Wisconsin announced Friday morning it would not retain longtime men's hockey coach Mike Eaves. The program had fallen from national dominance to the bottom tier of college hockey over the past two seasons.

The Badgers finished in last place in the Big Ten for the second straight season, winning a combined five games in conference play and 12 overall. Their record during this stretch was 12-45-13.

Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez announced a national search to find a new head coach will begin immediately.

"I told Mike I appreciated the work he's done here," Alvarez said in a release. "I also told him that we have great tradition and standards here in hockey. He's the gatekeeper of hockey. I'm the gatekeeper of the department. We both have a responsibility.

"After last season, because of the success we've had in the past, we felt that Mike had earned a chance to get the ship righted. But now, after back-to-back seasons like the last two we've had, I feel we need a change. ... Our fans and everyone expect more. With our facilities and what we have to sell, we feel we should be at a championship level."

Eaves, whose contract runs through 2019, led the program for 14 years and compiled a 267-225-66 record with seven NCAA tournament appearances, two Frozen Four berths and won a national championship.

The downfall happened quickly. Wisconsin finished second in the first year of Big Ten hockey behind the Gophers and won the conference tournament for an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament. The Badgers, however, failed to advance past the first round of the NCAA tournament and haven't been back since.

Eaves continued to attract top talent to the program despite the recent struggles, but a young roster was unable to dig the program and Eaves out of a deep hole. The group won just eight games this season and three in Big Ten play. Penn State ousted the Badgers in the first round of the Big Ten tournament on Thursday, 5-2.