position Director of Hockey Operations
Alma Mater Michigan Tech 1994
Layne LeBel joined the Ohio State hockey program as the team’s volunteer coach in 2010-11 and moved into the director of operations position the next season.
LeBel first worked in collegiate hockey at Notre Dame, spending 2003-05 with the Irish. In his first season at Notre Dame, LeBel contributed to the success of a talented defensive corps that helped the Irish set school records for lowest goals-against average (2.42), save percentage (.925) and shutouts in a season (6). The same year, Notre Dame made the first NCAA tournament appearance in program history.
LeBel was with the Green Bay Gamblers for two years and led the team to the USHL Eastern Division title in 2000-01. Prior to his stint in Green Bay, he was the head coach for the Wisconsin Midget AAA hockey club.
A 1994 graduate of Michigan Tech University, LeBel, a defenseman, was a four-year regular with the Huskies and is tied for sixth all-time among Michigan Tech defensemen in scoring with 25 goals and 68 assists for 93 points in 149 career games. He also had 71 penalties for 156 minutes during his career. A two-time finalist for the WCHA Defensive Player of the Year, LeBel was an honorable mention All-WCHA selection and a WCHA All-Academic selection following the 1992-93 season. That year, he also was awarded Michigan Tech’s Harold Meese Sportsmanship Award. He was a key member of the 1994 Michigan Tech team that orchestrated one of the biggest upsets in college hockey when the 10th-place Huskies upset top-ranked Colorado College in the first round of the WCHA playoffs.
Following graduation, LeBel played one season in the Central Hockey League for the Memphis Riverkings, finishing seventh in scoring with 13 goals and 27 assists for 40 points in 45 games. He then moved on to Germany for five seasons with Duisburg EV and Regensburg EV in the German Division I and II leagues.
LeBel and his wife, Molly, reside in Lewis Center, with their children, Mason and Emme. Since retiring from hockey LeBel competed in both the 2009 Columbus and 2010 Boston Marathons.
