MARQUETTE, Mich. - The Northern Michigan University athletic department is excited to announce they will be inducting 6 individual athletes and the 1978-79 Wrestling team into the NMU Sports Hall of Fame. 

Jeff Pyle is a former NMU hockey player from 1978-81. Pyle also played professionally and is a longtime coach in the sport of hockey.  

Currently, he is serving in his second stint as the head coach and director of hockey operations for the Atlanta Gladiators of the ECHL, a position he has held since the 2018-19 season. The 2022-23 season will be his 23rd as a head coach at the professional level, including three in Germany. Over his 16 years as an ECHL coach, he ranks second in the league for games coached with 1,137 and second in career coaching wins with 580. Jeff played professionally for 12 years. Over six seasons, he saw action with the Binghamton Whalers of the American Hockey League; Saginaw Gears/Generals/Hawks and Flint Generals of the International Hockey League; and Mohawk Valley Stars of the Atlantic Coast Hockey League. He also played in Germany for six years. In 1986-87, he was the IHL's Most Valuable Player and leading scorer with 136 (49-87) points. 

Jeff was an NMU Wildcat for three seasons (1978-79 to 1980-81) accumulating 193 points with 76 goals and 117 assists, which is 8th among all-time career points. In 1981, he earned Central Collegiate Hockey Association Player of the Year. During that season, he had 35 goals and 53 assists for 88 points, which ranks fifth on NMU's season scoring records. His play that year helped NMU reach the NCAA Frozen Four. He was selected to the All-CCHA First Team in 1981 and All-CCHA honorable mention in 1980. He was NMU's Most Valuable Player in 1981 and NMU's Best Freshman in 1979. 

Rick Comley, his NMU coach, considers Jeff to be one the most talented players he ever recruited to play for him.