June 15, 2009

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Former Providence College student-athlete, hockey coach and athletic director Lou Lamoriello was the recipient of the Vanguard Award (Lifetime Achievement) at the third annual Cox Rhode Island Sports Awards held on Monday, June 15 at the Providence Performing Arts Center.

As a coach, Lamoriello `63 has more wins than any other hockey coach at Providence College. He did just about everything after his arrival at PC as a student in 1959. As a player he played both hockey and baseball. He still ranks 33rd on the PC scoring list with 58 goals and 60 assists for 118 points in 64 career games. Following graduation, Lamoriello served as assistant coach to Zellio Toppazzini. In the 15 seasons as head coach, the Providence native racked up 248 wins and saw 11 of his 15 teams qualify for post-season play with teams in 1978, 1981, and 1983 advance to the NCAA Tournament. Lamoriello's final team, the 1982-83 squad, quite possibly the greatest in PC history, went 33-10-0 and finished third in the NCAA's. Following that season, the popular coach stepped down to take over as athletic director on a full-time basis after assuming that role in July, 1982. He went on to become the driving force in forming the Hockey East Association and served as the league's first director from 1984-87.

In June of 1987, Lamoriello stepped down as PC's Athletics Director and Hockey East's director to become the President and General Manager of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League, where he has led them to three Stanley Cup titles.