After 17 Seasons, Tomassoni Resigns

After 17 seasons, 312 victories, eight NCAA berths and one glorious national championship, with just a discreet fax to local media, the Ronn Tomassoni era in Harvard men's hockey is over.

Tomassoni, who joined the program's staff as an assistant to Harvard legend and current athletic director William J. Cleary, Jr. '56 in 1982, resigned as coach on Friday.

In his nine years at the post, Tomassoni amassed a 140-115-26 record (106-70-22 ECAC, 51-27-12 Ivy) and earned a pair of NCAA berths, in 1993 and 1994. Under his tutelage, Harvard was a national powerhouse in the early 1990s. The romp included three ECAC regular season titles (1992, 1993, 1994), one playoff crown (1994) and the 1993 Beanpot championship.

"My time at Harvard has been more rewarding than anything I could have imagined when I first arrived back in 1982," Tomassoni said.

His best season came in 1993-94 when the Crimson posted a 24-5-4 record, fourth-best in school history, and marched all the way to the NCAA semifinals losing a 3-2 heartbreaker to Lake Superior State in overtime.

"We are incredibly grateful for all Ronn has done with the Harvard hockey program," Cleary said. "As an assistant, he was a big reason we recruited so many skilled players and won the NCAA tournament in 1989. And as head coach, Ronn brought us many more great moments, and his squads always represented Harvard in a positive manner on and off the ice."

Tomassoni earned a reputation as a master recruiter. He brought seven First Team All-Americans--including two Hobey Baker award winners, Scott Fusco '86 and Lane MacDonald '88-89. Fusco and MacDonald are the top two scorers all time for the Crimson at 240 and 225 points, respectively.

His knack for bringing in talent continued to the present, with six players on last year's roster drafted into the NHL, including two second-round picks, sophomore forwards Steve Moore and Chris Bala. One of next year's expected recruits, Brett Nowak, was rated by Central Scouting Bureau as the top player in the New England Prep Schools.

"I've had the wonderful fortune to work at a world-class institution and to coach many gifted young men," Tomassoni said. "The memories and friendships that have grown during this time will always be cherished."

Though his first four seasons were dominant, the final five had to motivate his resignation somewhat. The program hit hard times, beginning with a slip to .500 in 1994-95 at 14-14-2. It has never eclipsed the .500 mark since. The five straight non-winning seasons are a first in school history.

The program hit a nadir in December, starting the season 0-8-1 in the ECAC with the team looking a little rudderless. It took a remarkable second half just to squeak into the postseason--for which 10 of 12 teams qualify.

Still, according to Cleary, Harvard athletics represents more than winning.

"Ronn possesses the qualities we value most in our coaches," he said. "Aside from being a great competitor and having outstanding knowledge of the game, he is respected by those who know him for his integrity, honesty, and a commitment to sportsmanship."

Tomassoni was always conscious of continuing the Harvard tradition of sportsmanship and teamwork embodied by Cleary, his mentor. Never one to cast the spotlight upon himself, he adamantly refused an interview for a feature in The Crimson in March, and he spent the days preceding his resignation informing all his old players before alerting the media.

But it was not until Friday that he could gather his present squad together for a team meeting at 3 p.m. He made absolutely sure that his team heard the news from him first.

He walked into Dillon Field House, told his team that "this is going to be a short meeting and a difficult one," and choked back his emotions by complaining about his "darn allergies acting up."

At 3:22, The Crimson received a fax announcing his resignation.

"The meeting was difficult," captain-elect Trevor Allman said. "There were a lot of emotions. He wished us all the best with our futures."

The players expressed respect for Tomassoni and the effort he put into Harvard hockey.

"He's a good person," Moore said. "When any program loses a good person it's sad. His dedication to his job was very evident and very admirable."

Reports in the Boston Herald and local television have already mentioned several candidates for the job.

The two most notable on the list are current Princeton Coach Don "Toot" Cahoon and U.S. Women's National Team Head Coach Ben Smith '68. Cahoon, who transformed the Tigers into an elite ECAC team, may head to Cambridge this week for an interview.

Other intriguing projected candidates include Yale Head Coach Tim Taylor '63, Mighty Duck forward Ted Drury '93, who would retire to take over the reins, Union Head Coach Kevin Sneddon '92 and Hobey Baker winner Mark Fusco '83.

In continuing Cleary's tradition of hiring from within the organization, Harvard's current assistant coaches Jerry Pawloski '88 and Mark Bavis ma also get a long look for the position.

Any new coach would be charged with returning Harvard to the elite ranks of college hockey, but also to maintain the spirit and professionalism Tomassoni always conducted himself.

"It is always tough when change occurs," Allman said. "We've built a relationship with Coach and now we're going to have to build new ones next year. It's never an easy thing to do."

Tomassoni didn't reveal any future plans other than returning to his native Minnesota to let the emotion of his decision settle down.

"I wouldn't trade these past 17 years for anything," Tomassoni said. "But there are many challenges and opportunities still out there and I believe the time is right in my life to pursue them."

His tenure as head coach began quietly with an announcement on Red Sox Opening Day. With those simple words, it ended.