Auburn, ME – Assistant hockey coach, Jack Rioux, is in his second year on the CM coaching staff after being a volunteer coach / goalie coach for the Mustangs for the previous three seasons under Matt Buotte. Rioux spent the prior six seasons between St.Dominic Academy and Maranacook High School serving as their varsity head coach for Maranacook and assistant coach / goalie coach for SDA. His coaching history goes all the way back to 2011 when he started coaching at the youth levels. "I am an NFHS Certified Interscholastic Coach and USAH Level 4 certified. I specialize in coaching from a defensive perspective and merging an 'old school' conservative approach to the game with new coaching methods and technique," added Rioux.
Rioux role as an assistant coach in the hockey program is to primarily support head coach, Jordy Knoren. Having the experience of being a head coach, Rioux understands the value in having a supportive coaching staff. He is also able to work with either the forwards or the defense, but on a daily basis he is tasked with working the goaltenders on the team. Developing connections with the players is crucial in creating a successful program. Rioux states, "I am the 'Old Guy' out there. My sons are older than most of the players on the team, so I have a different connection with them than Jordy does. I'm usually the one to offer advice one one-on-one about how to execute a play differently or a different technique to use."
His coaching philosophy is commendable, "As a coach, the most important thing to remember is that what we teach our athletes transcends beyond the arena, it carries through to their daily lives. I feel that coaching is about customizing your approach and technique to meet the needs of each individual athlete on the team. I continually push myself to increase my knowledge of the game and to improve my ability to teach the game. I strive to motivate players and to develop them using a combination of old school techniques and new school drills." It's hard to imagine having a better person on your coaching staff with that mindset. Rioux is a firm believer in the mental side of the game and trying to keep the players focused on their individual tasks.
With the team currently sitting on top of their conference with an overall record of 10-1, Rioux understands that although skills are key, depth and chemistry are what you need to be successful. "I am very excited about this season as this is by far the most talented and deepest CM hockey team I have seen. Beyond the skills, the chemistry is excellent and I believe they can go far this season," exclaimed Rioux. His favorite moment so far this season was the team celebration after beating Dartmouth in OT. He added, "I think Jordy was even more excited than Nate Marcotte who scored the winning goal!" If there's one thing for sure is that this team consists of a great group of student-athlete and an outstanding group of coaches who put in the work to make this program better.
Although the oldest guy in the room most days, he doesn't let it get to him. "This may be a young man's game, but I can still get up and down the ice with these kids…albeit just not as fast or for as long!" laughed Rioux. Be sure to stay up to date on the CM Hockey team as they have their eyes set on a National Tournament appearance!
