Ted Donato has stepped down as Harvard head coach, the school announced Thursday.
“I am proud and grateful for all the incredible moments, everlasting memories, and relationships from my 27 years connected to the University as a student-athlete, coach, and parent,” Donato said in a statement. “I feel truly blessed to have had the opportunity to work with such talented and driven student-athletes and staff of the highest character. With the ever-changing landscape of college athletics, I believe it is the right time to pass the torch.”
The former Harvard captain helped lead the Crimson to the 1989 NCAA championship, scoring two goals in the title game and earning Frozen Four MVP honors. Donato is one of only three coaches in team history with more than 300 career victories.
This past season Donato became the winningest coach in program history after passing Bill Cleary with his 325th career win on Dec. 6 in a 7-3 win over Brown.
Under Donato, Harvard earned eight NCAA tournament berths, a Frozen Four appearance in 2017, 10 trips to the ECAC semifinals, seven ECAC title game appearances, and four ECAC Hockey titles. His Harvard teams have claimed four Ivy League championships and have produced six 20-win seasons.
From 2015 to 2023, the Crimson totaled 141 wins and won the Beanpot in 2017.
Under Donato, Harvard’s power-play unit topped the nation in 2019-20 and was the second-best unit in 2018-19.
A standout player, Donato earned all-ECAC and all-Ivy honors, served as team captain his senior year, and finished his career with 144 points, among the top totals in program history.
Donato was a star for Team USA at the 1992 Winter Olympics, finishing tied for the team lead in scoring with four goals and three assists in eight games. Ted and his son Ryan became one of only three father-son duos to compete for the United States in the Olympics and are the only pair to lead the United States in scoring in each of their respective Olympic appearances.
Donato enjoyed a 13-year NHL career with Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Ottawa, Anaheim, and St. Louis, finishing with 347 points in 796 regular-season games and becoming the first U.S.-born player to lead the Bruins in goals. Donato was also inducted into the Massachusetts Hockey Hall of Fame in 2010.
“Ted Donato is a local hockey legend with long family ties to the Boston sports community,” said Harvard athletic director Erin McDermott, via statement. “He has been a proud and dedicated Harvard Hockey player and coach. We thank Ted for his service and commitment to the program and his contributions to the legacy of Harvard Hockey. We know that he will remain connected and we look forward to seeing his future impact on the sport of hockey.”
A national search for the next head coach of Harvard men’s ice hockey will begin immediately.