
Since Ben Barr was hired as head coach at the University of Maine last month, his life has been a whirlwind of events and tasks, as he prepares to lead his team into the 2021-22 Hockey East season.
Barr, 39, talked with New England Hockey Journal about his road to Orono and the many great coaching mentors he had, starting with his playing career at Shattuck St. Mary’s in the late 1990s. As an assistant coach, he continued to learn from some of the best with his stops at RPI, Union College, Providence College, Western Michigan and UMass since 2007.
Having covered that ground in the first piece published about Barr, this quick feature focuses on his personal observations and immediate objectives in the weeks since he was named head coach. He also candidly shared some insights into what the initial approach to recruiting will look like for the Black Bears in the wake of Red Gendron's sudden passing.