The Heights would like to congratulate Boston College men’s hockey head coach Jerry York on his 1,000th win. As college hockey’s all-time winningest coach, York has already been at the top of his sport for quite some time. To reach a height of 1,000 wins, however, truly exemplifies the dedication York has to the University, his players, and the sport of hockey. In an era when teams and programs often quickly cycle coaches out for poor performances, very few ever reach this milestone. NHL head coach Scotty Bowman, a nine-time Stanley Cup winner, is the all-time winningest coach among all ranks of hockey, with 1,244—no other coach has more than 800. Mike Krzyzewski of Duke is the only Division-I men’s basketball head coach to surpass 1,000 wins. That added perspective makes York’s achievement even more impressive.
But aside from individual accomplishments, York has also turned BC into a college hockey dynasty. Between 1917-18, the program’s first season, and 1993-94, the year prior to York’s arrival, the Eagles won only one national championship, in 1949. In his 22 years at the helm, York has led BC to 11 Frozen Fours and eight national championship games. The Eagles have won four national titles: 2001, 2008, 2010, and 2012. No other sport at BC has been as consistently successful for this length of time. Additionally, there are currently 18 players in the NHL who were coached by York at BC, and many more who were once in the NHL but are no longer active.
Most of all, York has shown an unparallelled dedication to this University. A graduate from the Class of 1967, York played four seasons in the Maroon and Gold. He was team MVP and an All-American as a senior in 1967. After that, he joined Clarkson University’s coaching staff as an assistant, becoming the head coach in 1972 when Len Ceglarski claimed the vacant head coaching position at BC. His journey through the coaching ranks took him to Bowling Green State University, where he won a national title in 1984, before returning home to BC in 1994. York has spent the past 22 years representing the best of the University both on and off the ice, ensuring excellence from both himself and his teams.
York and his wife, Bobbie, have brought nothing but positive things to BC since the time they were students in the 1960s up through 2016. We commend all that he has done for the University over the years, and all that he will continue to do for the duration of his tenure.
Featured Image by Julia Hopkins / Heights Editor
