Boston University brings Jay Pandolfo home

Boston University made the return of one of its favorite sons official on Friday.

Terrier head coach Albie O’Connell announced that former captain Jay Pandolfo, who spent the last five season as an assistant with the Bruins, is returning to Commonwealth Avenue as associate head coach.

Pandolfo said it was a difficult decision to leave the club, about whom he said, “I have so much respect for that organization.” But he said the opportunity to return to his alma mater —the only college program for which he would have considered leaving the B’s — as well as a change in lifestyle was too good to pass up.

Pandolfo said that he began talking to O’Connell, his former BU teammate, about a month ago about the Terriers’ season and it blossomed from there.

“The past year was tough with COVID and they still ended up doing a pretty job in making it to the national tournament. He felt really good about their team . And we just got talking and he said there might be a change with the associate head coach (former associate head coach Paul Pearl recently left and is now the head coach at Cuhsing Academy) and he was gauging my interest,” said Pandolfo. “Once he asked me about it, it got the wheels turning. Obviously I told him, ‘We’re starting the playoffs here. I need to get through this before I can think about it.’ Once the playoffs ended, we started talking again. For me, timing-wise, just family and life balance was a big part of it. In the NHL, there’s 82 games. College, I think there’s a little better balance. I have younger kids (son Sam and daughter Liv). They can really be a little more part of the program as well. I remember thinking back to when I was in college. I just remember the families being around. It’s just a different atmosphere and for me, moving forward, I thought it would be a really good fit. I think also it will continue to help me grow as a coach. I started with the Bruins in player development and this is a similar role where you’re working with young kids on a daily basis and for me I really enjoy that, the process. You have a lot of time to work with these guys and it’s rewarding when you see these guys grow as players and as people.”

The former Burlington High star, part of the last generation of local players who could go straight from high school to the Division 1 college ranks, had not interviewed for any of the opening NHL head coaching jobs, conceding that it would have been a big leap for him to go from an assistant to a top NHL job without any head coaching experience.

He did, however, interview for the open head coaching job at BU in 2018 after David Quinn left. That process ended quickly for him because at the time he was a few credits shy of his degree, a requirement for the job.

“I learned that lesson,” said Pandolfo with a chuckle. “The last couple of years I was able to finish online, so it’s a good lesson that I can talk to these new college recruits that are coming about the importance of getting your degree. You never know when it comes around when you need it. It’s a good lesson.”

Pandolfo and O’Connell were teammates when the former was the senior and the latter was a freshman in 1995-96, the year after the Terriers won the NCAA title.

Asked if there was any kind of tension between the two, considering Pandolfo had already applied for the top job, Pandolfo said there was not.

“I’ve had some great conversations with Albie and we have the same vision of moving this program forward,” said Pandolfo. “With me coming in there, I think I can help him with some fresh ideas and our goal is to obviously win a national championship and, while doing that, it’s to help these players grow, not only as players but as people. I think that’s both our vision and that’s what we’re looking to do. I think if we come in there and have success, everyone’s going to be happy. And that’s what the program is looking for. That’s our mindset and I’m excited to get started.”

BU also announced that another one of Pandolfo’s teammates and a former Terrier captain Doug Friedman (1994) was hired as director of hockey operations and longtime goalie guru Brian Daccord has been hired as goaltending coach. Jon Sherman has been hired as video coordinator.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3qHmWGh