Shawn Walsh

Shawn Walsh
Biographical details
Born(1955-06-21)June 21, 1955
White Plains, New York, U.S.
DiedSeptember 24, 2001(2001-09-24) (aged 46)
Bangor, Maine, U.S.
Alma materBowling Green State University
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1978–1979Bowling Green (Assistant)
1979–1984Michigan State (Assistant)
1984–1995Maine
1996–2001Maine
Head coaching record
Overall399–215–44 (.640)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
1988 Hockey East Champion
1989 Hockey East Tournament champion
1992 Hockey East Champion
1992 Hockey East tournament champion
1993 Hockey East Champion
1993 Hockey East tournament champion
1993 NCAA National Champion
1995 Hockey East Champion
1999 NCAA national champion
2000 Hockey East tournament champion
Awards
1988 Hockey East Coach of the Year Award
1990 Hockey East Coach of the Year Award
1993 Bob Kullen Coach of the Year Award
1995 Bob Kullen Coach of the Year Award
1995 Spencer Penrose Award
Records
Most wins one season (42)

William Shawn Walsh (June 21, 1955 – September 24, 2001) was the head ice hockey coach for the University of Maine Black Bears.[1]

Career

[edit]

Walsh was a third-string goalie for Bowling Green State University. As a sophomore, he decided to concentrate on coaching as a volunteer assistant for the BGSU hockey team. He was graduated from Bowling Green with a bachelor's degree in education. He later earned a master's degree in the same field of study.

After completing his undergraduate studies, Walsh was hired as a full-time assistant coach at BGSU by Ron Mason. Walsh followed Mason to Michigan State in 1979 where they inherited a program that had only won 36 games in its previous three seasons. After only five years, Mason and Walsh had guided MSU to three-straight NCAA Tournament appearances, back-to-back 30-win seasons and the 1984 Frozen Four—the school's first Frozen Four appearance in 17 years.

In 1984 Walsh took over a Maine program that had gone 27–65 in the three seasons prior. He built the program into a national power. In his third year, he led Maine to its first-ever NCAA Tournament, followed by consecutive Frozen Fours in 1988 and 1989. In 1992–93, he led Maine to an astonishing 42–1–2 record and their first NCAA title. Maine was also national finalists in 1995. He coached Hobey Baker Award winners Scott Pellerin (1992) and Paul Kariya (1993).

Walsh was suspended from coaching for one year starting mid-season in 1995–96 after a series of NCAA investigations.[2] He returned during the 1996–97 season and quickly built Maine back into a national contender, winning another national championship in 1999.

Walsh was diagnosed with a common form of kidney cancer known as renal cell carcinoma in June 2000. At the time of his death, he was only 46 years old. Walsh had a career record of 399–215–44.[3]

Head coaching record

[edit]
Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Maine Black Bears (Hockey East) (1984–1995)
1984–85 Maine 12–29–1 8–26–0 7th Hockey East Quarterfinals
1985–86 Maine 11–28–1 8–25–1 5th Hockey East Quarterfinals
1986–87 Maine 24–16–2 19–12–1 3rd NCAA Quarterfinals
1987–88 Maine 34–8–2 20–4–2 1st NCAA third-place game (win)
1988–89 Maine 31–14–0 17–9–0 2nd NCAA third-place game (loss)
1989–90 Maine 33–11–2 14–6–1 2nd NCAA Quarterfinals
1990–91 Maine 32–9–2 15–5–1 2nd NCAA Frozen Four
1991–92 Maine 18–17–2† 12–7–2† t-2nd NCAA East regional semifinals
1992–93 Maine 42–1–2 22–1–1 1st NCAA national champion
1993–94 Maine 6–29–1‡ 3–20–1‡ 8th Hockey East Quarterfinals
1994–95 Maine 32–6–6 15–3–6–1 t-1st NCAA runner-up
1995–96 Maine 14–3–3^ 8–2–3^ 13th
Maine: 289–171–24 161–120–19
Maine Black Bears (Hockey East) (1996–2001)
1996–97 Maine 15–3–0^ 14–2–0^ 3rd *
1997–98 Maine 17–15–4 10–11–3 6th Hockey East Runner-Up
1998–99 Maine 31–6–4 17–5–2 2nd NCAA national champion
1999–00 Maine 27–8–5 13–7–4 4th NCAA Frozen Four
2000–01 Maine 20–12–7 12–7–5 t-2nd NCAA East regional semifinals
Maine: 110–44–20 66–32–14
Total: 399–215–44

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

† Maine was forced to retroactively forfeit 13 games after the season for using an ineligible player
‡ Maine was forced to retroactively forfeit 14 games during the season for using an ineligible player
^ On December 22 Maine Suspended Walsh for one year for repeated NCAA rules violations
* Maine voluntarily ruled itself ineligible for any postseason play in 1997 [4]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Associated Press (27 September 2001). "Shawn Walsh, 46, College Coach". The New York Times. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  2. ^ "Maine Suspends Coach Who Won Hockey Crown". Chicago Tribune. 1995-12-22. Retrieved 2016-07-22.
  3. ^ "USATODAY.com – Maine remembers Shawn Walsh". usatoday30.usatoday.com.
  4. ^ "Maine men's ice hockey 2012–13 Media Guide". Maine Black Bears. Retrieved 2016-07-22.
[edit]
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Bob Kullen Coach of the Year Award
1987–88
1989–90
1992–93
1994–95
Succeeded by
Preceded by Spencer Penrose Award
1994–95
Succeeded by