"I felt so comfortable, so thankful for the chance to go to BC. The experience here formed a lot of my ambitions. Coaching here provided me with a chance to give back. I saw that I could help someone else. It's a terrific school," he said.
He has 671 wins recorded since he embarked on his head coaching vocation as a 26-year-old at Clarkson University. Since his first appearance behind the bench up through this season, only four other coaches have notched more victories than York. All these years after wanting to be a guidance counselor, York stands in a position to move within the top three lifetime winners.
Not bad for a Watertown native who wanted to go back to the high school ranks.
For such a prolific winner, one might think it is all about the checks in the win column. One may think he goes to any extent to win, but that is simply not his style.
York has never been about the sole art of winning. Over the years he has come to develop young men into star athletes, Hobey Baker Award winners, Stanley Cup holders, and academic all-stars.
"As a coach, there are two important issues. You have to win games and graduate players. The whole job performance can be judged on those two aspects. It's pretty simple and defined," he said. "Academically, we want to graduate our players in four years."
He speaks openly and thoroughly about his role in advancing players from where they are as freshmen to where they are as seniors. With the athletic facilities and academic support system, he expects his players to take advantage of the opportunities afforded them.
When recruiting, York knows that he can impress the young men with the Kelley Rink tour, pointing to the two championship banners, the two Hobey Baker Awards, and the pictures of Stanley Cup winners in the locker room, but he knows there is more.
There is the academic system that will help the freshmen develop into students of game and, even more, students of life. "There are a lot of demands on the players at BC, but we still expect them to use the help that is made available to them. We look for daily improvement on the ice, and advancement in their academics is key as well," said York.
Spring Break
delorus0
delorus0
posted 11/04/03 @ 8:35 PM EST
"UNMATCHED CLASS" does not begin to describe the person that Jerry York is! As an observer of Jerry York from his freshman season and on to his three-year varsity career, (I had the pleasure of seeing Jerry score his first varsity goal at Harvard at Watson Rink) I can attest to his hockey and leadership skills. (Continued…)