KALAMAZOO, MI -- After guiding his alma mater to an unprecedented season and a first-ever national championship, Western Michigan hockey head coach Pat Ferschweiler was invited on as a guest for one of ESPN’s biggest shows.
And, naturally, he couldn’t contain his excitement.
The Broncos’ fourth-year skipper appeared on ESPN’s Pat McAfee Show, a widely popular sports talk show, during the program’s two-plus hour airing. He received an enthusiastic welcome and high praise from McAfee.
“Guys, I’m excited to be here, I’m a huge fan of yours and I could not be more pumped to be on this show,” Ferschweiler told host McAfee, a former NFL punter, and his fellow co-hosts.
McAfee, a sports analyst who also appears on ESPN’s College GameDay, said after watching Western Michigan knock off Boston University in Saturday’s national title game and learning more about Ferschweiler’s story, he quickly became a fan.
“I was watching the moxie of your team, and how you were a former player there, and an absolute dog on the ice,” McAfee said. “I couldn’t help but fall in love with your team.”
McAfee admired the Broncos’ fanbase, too.
“We know college sports are incredibly passionate, but we very rarely get a chance to chat about it through college hockey …” McAfee said. “How many schools have a Western Michigan fanbase like yours?”
Ferschweiler noted a “good number” of schools have passionate fanbases –– but Western Michigan’s stands in a class by itself.
“When you like hockey, you love hockey and our student section is generally rated No. 1 in the country,” Ferschweiler said. “They’ve earned that right.”
The Lawson Lunatics, WMU’s rowdy and renowned student fanbase, has received national attention during the Broncos’ run to a national title, especially in the national championship game, where Bronco nation took over the Enterprise Center in St. Louis.
WMU ensured the Lunatics were well represented, purchasing 100 student tickets for the Broncos’ Frozen Four semifinal against Denver, as momentum built into the title game.
McAfee’s co-host quickly pointed out WMU’s fanbase.
“Word on the street is the fans really showed out and they bullied the BU fans,” “Boston” Connor Campbell said.
Ferschweiler raved about his fans, saying: “We have an electric atmosphere here in our home rink and they’re called the Lawson Lunatics and they’ve earned that name for sure. They have their own website, own gear and they’re ready to go.”
He added: “The support from the community, the support from the school is outstanding. I felt like half of Kalamazoo was in St. Louis, and you could feel it on the streets.”
Along with the program’s first national championship, Ferschweiler propelled Western Michigan to several other firsts this season: the program’s first No. 1 ranking in the nation, a first NCHC regular season title and NCHC tournament title, along with Ferschweiler earning the Spencer Penrose Award.
Ferschweiler has built Western Michigan into a college hockey power and landed nearly $200,000 worth of bonuses after capping the best season in program history. The Broncos’ national title is the school’s first in any NCAA sport since 1965.
WMU and its head coach stole the show –– and is being rewarded, accordingly.
“Pat, this is a special group of young men and it’s a team that, with your energy, you’d love to be a part of,” Ferschweiler told McAfee. “We came in there and bullied Boston University a little bit with our will and I’m just happy and proud for these young men.”
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