Merrimack has named New Hampshire assistant Chris Serino as its new men’s ice hockey head coach.
“What we want is respect and for the players to be treated like Division I players,” Serino told Foster’s Daily Democrat. “That’s my main goal right now, to go in there and help earn the respect that they deserve.”
Serino, 48, a native of Saugus, Mass., replaces Ron Anderson, who had coached the North Andover, Mass., school for the last 15 seasons.
“After a thorough search of candidates throughout the country, Chris emerged as the unanimous candidate that we felt would help expand and build the strong hockey tradition at Merrimack College,” said Merrimack athletic director Robert DeGregorio.
Serino served as an assistant coach with New Hampshire from 1991-93 and again from 1995-98. He helped the Wildcats to a 25-12-1 record in 1997-98, including their first appearance in the NCAA semifinals in 15 years.
A 1971 graduate of American International College in Springfield, Mass., Serino joined UNH in 1991 after three seasons as head coach at the Northfield Mount Hermon School in western Massachusetts, where his teams compiled a record of 47-21-3. From 1980-87, he was head coach at Saugus High School, and in 1986-87 he was named Eastern Massachusetts Coach of the Year. He posted a career record of 100-23-14 at Saugus, winning three conference titles.
Merrimack finished tied for eighth in Hockey East in 1997-98 with an overall record of 11-26-1 before upsetting regular-season champion Boston University in the playoff quarterfinals to make the Hockey East semifinals for the first time ever, falling there to eventual postseason champion Boston College.
