Brian Durocher ’78 announces his retirement from coaching

Boston– Head coach of women’s ice hockey Brian Durocher ’78, who has been a member of the Boston University athletics department for 36 years, will retire from coaching at the end of the 2022-23 season.

A 45-year coaching veteran, Durocher has served as BU’s head women’s coach since the program was elevated to varsity status beginning in the 2005-06 season. No coach has won more Hockey East women’s tournament titles than Durocher, leading BU to five, including four straight from 2012-15. The first two Hockey East teams to reach the NCAA Women’s Championship game were Durocher’s 2010-11 and 2012-13 squads.

Durocher has 336 wins over 18 seasons, tied for 10th all-time among Division I women’s coaches. He guided BU to six consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 2010-2015.

– College hockey has been a big part of my life for the past 45 years and I consider myself very lucky to have walked that path, Durocher said. “As I announce my retirement from coaching, I must thank Boston University, President Robert Brown, Drew Marrochello and Jack Parker for putting me on the BU stage on four separate occasions. I also want to acknowledge Colgate, Brown and American International for the opportunity to work at these elite institutions .

“As a head coach, you are only as good as your players and your assistants. They define your success, and I am thankful for the great athletes that have been successful in all four programs. Every year they push themselves to be successful in the league. on the ice, in the classroom and in all of their communities. I hope they all know, how much respect and appreciation I have for their efforts and achievements.”

In building BU into one of the top programs in the country, Durocher developed five Terriers into All-Americans and six have competed in the Olympics. Triple gold medalist Marie-Philip Poulin emphasized. BU players have collected 40 Hockey East All-Star honors under Durocher, including 19 first-team honors. His players have also combined for 20 Hockey East All-Rookie Team nods.

42 of his former players have gone on to play professionally, and four times an assistant on his staff has been hired as a head coach, three currently in Division I (Katie Lachapelle Holy Cross, Liz Keady Norton Dartmouth, Tara Watchorn Stonehill).

As well-liked and admired as anyone in sports, Durocher received the Ace Bailey Foundation Good Guy Award in 2020. Over the decades, he has also built fantastic relationships with people throughout the BU community. He received the Honorary Scarlet Key Award from the University in 2018 and received the Bruce Lehane Coaching Award in 2019.

Durocher will remain in the athletic department as special assistant to the director of athletics.

“It’s safe to say that no one will ever have a greater dual impact on our hockey programs than Brian,” said BU Director of Athletics Drew Marrochello. “His dedication to this university and all that our Department stands for is incredibly admirable, and there is an extensive list of people who are grateful to have been coached by him or fortunate to have worked with him.

“Brian was obviously the perfect person to be the first leader of this program and exceeded expectations in how quickly he positioned us among the best in the nation. Whether it was the first Hockey East school to play in the NCAA women’s championship game or the magical run in Hyannis or four Terriers on an Olympic gold-winning team before our program was a decade old, the accomplishments under Brian’s watch are truly remarkable.”

Named the program’s first head coach on June 3, 2004, Durocher wasted little time guiding the Terriers to success. After an inaugural 2005-06 campaign that laid the groundwork, year two produced an appearance in the Beanpot final, setting the high watermark of 19 wins. In 2007–08, BU returned to the Beanpot championship game and made its postseason debut in the Hockey East semifinals en route to Durocher, who was named the league’s Coach of the Year.

In just the program’s fifth season (2009-10), the Terriers hoisted their first Hockey East trophy, defeating UConn in overtime to become the first Massachusetts school to win the league crown. The following year, BU won its first Hockey East regular season title and added two more a season later. BU has finished in the top 10 in the USCHO.com national rankings nine times, including seven consecutive years from 2009-2015.

While at BU, Durocher was a four-year letterman as the goalkeeper and captain of the Terriers’ 1978 NCAA Division I national team. Durocher first served as a full-time assistant on Jack Parker’s staff from 1980-85. He began his coaching career immediately after graduation when he was named an assistant at AIC and returned to BU two years later.

In 1985 he left the Terriers to join the late Terry Slater’s staff at Colgate. He was responsible for attracting the players who contributed to the 1990 team that won the Eastern College Athletic Conference title and advanced to the NCAA championship game.

In December 1991, following Slater’s untimely death, Durocher was named Colgate’s interim head coach, a position he held until the end of the 1992 season. Later that fall, he was named an assistant coach at Brown University, a position he held until returning to BU in 1996.

“Jack Parker, Terry Slater, Bob Gaudet, Wayne Lachance and Gary Dineen allowed me to learn and grow under their guidance,” added Durocher. “Also, let me tip my hat to my peers who believed in me as a college coach and leader. These included the many assistant coaches on the men’s side and the great staffs I’ve had in women’s hockey at BU. I also owe a debt of gratitude to the numerous support staff.

“This run would not have been possible without the love and support of daughters Kirsten, Kara, Kelsey and their families. Last, and certainly not least, is Laura Durocher, who has been the rock of our family and the supporter of my most enjoyable hockey career.”

A native of Longmeadow, Mass., Durocher won the Eberly Trophy his freshman year at BU as the Beanpot’s most outstanding goaltender and was an All-East selection. As the Terriers finished 30-2 and won the NCAA title, he made his scoring record 14-2-0.