sturtz to our staff,” head coach Guy Gadowsky said in a press release. “[Sturtz’s] most important contributions by far occurred off the ice; his infectious personality made a very positive and very big impression on everyone he interacted with at Penn State. I never get tired of hearing teammates, students, professors, and fans alike tell me how much they enjoyed Andrew Sturtz and we are extremely happy to have him back.”