Westfield State College has named Bob Miele as its new men’s varsity ice hockey head coach.
Miele, the Owls’ assistant coach for the past two years, replaces Jerry Keefe, who last month accepted a position as the top assistant hockey coach at Brown University.
“I am pleased to name Bob Miele as our men’s ice hockey coach,” said Westfield State athletics director Richard Lenfest. “Bob has an outstanding hockey pedigree and brings continuity, integrity, a strong worth ethic, and the desire to lead our program into the newly formed MASCAC (Massachusetts State College Athletics Conference).
“Bob competed at the highest level in Division III while attending Amherst College,” Lenfest added. “I look forward to him instilling the same qualities in our student-athletes that translate into success on and off the ice.”
Miele’s position is full-time at Westfield. In addition to his coaching duties, he is also the manager of athletic facilities.
The West Springfield resident was a key component of the Owls’ success during their first year of varsity hockey after a 20-year hiatus when they posted an 11-9-4 record and qualified for the ECAC Tournament during the 2008-2009 season.
“This is a great opportunity for me and I am going to make the most of it,” said Miele. “I’ve worked with these guys for nearly two years and I am honored to be their coach. My main goal is to keep the program growing.”
Miele attended high school at the perennial hockey powerhouse Belmont Hill School (‘96). As a senior he was the team leader in goals, Independent School All-League, an HNIB All-Scholastic, and was selected to the Prep/Private Senior All-Star game.
The Woburn, Mass., native took a post-graduate year at The Hill School (‘97), and also played a year for the Boston Junior Bulldogs where he was a 50-goal scorer.
Miele attended Amherst College (‘02) where he won ECAC East/NESCAC Rookie of The Year honors. As a sophomore he led the team in points and was the Codfish Bowl MVP.
In his junior year at Amherst, Miele won National Player of the Week honors and was voted All-NESCAC second team. Miele eclipsed the 100-point mark as a senior, finishing with 55 goals and 50 assists for 105 points in 95 games. He was also selected to the ECAC/NESCAC/SUNYAC Senior All-Star game.
After graduating from Amherst, Miele attended training camps and played in exhibition seasons with the Missouri River Otters (UHL), Indianapolis Ice (CHL), and Dayton Bombers (ECHL). He also played a year of Senior A for the Texarkana Bandits, where he averaged over a point a game.