“We’ll be learning the team over a period of time,” Anastos said. “I don’t know how they compete yet. I don’t know what their individual makeup is, let alone their collective makeup.

“Our team finished in tenth (last year in the CCHA,) and we don’t want to have to turn the newspaper upside down to finish in the upper division, you know? We have to make sure we find an identity that gives us a chance to have success.”

Before he came back to MSU, Anastos served as commissioner of the CCHA for 13 years, played under former MSU hockey coach and athletics director Ron Mason from 1981-85 and served as an assistant to Mason from 1990-92.

Anastos replaces former head coach Rick Comley, who announced his retirement in January after close to a decade with the program and a national championship in 2007. The Spartans finished 15-19-4 overall, 11-15-2 CCHA in 2010-11 under Comley but struggled with consistency for most of the year.

Part of Anastos and his staff’s philosophy will be to embrace the hockey tradition at MSU and welcome back former players to the program, the idea being that former players will sell recruits and fans on the program to generate interest and bring better talent to the area.

MSU already has brought in forwards Matt Berry, Brent Darnell and Tanner Sorenson for its 2011 recruiting class to join a top-heavy, experienced team that features 10 seniors and eight juniors.

“Obviously, we have a very proud tradition, and we’re going to build on that tradition,” recently hired assistant coach Kelly Miller said. “We have some tremendous former Spartans to point to in terms of their great pro careers. … We need to sell the hockey community on that we’re moving forward and have a bright future ahead of us.”

Another aspect stressed by the coaching staff was improving the conditioning of the players in the program.

Tom Newton, an assistant coach, said the program needs to re-establish the importance of hard work and team commitment to move forward in the upcoming year.

“You have to become a good practice team,” Newton said. “There’s not teams that practice awful and have no attention to detail and have poor energy. And then, by some gift on Friday and Saturday night, they start throwing the puck around like they’re the Red Wings.

“We will become a better practice team, and that will make us a better team come game day.”

For Anastos, the transition from commissioner to head coach at a major hockey program has been a smooth one because of the work of the athletics department.

Anastos said he looks forward to having the chance to meet with his team and find out what the Spartan hockey players are capable of accomplishing.

“I’ve been not surprised, but (the support has) been every bit and maybe more than I thought it was,” Anastos said. “I’ve been really impressed with, especially coming out of the business world, is the athletics department and how they’re organized to support all of the programs — it blew me away.”