Lou Lamoriello - College Hockey

College Hockey

Lamoriello became head coach of the Providence College men's ice hockey team in 1968 and became athletic director in July 1982. During the 1982–83 season, the Friars were 33–10–0—the best record in the nation that year—and appeared in the Frozen Four for the first time since 1964. Lamoriello resigned as head coach in 1983. As athletic director, he hired Rick Pitino as the head coach of the men's basketball team. Pitino would go on to take Providence to the Final Four in 1987.

In July 1983, Lamoriello joined his fellow athletic directors at Boston College, Boston University, New Hampshire, and Northeastern in forming the Hockey East Association. He helped produce an interlocking schedule agreement with the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and negotiate the first television package in college hockey.

Lamoriello was the first commissioner of Hockey East. The conference's executive committee voted on March 7, 1988, to name the conference championship trophy in his honor, as the Lamoriello Trophy. A permanent trophy was commissioned and was presented at the 1999 championship.

On April 30, 1987, Lamoriello resigned as Hockey East commissioner and as athletic director at Providence to become president of the NHL's New Jersey Devils.