Augsburg is renaming the main competition rink in its ice arena for the former coach who led its men’s ice hockey team to three national championships.

The school honored Ed Saugestad, a 1959 graduate of the school, during a recent celebratory event at the school, and announced it will hold a ceremony in September 2010 to make the rink’s new name official. Augsburg administrators also unveiled a plan to raise $250,000 for renovation of the Augsburg Ice Arena, a 35-year-old facility featuring two rinks.

“It is fitting that our athletic field is named after (former football and baseball coach) Edor Nelson ’38 and it’s fitting that our main court in our gymnasium is named after (former basketball coach) Ernie Anderson ’37, and it’s fitting that our competition rink will now be named after Ed Saugestad ’59,” said Jeff Swenson, Augsburg athletics director.

Saugestad became ice hockey coach during his senior year at the school and led the Auggies to a 503-354-21 record through 1996. He coached teams to National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics championships in 1978, 1981 and 1981, and the Auggies also won six straight Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles beginning in 1976.

The American Hockey Coaches Association presented its John MacInnes Award to Saugestad in 2002, to honor his contributions to the growth of amateur hockey in the United States, and he was a Hobey Baker Legend of Hockey honoree in 2007.

The MIAC’s men’s ice hockey championship trophy is named for Saugestad, who also served as Augsburg’s athletics director from 1981 to 1987 and was head football coach during the 1970 and 1971 seasons.

He is a professor emeritus of health and physical education.

Former players on Saugestad-coached teams were among alumni and friends who attended a November 21 event to honor the coach and announce the naming of the rink in his honor.