Saint Michael’s men’s hockey coach Damian DiGiulian announced his retirement from college coaching on Friday after 13 years guiding the Purple Knights.
DiGiulian departs following a 2024-25 season in which he was named Northeast-10 coach of the year after leading the Purple Knights to the league tournament title.
A national search for his successor will begin soon.
“I have always said that coaching at Saint Michael’s is the ‘sweet spot’ for any coach,” said DiGiulian in a news release. “Our players know what’s most important, they comport themselves in an amazing manner, and they truly cared about one another each year that I have been here. My decision to retire from college coaching was not an easy one, but it is the right one. Simply put, it is time to devote more of my time to watching my own children play sports and participate in their lives, rather than watch someone else’s child play on Friday and Saturday nights.”
Just the third head coach since the program was elevated to varsity status for the 1982-83 season, DiGiulian led Saint Michael’s to 130 wins since 2012-13, including a 77-47-9 NE10 mark. The Purple Knights shared NE10 regular-season titles in 2014-15 and 2016-17 while advancing to the league tournament title game on six occasions, culminating with a 5-1 victory at top-seeded Saint Anselm this past March 1.
“Not many coaches get to say they won their last game and get to leave on their own terms,” said DiGiulian. “I am doing both, and it feels like the perfect time. The team we had this past year was amazing, and the players we won with made it so much more special. They were an amazing group of young men to coach, and I had an incredible staff of women and men to work with. We have left this program in a really good place. The leadership we have, the type of people we’ve recruited, and the culture we have created is in a great position.”
“Under Damian’s leadership, the men’s ice hockey program has exemplified excellence, with student-athletes who have led with character – on the ice, in the classroom, and throughout the community,” added SMC director of athletics Matt Akins. “Reflecting on this past year, it was remarkable to see the Saint Michael’s community rally around this group, recognizing just how special they were. It has been a privilege to work alongside Damian and witness his genuine passion for developing these young men. While he will be deeply missed, his impact on the Saint Michael’s community will be lasting. I am truly happy for him as he embarks on this next chapter.”
Purple Knights who played under DiGiulian found success both on the ice and away from the rink. His student-athletes earned eight major conference athletic honors and 36 all-league accolades while landing another six dozen academic all-conference/all-academic laurels. Saint Michael’s men’s hockey players earned four NE10 scholar-athlete sport excellence awards and two NE10 Elite 24 Awards, and the squad claimed NE10 team academic excellence awards following the 2012-13, 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons.
In 2017, Danny Divis and Justin McKenzie were named the first co-winners of the prestigious Hockey Humanitarian Award. The honor, which lauds college hockey’s finest citizens, led to Divis and McKenzie being featured live on ESPN before throwing out ceremonial first pitches at Fenway Park.
DiGiulian arrived at Saint Michael’s after establishing a prep program at nearby Rice Memorial High School and coaching that team for three seasons (2009-12). He was an assistant coach at Middlebury for a pair of seasons following nine years as an assistant coach at Vermont, all told spending 24 years coaching in the college ranks at all three levels of NCAA hockey.
As he departs Saint Michael’s, DiGiulian is joining three partners to establish leadership development company The Leadership Xchange, aimed at providing leadership development, culture building, and one-on-one coaching to teams, coaches and organizations across all levels of sports and the corporate world.
