CHN Staff Report
Yale’s Keith Allain announced his retirement Friday, after 19 years at the helm of his alma mater.
Allain won 282 games and led Yale to its greatest heights in program history. He took over for the legendary Tim Taylor in 2006, and between 2008-16, the program made six NCAA Tournament appearances, culminating in the 2013 national championship.
Yale took a step back after that, and when was hit hard by COVID, and have struggled to recover.
Assistant Joe Howe will serve as the program’s interim head coach this season. The school plans to conduct a full search after this coming season. Howe was also a goaltender, playing for Colorado College from 2009-13. He went on to be an assistant coach at Denver and Alaska before landing at Yale in 2021.
The announcement comes late in the offseason, with the new school year about to start in a couple of weeks. No reason, specifically, was given for Allain’s decision.
“It is with profound gratitude that I announce my retirement from Yale Hockey,” said Allain in a statement. “My wife, Mi, our three children, and I have been truly blessed by our time with the Bulldogs. I want to thank each of my players, who inspired and challenged me to be at my best; the coaches and administrators who became like family as we worked toward a common goal; and our alumni and fans, whose unwavering support in both good times and bad made Ingalls Rink a true home for all of us. Serving as Yale’s head hockey coach has been one of the greatest joys of my life. Thank you.”
Allain, 66, is the 11th coaching change in college hockey this year. Numerous other coaches of his generation have retired recently. He leaves as the second-oldest head coach in college hockey, after only Air Force’s Frank Serratore.
Allain was a goaltender at Yale from 1976-80. After beginning his coaching career under Taylor, he went on to become an NHL scout and assistant coach, and coached numerous U.S. international teams. He was head coach of the U.S. World Junior team in 2011.
Other recent retirements by coach with lengthy tenures include Jeff Jackson (Notre Dame), Mike Schafer (Cornell), Bob Daniels (Ferris State)Â and Brian Riley (Army).