Confirmation that Boston University had fired Albie O’Connell came Wednesday afternoon. While the news wasn’t all that shocking, rumors of his demise had been circling throughout college hockey.
A rough start to the season exacerbated the possibility that O’Connell would not be back. The Terriers started 4-9-2, but went 14-1-1 over their next 16 games, including a thrilling 1-0 victory over Northeastern in the Beanpot final at the TD Garden.
That quelled whispers, but BU stumbled to the finish line going 1-3 over the final four games, including an inexplicable 8-1 drubbing at the hands of last-place Maine. The team bowed out of the Hockey East playoffs at UConn a week later.
Going 58-49-16 in four seasons at a storied program like BU, as O'Connell did, certainly isn’t all that appetizing. The only NCAA Tournament appearance came in the 10-win COVID-shortened season of 2020-21. This year’s team racked up 19 wins, which was the most during the O’Connell era.
His tenure at BU had issues outside of wins and losses that didn’t sit well with athletic director Drew Marrochello. Last offseason associate head coach Paul Pearl abruptly left, and there was a recent issue about a drafted player’s scholarship being cut to make room for new recruits.
“We have very high expectations for our men’s ice hockey program and we are determined to have our team compete at the highest level of college hockey. After the conclusion of our regular year-end assessment, we believe that a new direction is needed for our program to achieve our goals,” said Marrochello in a statement.
There is a high likelihood that Boston University turns to an alum to lead the Terriers into the future. The two most obvious names are current assistant coach Jay Pandolfo (Burlington, Mass.), who has NHL experience as a player and coach, and former Terriers and New York Rangers head coach David Quinn (Cranston, R.I.).
While the flashy hire would obviously be Quinn, I fully expect Pandolfo to be promoted to head coach. The Burlington, Mass., native didn’t leave his job as an assistant coach of the Bruins to come play second fiddle at his alma mater. When he was hired last season with O’Connell entering the final year of his contract, the writing should have been on the wall.
Quinn obviously would be a good hire, but there are some doubts as to whether he wants to re-enter the college hockey job market. It wouldn’t surprise me if Quinn took an assistant coaching position in the NHL after the 2022-23 season when his contract with the Rangers is up. The NHL organization is still paying him a hefty sum thanks to the five-year contract he signed when he left BU to take the reins on Broadway in 2018.
There have been a few unsubstantiated internet rumors regarding Thayer head coach Tony Amonte (Hingham, Mass.,) and former Rivers head coach Shawn McEachern (Waltham, Mass.). Both are BU alums with big-time NHL pedigrees. I don’t see either of them getting a chance to lead their alma mater, as long as Pandolfo and Quinn don’t both turn it down.
If Pandolfo is promoted, expect the Terriers to look in a new direction to form the coaching staff. Assistant coach Len Quesnelle is widely respected as a great person, but is not an alum and could be seen as part of the problem over the past four seasons.
There are plenty of Boston University alums who are assistant coaches at lesser programs in the region. UConn’s Joe Pereira (West Haven, Conn.), Bentley’s Jon Coleman (Boston) and Dartmouth’s Jason Tapp could all be possibilities when it comes to rounding out the new staff.
The cupboard at BU is not bare and the tradition and name recognition of the program, the facility, and the overall resources to develop, compete and win championships are at the top of college hockey. Whoever the new coach is should be able to turn things around quickly on Commonwealth Ave.
***
