Ten head coaches have been announced as finalists for the Spencer Penrose Award, given annually by the American Hockey Coaches Association to the top Division I coach in the nation.
Heading the list are the four winners of conference Coach of the Year honors. They are John Markell (Ohio State, CCHA), Tim Taylor (Yale, ECAC), Bruce Crowder (Northeastern, Hockey East) and Craig Dahl (St. Cloud State, WCHA).
In addition to Crowder, who won the award while at UMass-Lowell in 1996, three other past winners are repeat candidates. They include Ron Mason (Michigan State), who won in 1992; Jack Parker (Boston U.), the winner in both 1975 and 1978; and Jerry York (Boston College), who won in 1977 while at Clarkson.
Joining them are Dean Talafous (Alaska-Anchorage), the recipient of the Eddie Jeremiah Award as Division II-III Coach of the Year in 1996 while at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls; first-year head coach Roger Grillo (Brown); and nonconference independent finalist Don Brose (Mankato State).
The nation’s head coaches will cast their votes following the Division I hockey championship, and the winner will be announced in mid-April. The award — named after the Colorado Springs benefactor who built the site of the first 10 NCAA championships — will be presented during the annual AHCA convention on May 3 in Naples, Fla.
