Mike Zannella has been named an assistant coach with the Union men’s hockey team.
“We are thrilled to welcome Mike Zannella and his fiancé Erin to the Union hockey family,” said Union head coach Josh Hauge in a statement. “Mike is a genuine, hardworking person who is going to be a great addition to our staff. We know he’s going to jump in and begin developing our players right away.
“I am extremely grateful to Josh Hauge, [AD] Jim McLaughlin, and [assistant coach] John Ronan for this great opportunity,” added Zannella. “I am thrilled to represent Union College and begin developing our student-athletes. It’s a very exciting time for Union College and the city of Schenectady. I cannot wait to get started.”
Zannella comes to Union from the USHL’s Lincoln Stars where he served as an assistant coach the last two seasons and helped guide the team to a 62-59-6-3 record. In the 2022-23 season, Zannella coached current sophomore DJ Hart in his final year of junior hockey.
Prior to his time with the Stars, Zannella spent five years as an assistant coach with Elmira. During his time with the Soaring Eagles, the team improved year after year, culminating with the 2021 UCHC conference title and the UCHC Pat Thompson Trophy. Zannella was also instrumental in the team qualifying for the 2021-22 NCAA tournament for the first time in a decade.
A native of Ithaca, N.Y., Zannella began his coaching career at Skidmore in the 2016-17 season after playing two years of professional hockey.
Zannella played four years for Buffalo State where he served as a three-year captain of the Bengals. As a senior, he led his team to the most wins of any class and finished his collegiate career ranked 10th all-time in points.
