After 28 years as the University of New Hampshire Wildcats head coach, Dick Umile has called it a coaching career. The Melrose, Mass., native hands the reins to Wakefield, Mass., native Mike Souza. Umile amassed 596 coaching wins, third among Division 1 coaches still active. He led the Wildcats to the Frozen Four on four occasions with 18 NCAA tournament appearances, eight Hockey East regular-season championships, 20 seasons of 20 wins or more, and six Hockey East Coach of the Year awards. Umile sat down with New England Hockey Journal recently to reflect on his legendary career.
New England Hockey Journal: When you first came up here from Melrose as a player in 1969, did you have any idea that this place would become your home for so many years?
Dick Umile: No, I don’t think I ever realized that. Obviously, I always wanted to be a coach, a teacher-coach, after going to Melrose High School and playing sports in Melrose. I was a physical education major here at UNH, so I knew I wanted to be a coach. Did I ever think I was going to come back to UNH to be the head coach? It might have been a dream at some point. After coaching in high school for several years, I was hoping to get into college. It’s very difficult to become a head coach in Division 1, let alone at your alma mater.
NEHJ: Looking back, what made this the place for you?
Umile: The first time I came up here, it was the campus. I was going to go to BU right from the start, but I came up here at the time Snively Arena had just been built. They had a great following very early because they were new in Division 1 hockey. I went to New Prep in Harvard Square for a year after high school, and we played up here. I just fell in love with the place and decided to come here.
NEHJ: Although the record isn’t what you would have liked, what made this team the right team to go out with? When did it set in that it was time?
Umile: Along with Marty Scarano, our athletic director, I had extended my previous contract, which was for five years, for two more years. This is the end of that two-year extension. We had talked about it. There was a possibility maybe last year, but I wanted to go out on my final extension, for my final year. I just felt it was the right time, with my family and my grandchildren. I’m looking forward to it, getting to follow them.
NEHJ: Was there something that stood out to you about this team and these seniors that made it the right group to go out with?
Umile: The senior class is a great class. There’s a fair number of seniors, seven seniors. They’re a really good group with Dylan Chanter and Danny Tirone (Trumbull, Conn.) as two of the captains. It’s a strong senior class, a good class. I remember sitting down with them and telling them we’ll go out together. It’s a great group to "graduate" with.
NEHJ: When you started, did you ever think you’d have players from Japan or Manhattan Beach, California, on your roster? There are quite a few of those "non-traditional" markets on here.
Umile: It’s amazing where some of the hockey beds are now. It’s the nontraditional places, whether it’s California, Arizona, Florida. If you look at our roster and college hockey rosters right now, they’re coming from all of those places. The Minnesotas, the Michigans, the areas like Boston are still strong, but wherever the NHL teams went, it didn’t take long for youth programs, junior programs to develop. We’re getting them from everywhere now.
NEHJ: That has to be pretty special, that people wanted to come all that way to be part of this program.
Umile: Yeah, the kids that ultimately end up playing in youth programs or junior programs go on to play in the USHL or one of the junior leagues out here, but they come from all over. That’s what makes it special. They’re terrific young men, and they’ve got a great passion for the sport if they can make that kind of commitment.
NEHJ: Mike Souza (Wakefield, Mass.) was obviously one of the best players you ever coached here at UNH and has coached with you for the last few. How special is it to you that he’s the one taking over?
Umile: I’m excited for him. The program is going to do extremely well under his leadership. He’s a proven recruiter already and very, very well-liked. He has great contacts, passion for the game. He’s got all the right qualities. I’ve been fortunate to coach a lot of great guys, and he’s definitely one of them. His mom and dad are local and were two people I knew in the recruiting process way back when. We were fortunate that we got him to come to UNH. It was probably similar to my decision when I came here. So, the program is in great hands and I know Marty Scarano is excited to have him take over the responsibilities.
NEHJ: What (or who) made you want to become a coach in the first place?
Umile: My high school coaches. I was fortunate. My football coach (Joe Hoague) was a legend. My hockey (Henry Hughes) and track coach (Bob McIntyre) — and I did all three sports — were teachers and legends in their sports. I had them in school and as coaches, so I just wanted to be like them. Coach, teach and be around athletes. It doesn’t get any better than that.
NEHJ: After coaching in the Massachusetts high school ranks, you spent two years as an assistant at Providence before taking the job here. What lessons did you learn most that you still see carried out today?
Umile: I went with Mike McShane (Wakefield, Mass.), who’s won so many titles up at Norwich, down to Providence. We played together here at UNH, and then he was the one who hired me at Providence. I learned so much from him in his passion for the game and teaching the game. I was fortunate having been a head coach for 13 years because you make those kinds of decisions, but they just become bigger decisions when you get into Division 1 college hockey. Mike (Souza) has been learning that along with us over the last couple years, the decisions you have to make — whether they’re discipline decisions, lineup changes, whatever it might be. He handles that very, very well.
NEHJ: How special is it to see McShane having so much success at Norwich?
Umile: He’s a personal friend. He’s always rooting for UNH and has been a real strong supporter of our program, but for me personally the job he’s done there is second-to-none — he and Bill Beaney, another guy who played here at UNH, at Middlebury. It was either Middlebury or Norwich with those two. It was great to see the two of them do so well.
NEHJ: What do you remember most about your first year coaching here?
Umile: How difficult it is coaching in this league, the parity in this league. It’s a learning experience. I think the thing I probably learned is how much the other coaches in the sport respect the game, like Jack Parker (Somerville, Mass.). Back then it was Mike Gilligan (Beverly, Mass.) at Vermont and Fernie Flaman at Northeastern, just great people in the game. I just learned from them and learned to respect the game.
NEHJ: What are the greatest changes you’ve seen in college hockey, whether it’s coaching, recruiting, et cetera?
Umile: The players are so much more — when I say committed, I don’t mean that we weren’t committed — but now you’ve got to train for 12 months. These kids are in fabulous condition; they train real hard and they’re stronger. All that, plus the skill of the game. I think the skill was there back then, but now they’re quicker, stronger and probably faster.
NEHJ: When you reflect back on being here for 28 years as head coach, what things do you think about most?
Umile: The players that I’ve been blessed to coach over the years. I had Jason Krog come in here a couple days ago. He wasn’t able to make it for our Alumni Weekend, but he was out east and we spent a couple hours together. Those kinds of relationships, right from the start, with guys that I’ve coached are special. Whether they have gone on to play in the National Hockey League or gone into business, I’ve seen their families grow. It’s the whole journey of the coaches that I’ve coached with and the players. And for that matter, the players we’ve played against, the fans. Just being involved in college hockey has been a blessing.
NEHJ: You mention Jason Krog, the Hobey Baker Award winner in 1999. What was it like to coach him?
Umile: I don’t know if I was coaching him or just watching him. He was so darn good I think he coached me. He’s the kind of guy you learn from because of what he can do. But it was who he was — a special person off the ice as well as on the ice.
NEHJ: On that note, who would you classify as the hardest opponents you’ve had to coach against?
Umile: Oh, there have been so many. You can start with our rivalries, whether it’s the Kariyas up in Maine. We were up there a few weeks ago when they had alumni back together for the 40th anniversary (of Alfond Arena) and that brought back some of the names like Jim Montgomery. When you go down to Boston, there’s the Amontes. Watching the Beanpot, I tell people I coached Tony Amonte (Hingham, Mass.) in the summertime in All-Star leagues; Jeremy Roenick (Marshfield, Mass.), who didn’t go on to play college hockey. But there were just so many great players at BC and BU. Just playing against all of them was tremendous.
NEHJ: You’ve coached 11 Hobey finalists and 29 All-Americans during your time here. A lot of people, though, think about the goalies on some of your best teams here. What has been the secret?
Umile: You know what, probably the guys that coached with me. I had David Lassonde (Rochester, N.H.) coaching a lot of the goalies back then — Michael Ayers (Hingham, Mass.), Jeff Levy, Kevin Regan (South Boston, Mass.). There were just so many. We were fortunate with the goaltenders. You’re only as good as your goaltender, and we were fortunate to have some really good ones.
NEHJ: Your teams went to two national championship games, but are there other games in particular that stand out in your career?
Umile: Those games are always there. The one big disappointment was losing to Maine in 1999 because we played so darn well and lost in overtime. We had many chances to win it, but it didn’t happen. There’s the North Dakota game in the (2009) Northeast Regional in Manchester when we scored with 0.1 seconds left to advance to play BU, who went on to win the national championship. We had to win both games in a weekend series with Maine to win our first Hockey East regular-season championship. Games like those, you never forget.
NEHJ: How much do the memories of those championship games still stick out?
Umile: I can go to my grave, but we were in it and had an opportunity to win it. It is disappointing, but it’s so hard to win it. Teams that do win it, it’s such a great accomplishment because it’s a real hard thing to do.
NEHJ: Fenway Park must have been a pretty special memory as well, right?
Umile: Who would have ever thought, right? That was awesome. We’ve been there twice with the program. Both times were special. The first time (against Maine in 2012) was an absolutely beautiful day, probably in the 60s. To look up at the Fenway facade and see so many people, it was awesome.
NEHJ: When you announced your retirement before the season, I’m sure you didn’t expect to be showered with gifts like, say, David Ortiz. Still, did you have the "wow" feeling hit you when you shook a coach’s hand or walked into a building for the last time?
Umile: There’s no doubt about it. It’s bittersweet. I’m looking toward retirement, but I’m going to miss it. I know I’ll miss it. But it’s the coaches and the fans. Having the opportunity to play college games, compete at the highest level, having all the support from fans and coaches, I can’t be more thankful for the recognition and appreciation at all the schools. It’s been pretty special.
NEHJ: Are the other coaches and the competitive nature what you’ll miss the most?
Umile: The guys are great. That’s what makes our profession so good. It’s the camaraderie, the respect for each other, because only coaches know what it’s like when you don’t win after playing in a fierce, competitive game. You know how the other feels when that happens. There are great people in this sport. Hockey is a small, close family of players and coaches that respect the sport and respect each other.
I’ll definitely miss that. The competitiveness, I won’t have that when I retire. I’m not that good a golfer that I can be that competitive, but I’ll definitely miss that. But I’m going to go watch my grandchildren who all play. One granddaughter plays soccer and all the boys play hockey, so I’ll be watching them.
NEHJ: To name one, it must have been special competing against Boston College’s Jerry York for so much of your career, right?
Umile: Jerry’s a good guy. I go way back with him. I taught in Watertown (Mass.) and he’s from Watertown. He went to BC High not Watertown High, but I’ve known Jerry for a long time. When I was starting college, he was finishing up and was a great player. He was a local kid who you rooted for from the Boston area. BC was all local guys back then. Jerry is one of a lot of guys I’m going to miss in the business.
NEHJ: After being recognized at Northeastern, you mentioned Matthews Arena being your favorite place to visit since you’d played there growing up. Why is that the standout building for you?
Umile: I love the arena. Credit to Northeastern for keeping it up so well. As kids, that was the arena to go to. I started my freshman high school games in Boston Arena on Saturday mornings. We played state tournaments. It was the place to play. Everything about it has so much tradition in hockey. I just absolutely love the building.
NEHJ: This building, the Whittemore Center, has been a pretty special place to watch a game for most of your career. How much will you miss coming here every day?
Umile: That’s the hard one — the last game in this building. It started off as Snively, but the Whittemore Center is a great building to play in. Our fans are great. They’ve been very, very loyal, so there’s no doubt I’m going to miss that.
NEHJ: We talked about Mike Souza before. What would you offer to him for advice?
Umile: He’s doing pretty well. It’s going to be recruiting. It’s a large senior class, so he’s out there working hard recruiting. It’s a real strong, competitive league as we know, but he’s a competitor.
NEHJ: What did this year’s senior class mean to you? How excited are you for the future since there are so many younger guys on the team?
Umile: They mean a lot to me. We had some strong goals at the beginning of the season. We started off very, very well, but hit a real down in the middle. The younger guys are solid and skilled. With the recruiting that’s going on with Mike and (associate head coach Glenn Stewart), they’ll fill what they need and continue to keep moving back toward the top of Hockey East. And when you’re at the top of Hockey East, you’re a real good team in the country.
NEHJ: When someone reflects on you and your career — one of your players, an opposing coach, a fan, anyone — here at UNH, what do you want them to say?
Umile: That I was fair, a good guy, and respected the sport and each other. Respect.
NEHJ: Is it hard to imagine it’s over?
Umile: I’ve heard from both sides. People say you’re going to enjoy it, some say you’re going to miss it and you have to stay busy. Right now, I’m planning on not doing anything other than spending time with my family and watching my grandchildren play.
