Elmira College and Glenn Thomaris jointly announced his resignation today as head coach of the Soaring Eagles.
Thomaris, who gave no reason for his departure, leaves after 14 seasons behind the Elmira bench, where he amassed a 271-122-14 record, including five ECAC West championships and seven appearances in the NCAA tournament.
Thomaris, a recent member of the NCAA Ice Hockey Rules Committee, was named national Division III coach of the year by the American Hockey Coaches Association in 1988 and 1991.
Elmira has not yet announced plans for finding a replacement.
Thomaris began his coaching career in 1978 at SUNY Potsdam, where he served as an assistant coach through the 1981 season. He was then named head coach at his alma mater, the Northwood School, in Lake Placid, N.Y., before becoming an assistant coach at Clarkson. He succeeded Brian McCutcheon, who went on to coach at Cornell and now is an assistant with the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres.
Elmira has only had three coaches in the 26-year history of the program. In addition to McCutcheon and Thomaris, Barry Smith was the first coach. Smith is now an assistant with the Detroit Red Wings.
