Pandolfo Named Finalist for Spencer Penrose Award

BOSTON – Boston University men’s ice hockey head coach Jay Pandolfo has been named a finalist for the Spencer Penrose Award, as announced by the American Hockey Coaches Association on Tuesday.

This is the second straight year that Pandolfo is a finalist for the Spencer Penrose Award, which is given annually to the Division I Men’s Hockey Coach of the Year. Pandolfo has guided BU to the Frozen Four in both seasons at the helm of the program. Including his four years as a player, Pandolfo has been to six Frozen Fours and was a part of the 1995 national championship team.

BU has been at or near the top of both national polls for a majority of the season en route to a 28-9-2 record. The 2023 Hockey East Coach of the Year helped guide BU to the Hockey East title game en route to the program’s 39th NCAA Tournament appearance. The Terriers are 9-4-1 against top-10 foes this season, including victories over teams ranked at No. 1, No. 3, No. 4 and No. 7. Pandolfo became the fastest active head coach to win 50 games at his current institution earlier this season and enters the Frozen Four with an impressive 57-20-2 record. He has guided BU to a 13-1-0 record in March over the past two years.

The Terriers continue to develop under Pandolfo’s guidance, as evidenced by the impressive sophomore class. Lane and Quinn Hutson, Jeremy Wilmer and Ryan Greene have surpassed their point total from last season, while Devin Kaplan is one point shy of last year’s total after doubling his goal total from 2022-23. In total, eight of the 14 returners from last season have improved upon their point production from 2022-23, while two freshmen – Macklin Celebrini and Tom Willander – were among the Terriers’ four Hockey East All-Star selections.

Selected by the nation’s 64 NCAA Division I head coaches, the winner will be announced on Wednesday, April 10.