Taking over a college hockey program during a pandemic ... and other fun hobbies

It’s your first college head coaching job.

It’s a small school. It’s Division III men’s hockey. You aren’t the biggest program in your own state, or your own city.

The team is 14-58-6 in its first three seasons. And you’ve signed on during a pandemic.

So, you’ve been on the job two months, and you’ve gotten to know your players only over Zoom calls.

That’s Michael Gershon’s world right now at Chatham University. Welcome to it.

But in talking to the 35-year-old this week, he sounds like he’s taken over for Boston College the year after a Frozen Four berth. Nothing but optimism and hope for the future of the Cougars.

Prior to his arrival in Shadyside, Gershon had been an assistant on Derek Schooley’s staff at Robert Morris since 2016-17.

“I loved my time (at Robert Morris),” Gershon said. “Great people. Great families. It was fantastic.

“But opportunities to be a head coach at a college are few and far between.”

If Gershon has any questions about taking a fledgling program and turning it into a perennial contender, he can ask his former boss.

Back in 2003, Schooley was named the first coach in RMU’s Division I history. He’s been there ever since. And the program has ascended to the point that it made six straight trips to Atlantic Hockey’s championship weekend, prior to covid-19 shutting down the 2019-20 season. The Colonials were still alive in quarterfinal play at the time.

Gershon sounds as if he’d like to forge a similar path at Chatham.

“The opportunity to take over a young program and really put my stamp on it, create a legacy that will hopefully last longer than the current players and my time, intrigued me,” Gershon said. “My hope is we are going to make the playoffs this year, and we will be the first ones to make the playoffs and our group can be forever known as the first group to make the playoffs for Chatham men’s ice hockey. That really attracted me to the program.”

Easier said than done. The Cougars were just 3-21-1 a season ago. But with 164 games of NAHL head coaching experience under his belt, Gershon isn’t intimidated by last year’s record.

“I’ve told the guys this is not a rebuild. Just like at Robert Morris, we never rebuilt. This is a retool,” Gershon insisted. “I believe there is more talent on the roster than what their record shows.”

Gershon joined me for Wednesday’s “Breakfast With Benz” podcast to discuss his mammoth undertaking. We dive into the limited time and connection he’s had with his new roster thanks to social distancing requirements.

We also talk about the differences between D-I and D-III scheduling, recruiting and publicity.

Plus, Gershon describes the growth of college hockey in Western Pennsylvania, the talent base in the region, and how he will be tracking the Colonials from afar.

LISTEN: Tim Benz talks with Chatham University's new hockey coach Michael Gershon