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KALAMAZOO — If Western Michigan University was looking for a big name hockey coach to fill the giant shoes left by Jeff Blashill, it's done so, hiring a coach it never could have lured a year ago.

WMU has hired longtime NHL head coach Andy Murray to lead its hockey program, according to multiple sources.

It's expected that Blashill assistants Pat Ferschweiler and Rob Facca will remain in their posts. Both are already under contract for next season.

WMU has scheduled a press conference for noon Tuesday at the Seelye Center to announce Murray's hiring as head coach.

The university has elected not to comment on the coaching situation until Tuesday.

Blashill unexpectedly

. In his only season as coach, Blashill led WMU to its first NCAA tournament in 15 years and the CCHA championship game for the first time in a quarter-century.

Murray, 60, has 10 seasons of head coaching experience in the National Hockey League, with the Los Angeles Kings (1999-2006) and, most recently, the St. Louis Blues (2006-10). He compiled a career record of 333-278-58-71.

Murray, whose only collegiate coaching experience came in Canada at Brandon University in Manitoba (1979), has also served as an NHL assistant in Philadelphia, Minnesota and Winnipeg.

In 2006, Murray reportedly turned down the head coaching job at RPI.

At WMU, he's expected to receive a similar contract to the

.

As to what this hire means to players in the program and incoming recruits, one signee said he likes that Murray had an NHL background.

"I think that helps with recruiting," said Chris Dienes, who

but won't join the program until 2012-13. "He's coached in the NHL. He has a good eye for how people are going to develop. I think that's key for recruiting. You need to know how kids are going to develop and if they're going to develop.

Dienes said he was also happy to hear that Ferschweiler and Facca were remaining on staff.

"Being a recruit, those are the two guys that recruited me," Dienes said. "If they weren't there, I'd have three brand-new coaches that didn't recruit me and didn't know me. ... They had success last year, so they kind of know what to do to have success. I think they'll really help out the new head coach."

More here later and in Tuesday's Kalamazoo Gazette.

Kalamazoo Gazette sportswriter Graham Couch contributed to this story.

