CHN Staff Report
RIT’s Wayne Wilson has been named College Hockey News Coach of the Year.
There is no shortage of top candidates in college hockey these days, as was addressed recently by CHN Managing Editor Adam Wodon in a column. An argument could be made, really, for any coach whose team made the NCAA Tournament.
Teams like the ones going to the Frozen Four have a lot of high-end talent. They do what they do because of that, combined with the great coaching they get. But not every team has access to those players, and the coaches of those teams still do great coaching.
RIT doesn’t have the benefit of the kind of high-end blue chippers that the blueblood programs have. Even worse, is when their good players get poached. To wit, right after RIT lost to Boston University in the Sioux Falls Regional last weekend, two of the Tigers’ top players — Carter Wilkie and goalie Tommy Scarfone, both juniors — entered the transfer portal.
RIT dominated the Atlantic Hockey regular season for a second straight year. But that is no guarantee of postseason championship, as we can be seen across the country by many dominant teams. RIT did it this year, under that pressure.
RIT also gave Boston University a tough time in the NCAAs.
Wilson, who as a player was part of the 1984 Bowling Green national championship team, has been RIT’s head coach for 25 years, taking the program through numerous transitions. It was a Division III program when he took over, and became D-I in 2005, before joining Atlantic Hockey a year later. RIT won the Atlantic regular-season championship in its first season, and three of the first four. The Tigers under Wilson have won six regular-season titles and four postseason championships. It also made the NCAA Frozen Four in 2010.
Wilson is 461-314-80 in his 25 seasons. RIT is the only head coaching job he’s had. Previously he was an assistant coach at his alma mater, Bowling Green.
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