Ice Hockey

rolli
Head Coach John Rolli

During his 23 seasons as head ice hockey coach at UMass Dartmouth, John Rolli's teams have put together an unprecedented record of accomplishment in New England collegiate ice hockey. Rolli's career record at UMass Dartmouth is 466-119-20 (.786), which ranks as the highest winning percentage of any college hockey coach in the country for all NCAA divisions.

Beginning the 2007-08 season, Rolli is first among all active college hockey coaches in terms of winning percentage.  He is ranked eighth among all active coaches and third in NCAA Division III with his 466 career wins. UMass Dartmouth's post-season record of success continued with its 26th tournament invitation in the last 26 seasons, dating back to the 1980-81 season.

UMass Dartmouth has made the NCAA Division III Championships in each of the last two seasons. Last year, they were seeded second overall and earned a first round bye before falling at Middlebury, 3-2, in the quarter-finals. Two years ago, his Corsairs made history when they were the first Eastern College Athletic Conference team to win an NCAA Division III playoff game, downing Geneseo State in a first round game, 8-2, before losing to eventual champion Middlebury, 3-1, in the quarter-final round of the 2006 playoffs.

During the 2006-07 season, UMass Dartmouth went 25-3-1 and finished first overall in the ECAC Northeast with a 14-1-0 record. The Corsairs defeated Salve Regina, Fitchburg State and Wentworth to win the ECAC Northeast title and advance to the NCAA Division III Championships. Under Rolli's direction, the Corsairs have qualified for the Eastern College Athletic Conference post season tournament in each of his 21 seasons, winning ECAC Championships eight times.  UMass Dartmouth teams earned ECAC titles in 1983, 1984, 1985, 1989, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2006 and 2007.

In 2005-06,  the Corsairs were 25-5-0 and finished first in the ECAC Northeast at 14-1-0.  They defeated Curry in the ECAC Northeast  championship game to win the conference title and earn an automatic bid for the first time in school history. 

A six-time New England Hockey Writers' Coach of the Year (1989, 1993, 1996, 2005, 2006 and 2007), Rolli was also selected as ECAC Co-Coach of the Year for a third straight year. Rolli was one of 12 finalists for the 1999, 2005, 2006 and 2007  Eddie Jeremiah Award and was runner-up for the award in 2006, given annually to the College Division Coach of the Year.