BU Athletics announced Wednesday that it is replacing men’s hockey coach Albie O’Connell (CAS’99), here after last month’s Beanpot final victory over Northeastern, after four seasons helming the Terriers. Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Athletics News

BU to Replace Men’s Hockey Coach Albie O’Connell

Led Terriers to 58-49-16 record in four seasons, including the 2022 Beanpot title

Albie O’Connell (CAS’99) will not return next season as Boston University men’s ice hockey coach, University Athletics Director Drew Marrochello announced Wednesday. The news came after an up-and-down season that saw BU win the fabled Beanpot tournament in dramatic fashion, but finish outside of the top-20 Division I programs, with an overall record of 19-13-3 and a Hockey East conference record of 13-8-3.

“This was obviously a difficult decision, as Albie worked hard towards putting our team in a position to contend for championships,” Marrochello said. “We recognize that he was part of several successful teams during his time as a student-athlete and coach here, and I wish him and his family nothing but the best.

“We have very high expectations for our men’s ice hockey program, and we are determined to have our team compete at the highest level of college hockey. After the conclusion of our regular year-end assessment, we believe that a new direction is needed for our program to achieve our goals.”

O’Connell assembled a 58-49-16 record in four seasons coaching the Terriers.

With a national search for a successor, Marrochello said, the University aspires to have that person in place before the April 20 start of the American Hockey Coaches Association Convention.

“I’d just like to give a shout-out to the BU Band, the fans, all of the supporters in the BU community,” O’Connell said Wednesday in a Boston Globe interview. “They were terrific towards me. They always have been, through ups and downs. I was pretty happy for them and our team to give them a [Beanpot] championship this year.” He acknowledged his disappointment at the decision, adding: “We’re in big-boy hockey and expectations are always high. So I think it’s a great game. It’s a crummy business at times, but that’s kind of how it goes.”

O’Connell took the team to one NCAA tournament appearance, last year. And in early February, he led the team to its 31st Beanpot title, the University’s first since 2015, in an exciting 1-0 overtime win against Northeastern. His final season at BU saw the team lose in the Hockey East quarterfinals.

Before being promoted to head coach, O’Connell had been the team’s associate head coach for four seasons. Previous coaching stints included time at the hockey programs at Berkshire School and a string of colleges and universities—Colby, Niagara, Holy Cross, and Merrimack, Northeastern, and Harvard.

As a player, he was a fifth-round draft pick of the New York Islanders in 1994 and played professional hockey for the Pensacola Ice Pilots (East Coast Hockey League) in 1999-2000, the Basingstoke Bison (British National League) in 2000-2001, the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies (ECHL) in 2001-2002, and the Cardiff Devils (BNL) in 2001-2002. 

The 12th head coach of BU men’s hockey, O’Connell grew up a hockey player himself in Watertown, Mass. Matriculating at BU fulfilled his dream of attending a Beanpot school. As a Terrier, he played forward in 149 games, scoring 108 points (42 goals, 66 assists) under head coach Jack Parker (Questrom’68, Hon.’97).

He was senior captain during the 1998-1999 season, when he tallied 39 points (9 goals, 30 assists). He played in two Frozen Fours and helped the Terriers win the 1997 Hockey East title.