Re: Providence College 2010-2011 - Things are looking up.
I wouldn't classify 5 years with Paul Pooley as tutoring under a "great coach". lol.
Jeff Jackson asked that you give him a quick buzz so he can debate that with you. He gets the fact that you are a better judge of coaches than he is and since PP's contract is coming up in a year, wanted to clear any re-signings with you. The Associate Head Coach of a Frozen Four team is not a good coach. Hockeyman2000 said so, while laughing out loud to himself
Paul Pooley returns for his sixth season at Notre Dame as the team's associate head coach. He was named to the position on June 3, 2005, by head coach Jeff Jackson.
For Pooley, this is his second time serving as Jackson's associate head coach. During his first stint at Lake Superior State (1992-94), Pooley was instrumental in the Lakers' success as they advanced to the NCAA finals three times, winning in 1992 and 1994.
In just five seasons at Notre Dame, Pooley, along with Jackson and fellow assistant, Andy Slaggert, has helped change the culture of Irish hockey.
After a 13-19-4 first season, Pooley has seen the last four Notre Dame teams go a combined 103-46-18, win a pair of CCHA regular-season and tournament titles (2007, 2009) and advance to the NCAA Tournament in three consecutive seasons (2006-09), including a trip to the Frozen Four and the NCAA title game in 2008. Overseeing the Irish defense, Pooley has seen Notre Dame give up the fewest goals per game (1.67 in `06-'07), the fifth fewest in `07-'08 (2.13) and the fewest again in `08-'09, just 1.71 per game.
The veteran coach joined the Irish staff after spending 11 seasons (1994-2005) as head coach at Providence College. During those 11 seasons, Pooley's Friars were a combined 185-187-40, winning the Hockey East title in 1995-96 and appearing in two NCAA tournaments (1996 and 2001).
In making the announcement of Pooley's hiring, Jackson said, "Paul Pooley brings a certain level of integrity, work ethic and professionalism that I have great respect for. Our relationship in the past became a friendship, but our experience in the past will stay in the past. We're hoping to re-establish a new center of excellence similiar to the one that we had at Lake Superior State together."
As Jackson's associate head coach, Pooley brings over 20 years of coaching experience to Notre Dame.
The 2001 Hockey East and New England coach of the year and a two-time finalist for the Spencer Penrose Award as the national coach of the year, Pooley was instrumental in the development of four All-American players during his tenure at Providence - forwards Chad Quenneville and Devin Rask, goaltender Nolan Schaefer and defenseman Stephen Wood. Six players who played for him with the Friars - Hal Gill, Joe Hulbig, Fernando Pisani, Mike Farrell, Jon DeSalvatore and Schaefer went on to play in the National Hockey League (NHL).
At Notre Dame, he has been instrumental in five defensemen - Noah Babin (Carolina), Wes O'Neill (Colorado), Ian Cole (St. Louis), Kyle Lawson (Carolina) and Teddy Ruth (Columbus) - signing NHL contracts while 2008 grad, Brock Sheahan is currently in the ECHL with Cincinnati and 2010 grad Brett Blatchford is with Toledo.
During that time, Lawson was named a second team CCHA all-star and the league's best defensive defenseman (`08-'09) while Cole was a first team all-star in the same year while taking first team All-American honors.
A 1984 Ohio State graduate (Cum Laude in accounting and marketing), Pooley got his start in college coaching at his alma mater, serving as an assistant to Jerry Welsh with the Buckeyes for three seasons (1988-91) following the end of his professional career.
No stranger to the CCHA, Pooley was one of the conference's top players from 1980-84 and was a second-team selection to the conference's all-decade team of the 1980's. A three-time member of the CCHA's all-Academic team, he took Academic All-American honors in 1984.
A second-team all-CCHA selection in 1981, he also was selected as the CCHA's co-rookie of the year that season. Pooley capped his brilliant Ohio State career in 1984 as he was selected as the CCHA player of the year and Bauer's national player of the year, leading the nation in scoring with 32 goals and 64 assists for 96 points in 41 games. Selected first team all-CCHA and first team All-American as a senior, Pooley is Ohio State's all-time leader in goals (114), assists (156) and points (270) and joined the Ohio State Athletic Hall of Fame in 1994. He became the first Ohio State hockey player to have his number retired on Nov. 4, 2006 during a game between Notre Dame and the Buckeyes.
A native of Exeter, Ont., Pooley signed with the NHL's Winnipeg Jets following his collegiate career and played two seasons with the Jets top farm team, the Sherbrooke Canadiens of the American Hockey League, playing on a Calder Cup championship team in 1985. He moved on to play one season with the Fort Wayne Komets of the International Hockey League where he was co-captain of a Komet team that won the 1987 regular season championship. In his three seasons as a pro, Pooley played in 15 NHL games with the Jets. He retired in 1987 to go into private business with his twin brother, Perry, also an Ohio State hockey All-American.
Born August 2, 1960, Pooley and his wife, Kelly, have two children - 16-year old Scott and 13-year old Taylor.
