One of the all-time greats in the storied history of Boston University men’s hockey will lead the Terriers into season No. 101 and beyond as Jay Pandolfo has been named the program’s 13th head coach.
Pandolfo takes over from Albie O’Connell, who was not retained after the 2021-22 season.
After reaching the pinnacle as a player with titles in both the college and NHL ranks, Pandolfo went on to become an assistant coach with the Boston Bruins before returning to BU a year ago as the associate head coach. He will be officially introduced at a press conference on Monday, May 9, at 11 a.m. Agganis Arena.
The captain of the 1995-96 Terriers, Pandolfo helped guide BU this past season to the program’s 31st Beanpot, a trophy he won twice as a player. Pandolfo becomes the first Division I men’s hockey coach to have won an NCAA championship and two Stanley Cups as a player.
“This is truly a great day for the Boston University men’s hockey program,” said BU director of athletics Drew Marrochello in a statement. “Jay was an elite player during his four years at BU and then proved to be a consummate professional during a decorated NHL career. He understands the tradition of BU Hockey and how important it is to our university, our alumni and our fans. Our student-athletes learned a lot from Jay during his first season here and we look forward to having him prepare them for future success while guiding us to championships. He certainly knows what it takes to win, and we’re excited to keep him home at BU, leading our program for years to come.”
Pandolfo spent five years as an assistant coach with the Boston Bruins and helped them reach the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs in four straight seasons. The Burlington, Mass., native joined the Bruins’ management team following a 15-year playing career, first as a player development coach in the 2014-15 season and in 2015-16 as the team’s director of player development, during which time he worked with the team’s drafted prospects throughout their system.
“In the hockey world, few are as well-liked and respected as Jay,” said Marrochello. “Simply put, we hope Jay and his staff find more young men just like him to proudly wear the arched Boston. We were thrilled to have him return to the program a year ago, and he made such an impression that this promotion clearly became the right move for our department.”
“I want to thank Drew Marrochello and President Robert A. Brown for this incredible opportunity,” Pandolfo added. “It was a thrill to return here last year, and to now lead a program that holds such a special place in my heart is a dream come true. Choosing to play at BU was one of the best decisions I ever made, and I hope that the players I coach feel the same way when they complete their careers here. I’m excited to get to work and keep BU among the elite college hockey programs in the country.”
Drafted by the New Jersey Devils as the 32nd overall pick in the 1993 NHL Draft, Pandolfo played 899 NHL games with New Jersey, the New York Islanders and Boston and had career NHL totals of 100 goals, 126 assists and 226 points. He won two Stanley Cup championships with the Devils in 2000 and 2003 and formally retired as a player in January 2014 after playing his last season with Boston in 2012-13.
Pandolfo was a standout for the Terriers during his four-year collegiate career, totaling 169 points (79 goals, 90 assists). He was runner-up for the 1996 Hobey Baker Award after recording 67 points (38 goals, 29 assists) and was an instrumental part of the Terriers’ 1995 national championship while helping lead the Terriers to four straight Frozen Fours, two Beanpot titles and two Hockey East championships.
A 1996 AHCA First-Team All-American, Pandolfo was a first-ballot inductee into the BU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001.
Pandolfo, who earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the College of Arts & Sciences, resides in Winchester, Mass., with his wife, Juliane, and their three children, Sam (12), Liv (9) and Rowan (7).
