The axe finally fell on longtime Miami University (Ohio)
head coach Enrico Blasi. The Weston, Ont. native, who had coached his alma
mater for the past 20 seasons, was relieved of his duties on Tuesday after the
Red Hawks recorded their fourth consecutive campaign below the .500 mark.
Blasi, 47, finished his two decades at the helm in Miami
with an overall record of 398-311-76 (.555). He led the RedHawks to 10 NCAA
Tournament berths, including eight straight appearances from 2006 to 2013. Included
in that run was a national runner-up finish in 2009, plus another Frozen Four
berth the following season.
He also guided Miami to three Central Collegiate Hockey Association
regular-season titles and one CCHA tournament crown, plus a tournament
championship in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference in 2015. Among his other
accomplishments was a dozen seasons of 20 or more wins, including a school
record 33 victories in 2007-08. He was named as national coach of the year in 2005-06 by the American Hockey Coaches Association.
As a player, Blasi skated at center for Miami from 1990
to 1994, where he tallied double-digit goals in each season. He finished his
college career with 55 goals and 68 assists for 123 points in 151 outings. He
also helped the then-Redskins to both a CCHA regular-season title and the
program's first-ever NCAA Tournament berth in 1992-93 as a junior.
Following his graduation, Blasi entered the coaching
field as an assistant coach with the Junior “A” Wexford Raiders in 1994-95. He
then spent four seasons as an assistant with the University of Denver before
taking the top job at Miami in 1999-2000.
The RedHawks are expected to conduct a national search
for Blasi's successor.
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