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Len Ceglarski

BIRTHPLACE: East Walpole, Mass.

BORN: June 27, 1926

TEAMS/ASSOCIATIONS: Clarkson College, Boston College

 

Bio

Becoming a legend is no easy task, but Ceglarski's status was legendary long before he resigned as Boston College Coach at the end of the 1992 season.  He set the record for most coaching victories in college hockey, with 673 triumphs over his 34-year career, and he is the only coach to ever have more than 250 victories at two different colleges. 

At Clarkson, where Ceglarski began coaching in 1958, the Knights rolled up a 254-97-10 record in 14 seasons, with one ECAC championship, 11 consecutive trips to the ECAC tournament, and four to the NCAA tournament.  His Clarkson teams won over 20 games six times, and three of his teams lost in NCAA title games - the 1962 team, which was 22-3-1; the 1966 team, which was 24-3; and the 1970 team, which was 24-8.  

Then, in 1972, Ceglarski moved to Boston College, his alma mater, where he replaced his old coach, Hall of Fame resident John "Snooks" Kelley, who was the first college coach to ever win 500 games.  Ceglarski maintained that tradition and became the first college coach to win 600 games.  Ceglarski won his first of three Spencer Penrose Awards as the nation's top college coach when his first Boston college team won the ECAC tournament and went to the NCAA Final Four.  In 20 seasons, Ceglarski's Eagles posted a 419-242-27 record, first winning the ECAC title in 1978, then, when Hockey East began in the 1985 season, winning six of the first seven league championships.  His Eagles team won over 20 games 11 times, including a Boston College record 31-8 season in 1987,and made nine more trips to the CCAA tournament. 

The NCAA title Ceglarski strived for as coach, he attained as a player.  As a sophomore, Ceglarski scored the tying goal in the 4-3 NCAA Championship game won 4-3 by Boston College over Dartmouth in 1949.  Ceglarski was All-American as a junior, team captain as a senior, and ranked fourth on Boston College's all-time scoring list with 49-59-108 in only 52 games.  He also lettered three times in baseball as well.  Ceglarski later played on the silver medal 1952 US Olympic team, served in the Marine Corps, then returned to the Boston Area to begin coaching at Norwood and Walpole high schools, winning the New England Championship with Walpole in 1958.  Len and his wife, Ursula, had six sons, while Tim, the youngest, played for Dad at Boston College.