NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack College men's ice hockey program has announced the addition of Bob Emery, one of the most decorated coaches in the history of college men's ice hockey, to the staff for the 2019-20 season.
Emery will serve as Director of Men's Ice Hockey Operations, and in his role will oversee a number of day-to-day programmatic responsibilities to assure a smooth operation, including practice planning, film breakdown, analytics, travel logistics, recruiting and more.
"Adding a person of Bob's level of experience is a huge boost for Merrimack Hockey and the Merrimack community," added head coach
Scott Borek. "Bob's success did not begin at Plattsburgh State, as he was a member of the Massachusetts State Champion, Matignon High Warriors in 1981 and then moved onto Boston College, where he was in NCAA tournament three times. Adding a winner at this level will help our program make the next step, and I could not be more excited to work with him on Mission Merrimack,"
"I am more than excited to start working with Mission Merrimack in Hockey East," Emery stated. "I was fortunate enough to play in Hockey East in its inaugural season, and now to come back to it 35 years later is an incredible opportunity. The people that I met with during the interview process clearly have the same goals as I do. I am impressed with Merrimack's campus and the ongoing improvements that the administration continues to make. I look forward to giving Coach Borek my best and helping the program to its ultimate goals."
Emery arrives in North Andover after a storied head coaching career at Plattsburgh State, where he announced his retirement at the end of the 2018-19 campaign. His coaching tenure, which began in 1989-90, includes an incredible overall record of 624-215-65 and two NCAA Division III national championships in 1992 and 2001. Under his guidance, Plattsburgh won 16 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) titles and made 18 NCAA Division III Tournament appearances, including 10 trips to the national semifinals.
Few coaches in the history of college hockey boast Emery's credentials. He is the fifth all-time winningest coach in men's ice hockey across both divisions of the sport within the NCAA, as he wrapped up his career with a .726 winning percentage. Emery also ranks 11th in NCAA men's ice hockey history in career victories with 624. The Cardinals won at least 20 games on 18 occasions under Emery, which included a 32-2-2 mark during the 1992 national championship season. Emery led Plattsburgh State to its second NCAA Division III title in 2001, and in all 30 years of Emery's tenure as head coach, the Cardinals never had a losing season. Emery, an eight-time SUNYAC Coach of the Year, mentored 22 different student-athletes to All-America recognition, as well.
Emery was a 10th-round pick and No. 208 overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1982 National Hockey League Entry Draft. Instead of signing professionally after high school, he became a Hockey East All-Star and alternate captain by his senior year at Boston College. During his four years there, the Eagles made three NCAA Division I tournament appearances and won the prestigious Beanpot Championship in 1983.
After his college playing career, Emery was invited to the Montreal Canadiens' training camp. Then, he joined the Quebec Nordiques organization and played for its American Hockey League affiliate Fredericton Express for one season before ending his professional career with the Boston Bruins' minor league affiliate, the Maine Mariners.
Emery attended Matignon High School in Somerville, Massachusetts, leading his team to three consecutive state championships while earning Boston Globe and Boston Herald All-Scholastic honors.
A 1986 graduate of Boston College as a marketing major, Emery earned a master's degree in leadership administration from Plattsburgh State in 1990.
