Photo by Christopher Huang
Don鈥檛 look for the big hockey championship trophies in Coach Jerry York鈥檚 Conte Forum office. He might be the first to tell you that the collection of gleaming hardware is not the most important part of his hockey program.
York, who announced his retirement this month after a highly successful 28-season run at Boston College鈥攁nd 50 years overall as a Division I head coach鈥攁lways zeroed in on winning his sport鈥檚 biggest prizes, but he never treated those championship trophies as the only focus of his program.
When his teams won the NCAA Championship on four different occasions, he would bring the coveted prize back to University offices for display. The trophy would be loaned to the Office of Undergraduate Admission, where prospective students could see the accomplishment, or to 集美麻豆Dining Services, the 集美麻豆Police Department, Office of Residential Life, Learning Resources for Student-Athletes (now Student-Athlete Academic Services), or other academic departments.
鈥淭o him, it wasn鈥檛 his trophy,鈥� noted John Hagerty, the hockey team鈥檚 director of operations. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 the players鈥� trophy, either. It belonged to Boston College.
鈥淭here were some years when we had to remember where we had put it,鈥� laughed Hagerty, who has served on York鈥檚 staff since the 76-year-old Watertown native returned to his alma mater in 1994 to resurrect the school鈥檚 slipping hockey program.
The Eagles鈥� four York-era NCAA Championship trophies now reside in the hallway display case outside the hockey suite, still available for all to see.
“He is sincere. He has a passion for the sport of hockey and for playing it the right way. He has a passion for Boston College...He loves his staff鈥攁ll the assistant coaches, the support people. We are all a part of his family.”
York鈥檚 success over the last 28 years has been unmatched: His teams qualified for the NCAA tournament 18 times; advanced to 12 鈥淔rozen Four鈥� championship series; and won national titles in 2001, 2008, 2010, and 2012. Along the way, he also led the ice Eagles to multiple Hockey East and Beanpot Tournament championships. York finished his sparkling career with 1,123 victories鈥攖he most of anyone who has ever coached this college game.
The keys to this success were rooted in York鈥檚 personal integrity and people skills as much as his hockey acuity. 鈥淗e is sincere. He has a passion for the sport of hockey and for playing it the right way,鈥� Hagerty said. 鈥淗e has a passion for Boston College.
鈥淐oach York鈥檚 greatest strength may have been his ability to draw people into the program,鈥� Hagerty continued. 鈥淗e loves his staff鈥攁ll the assistant coaches, the support people. We are all a part of his family.
鈥淓veryone is invested,鈥� Hagerty said. 鈥淚n my own job, I have never wanted to fail him. I would never let it get to that point.鈥�
When a player was recruited for the program, York would go to great lengths to ensure that the young man would be a good fit, as a player and as a person. 鈥淗e did his homework on every single person we recruited to play for Boston College,鈥� Hagerty said. 鈥淗e was selling something that he strongly believed in.鈥�
鈥淭he kids thought he was using life to teach them about hockey, but what he really was doing was using hockey to teach them about life.鈥�
To his players, York was constantly teaching life skills and values along with winning hockey techniques. Each season, he brought guest speakers in to address the team, among them New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, former Red Sox manager Terry Francona, and University Trustee and Apple Fellow Phil Schiller 鈥�82鈥攁ll of whom pointed out the need for leadership and teamwork to generate success.
Also, each year he would i