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Chris Serino
Head Coach

Chris Serino enters his fifth season as head coach of the Merrimack College hockey program and first as Interim Athletic Director.

Serino is coming off a personal triumph that prevails over any of his many athletic-related accomplishments. Diagnosed with throat cancer before the start of the 2001-2002 school year, Serino was faced with his toughest challenge ever. Merrimack hockey still remained a huge part of his life but often had to take a back seat last season, as Serino focused his efforts on conquering his illness. He came out the winner as after the season-long bout with cancer, Serino was given a clean bill of health from his doctors.

Several of Serino's friends and family organized "An Evening with the Coach", a benefit held on May 6, 2002 in honor of Serino. Over 800 people, the majority of which included the hockey community, attended the event to show their support for the long-time coach who returns to the Warrior bench on a full-time basis this season.

Serino was tabbed head coach on April 24, 1998, becoming the sixth coach in the then 44-year history of the program. He has led the Warriors to four consecutive trips to the Hockey East playoffs. In 2001-2002, his Warriors compiled an 11-22-2 mark and notched several impressive victories along the way. They defeated defending national champion Boston College and NCAA Frozen Four finalist Maine during the regular season and gave No. 1 ranked New Hampshire a scare in the Hockey East playoffs before falling 5-4 in overtime to the Wildcats. Several players garnered individual honors during the season, including two who earned the US College Hockey National Player of the Week award on different occasions. Anthony Aquino, Serino's top recruit at Merrimack, was named a New England Hockey Writers All Star and All-Hockey East Honorable Mention.

Over the summer of 2001, two Merrimack players were selected by the Dallas Stars in the National Hockey League Entry draft. Aquino went in the third round as the 92nd overall pick while the Stars snagged Marco Rosa in the eighth round as the 255th overall pick.

In 2000-2001, he guided Merrimack to four wins and a tie against nationally ranked opponents. Playing what was recognized as one of the toughest schedules in Division I, the Warriors finished with a 14-20-4 mark, matching the team's third highest win total since Merrimack joined Hockey East 13 years ago. A pair of Warriors earned All-Hockey East post-season recognition, with a player being named to the All-League Second Team and one being named to the All-Rookie Team.

Defense has been a priority for Serino since arriving in North Andover and his focus on team defense has fostered dramatic improvements over his four seasons. In 2000-2001, the team goals against average stood at 3.15, up slightly from the 3.12 the Warriors posted in 1999-2000. In 1998-99, Merrimack had a GAA of 3.78, which was over a one-goal improvement from the 4.86 it had the year prior to Serino's arrival.

Under Serino, the Warriors have not only had success on the ice but in the classroom as well. Serino's emphasis on academics has been evidenced by the 28 Warriors named to the Hockey East Academic Honor Roll over his first four years.

Serino also plays an important role in assisting with fundraising efforts for the entire athletic program and has been instrumental in the development and progress of the S. Peter Volpe Center renovation project. Over the past three years, this project has resulted in the addition of luxury boxes in the arena, a VIP room for the Warrior Club and a spacious hockey locker suite, which includes a new locker room, team meeting room, coaches locker room, equipment room and training room.

Serino came to Merrimack after spending seven seasons as the University of New Hampshire's assistant hockey and head baseball coach. Serino was part of a UNH hockey program that was the 1996-97 Hockey East regular season co-champions, made four trips to the Hockey East Final Four and went five times to the NCAA tournament including the 1997-98 team that reached the NCAA Frozen Four. As UNH's head baseball coach, Serino led the Wildcats to its most victories (26) in a season during the spring of 1995.

Before joining the UNH coaching staff, Serino spent three seasons as the head coach of the Northfield Mount Hermon hockey program. While at Northfield, Serino compiled a 47-21-3 mark. Prior to his position at Northfield, Serino was the head coach at Saugus High School from 1980-87. In 1986-87, Serino earned the Eastern Massachusetts Coach of the Year award and Northeastern Conference Coach of the Year. During his tenure as head coach, his teams posted a 100-23-14 (.781) record and three conference championships. In 2001, Serino was inducted into the Massachusetts High School Hockey Hall of Fame.

The Saugus, MA native is a 1971 graduate of American International College in Springfield where he earned a bachelor's degree in elementary education while starring on the baseball, football and hockey teams. He was an All-America baseball player and was an All-ECAC football and hockey player in college. Serino was inducted into the Saugus High School Hall of Fame in 1987.