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8 SUMMER 2012 | ST. LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE
Trying to define men’s head hockey
coach Joe Marsh, who announced
his retirement in March after a stel-
lar 26-year career, is like trying to read
Chaucer in original Old English. You
think you have it, but you’re not 100
percent sure.
As impressive as his coaching record
is (see sidebar), he will be remembered
for a lot more than his many wins and
awards:
■
“One of the most glib, humorous
speakers in college hockey, and
one with a rock-solid reputation,”
said
College Hockey News
columnist
Adam Wooton.
■
“The ideal example of a players’
coach,” said Don Vaughan ’84, head
men’s coach at Colgate, a former
Saints player and one-time Marsh
assistant. “He’s a legend in our coach-
ing profession, and one of the best
motivators. Guys will go through the
wall for him. But he’s always been
able to keep things in perspective: it’s
all about the welfare of the players.”
■
“Forget about coaching; he’s one of
the best people,” RPI coach Seth
Appert told Ken Schott of the
Schenectady Gazette
.
■
“When I think of my time with
Joe, I think of laughter,” said former
associate head coach Bob Prier ’99, who
played for and coached with Marsh
and is now the head men’s coach at
Princeton. “We worked well together
and we worked hard, but we had a lot
of fun too.”
A man who could quote Churchill in
one breath and mimic Daffy Duck in
the next, Marsh thoroughly enjoyed
teaching in St. Lawrence’s First-Year
Program. And he took a serious interest
in the lives of his players away from the
game. He has attended dozens of former
players’ weddings and even officiated at
one.
“I first got to know Joe when he was
my coach in youth hockey in Boston,
and then went on to play for him at
St. Lawrence,” said Greg Carvel ’93,
who was named Marsh’s successor. “I
doubt many Division I players have had
a head coach that they know so well. I
am indebted to him for the opportunity
to coach here, and for much more.”
Mike Hurlbut ’89, another former
Marsh player and an assistant coach
since 2003, said, “You want to play hard
for a coach like Joe Marsh. I have a lot
of experience with different coaches to
draw upon, and he’s a unique indi-
vidual.”
“It was always about the student-
athlete first,” said Vaughan, who has
won more than 300 games in 19 seasons
at Colgate. “Nobody wanted to win
more than Joe, but he put his players’
well-being at the forefront. He did it the
right way. That’s one thing I have tried
to emulate in my career.”
Marsh and his wife, Teddi, plan to
keep their home in Canton, and will
spend time traveling to see their daugh-
ters and grandchildren.
"Emotion is an integral part of this
game,” Marsh said, looking back on
his career. “For a guy that coached that
way, 26 years is a pretty long kick. I
hope that the players feel I cared about
them.”
‘He Did It the Right Way’
Hockey Coach Joe Mar sh Re t i res
Af t er 26 Record-Se t t ing Seasons
by Wally Johnson
JOE MARSH:
BY THE NUMBERS
1
of few ECAC coaches to occupy an
endowed chair, the Charles W. Appleton II
Hockey Coach
468-399-72 record
(most career victories among active ECAC
coaches at the time of his retirement; third
coach in NCAA Division I history to notch
more than 400 wins at one institution)
7
th
coach
since 1951 to win multiple
Spencer Penrose Awards as NCAA
Division I Coach of the Year
4
ECAC Coach of the Year awards
(a record)
5
ECAC championships
8
NCAA tournaments
2
Frozen Four appearances
1
National Championship game
18
All-Americans
7
Hobey Baker finalists
6
ECAC Players of the Year
5
ECAC Outstanding Defensive Forward
award-winners
5
ECAC Outstanding Defensive
Defenseman award-winners
4
ECAC Rookies of the Year