Greg Brown has sturdy connections to the previous however brings a recent perspective for the way forward for the Boston College males’s hockey program.
Brown was formally launched as the varsity’s new coach at a gathering on Monday morning within the Barber Room on the Yawkey Athletic Center.
Brown inherits a nationally acknowledged program from his former coach and mentor Jerry York, the winningest bench supervisor in NCAA hockey historical past, who retired after 50 years, the final 28 at BC.
York and his spouse Bobbie attended the ceremony, but it surely was Brown who commanded the highlight in a chamber crowded with athletic division directors, a number of returning gamers and former BC teammates.
“So many of my beliefs align with coach York’s, which is why it was so easy to work here for 14 years,” mentioned Brown. “I feel we like the identical sort of participant, somebody who performs the pace sport and the puck possession sport.
“With all that it should be an easy adjustment to get right into it. The formula we had when we were winning a lot of championships is something that can be very successful in college hockey but you have to get the players who can do it.”
York recruited Brown out of St. Mark’s and he loved a Hall of Fame profession as a defenseman. Brown was a two-time Hockey East Player of the Year and first workforce All-American on the Heights earlier than embarking on an NHL profession.
Brown served as York’s assistant on a 14-year run (2004-2018) that included six Hockey East titles, 11 NCAA appearances and three nationwide championships.
Brown joined David Quinn’s employees with the New York Rangers from 2018-2021 earlier than taking his first head teaching task with the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the USHL. While head teaching expertise is the one skinny element on his resume, Brown feels he discovered sufficient in a single USHL season to handle the nook workplace.
“Anytime you get a crack at being a head coach you certainly talk a lot more,” mentioned Brown. “That was the one factor I needed to get used to and simply the truth that you might be operating the ship is totally different.
“As an assistant you are doing more individual work helping guys in smaller areas where as the head coach you are using broader strokes. I definitely got experience doing that.”
College sports activities has undergone systemic adjustments since Brown left BC to attempt his hand within the NHL. The Hockey East event has switched to a one-and-done format, whereas the switch portal could be a useful gizmo for a fast repair when gamers go away early.
Brown has elected to maintain York’s two assistants, Mike Ayer and Brandan Buckley, and might stay up for working with returning workforce captain Marshall Warren, a senior defenseman from Laurel Hallow, N.Y.
“I am very happy that I was able to play for him (York), he’s a legendary coach and an awesome person and I wish him the best in retirement,” mentioned Warren. “I ready for Coach Brown and I’m very excited about what he’s going to bring to the team.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com