15. Coaching is coaching regardless of the sport. Caring about athletes as people, embracing the process of changing lives, intentionally building relationships are just a few of the themes that have been covered on previous episodes showcasing coaches of multiple sports. Today, I’m excited to feature our first hockey coach, Paul Pearl, who in July was named head coach for boys hockey at Cushing Academy, an elite prep school in Massachusetts.

Coach Pearl has coached hockey at the D1 level for more than 30 years, most recently at Boston University & Harvard. Before his time at BU and Harvard, Pearl was head coach at Holy Cross for 19 years and remains the all-time winningest coach in their history.

Now you may be asking yourself, “Why would a coach with a D1 pedigree agree to become a head coach at a high school.” Well I posted Cushing Academy’s hockey facilities on Twitter (@LukeMertens). Check it out and LMK if that would be of interest to you? Also, if you’re unfamiliar with Cushing, the hockey program is one of the top in the country, producing 18 NHL players, 5 Olympians, & 8 players from last year’s team earned D1 scholarships.

In this episode you will learn:

• What makes a successful head coach
• The vital role lower-level coaches play in building a program
• And how to balance development within the expectations of winning

Resources:

Cushing Academy

More Info on Cushing Hockey & Coach Pearl

Review The "I" in Win on Apple Podcast or my website to let me know what you think of the show.