Wayne Wilson enters his 25th season as head coach of the RIT men’s hockey team in 2023-24. Ranked among the 50 winningest coaches in NCAA history, the Guelph, Ontario, native has led the Tigers to three NCAA Tournament appearances, including the 2010 Frozen Four, three Atlantic Hockey Championships and five regular season AHA championships (2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2023). He is also the only coach in NCAA history to win the Spencer Penrose Award (D1 National Coach of the Year) and the Sid Watson Award (D3 National Coach of the Year).
In 2014-15, RIT won the AHC Championship and knocked off the No. 1 team in the country for the first time at the Division I level, defeating Minnesota State in the NCAA Midwest Regional Semifinal. The following year, Wilson led the Tigers to their second consecutive Atlantic Hockey Conference Championship and third trip to the NCAA Division I Tournament. Erik Brown scored a Division I team record 29 goals in 2017-18 and was an All-Atlantic Hockey First Team selection as RIT won 15 contests.
Wilson enjoyed a magical year behind the bench in 2009-10. He, along with the Tigers, accrued a bevy of individual and team accomplishments, including the Spencer Penrose Award as Division I National Coach of the Year. Wilson became the first coach to win the National Coach of the Year at both the Division I and Division III levels. He led RIT to its first Atlantic Hockey Championship and a spot in the NCAA Division I Tournament. The Tigers captured the attention of the country as they made their historic run to the Frozen Four, playing in front of 34,954 fans at Ford Field in Detroit. RIT finished the season with a school record 28 wins and finished the season ranked No. 10 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine National Poll.
The Tigers set AHA records for most wins (22) and points (45) in one season, winning the regular season title by 10 points. RIT was the only Division I team to win its conference regular season and postseason championships.
On Oct. 30, 2009, Wilson became the all-time leader in coaching wins at RIT, picking up his 189th victory in a 6-2 win over Connecticut. On Jan. 15, 2010, Wilson recorded his 200th win, as RIT blanked Connecticut, 4-0. Wilson became the first RIT coach to amass 300 wins in a 2-1 victory over Canisius on March 20, 2015.
Wilson has led the Tigers to several victories over nationally ranked teams. In addition to the 2015 NCAA Tournament win over top-ranked Minnesota State, RIT recorded wins over No. 2 Denver, and No. 12 New Hampshire in the NCAA East Regional on March 26-27, 2010 and No. 3 Michigan at famed Yost Arena on Oct. 11, 2012.
In 2007-08, forward Simon Lambert became the first RIT player to be named a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, honoring the nation's top player. The season before, RIT won the Atlantic Hockey regular season title in its first year in the league. Wilson coached Matt Garbowsky, RIT’s second finalist for the Hobey Baker Award in 2014-15. He was also named a 2015 CCM Hockey Second Team All-American, USCHO.com second team pick, and Atlantic Hockey Player of the Year.
Wilson is no stranger to success at the collegiate level. He won a national title as a player at Bowling Green State University in 1984. He also led the Falcons to three NCAA Tournament appearances as an assistant coach.
At the Division III level, Wilson led RIT to four NCAA Tournament appearances and four ECAC West Tournament titles and was named the ECAC West Coach of the Year three times. He earned AHCA Coach of the Year honors in 2000-01 when he guided the Tigers to their fifth appearance in the NCAA Division III National Championship game after an unbeaten regular season (22-0-1, finished 26-1-1).
Wilson has coached 12 All-Americans (two-time selection Jerry Galway, Pat Staerker, Derek Hahn, Peter Bournazakis, Mike Bournazakis, Tyler Euverman, Mike Tarantino, Dan Ringwald, Shane Madolora, Matt Garbowsky, Will Calverley). In 2001, Jerry Galway became only the second player in RIT history to be named NCAA Division III Player of the Year by the AHCA.
In 2009-10, Jared DeMichiel and Dan Ringwald were the AHC Goaltender and Defenseman of the Year, respectively. Ringwald earned All-USCHO.com second team honors and was a three-time All-AHC first team selection. Chris Tanev was named the 2010 AHC Rookie of the Year, while Shane Madolora garnered the 2011 AHC Goaltender of the Year honor and was an All-AHC first team selection in 2012. Lambert won the Atlantic Hockey Leading scorer award in 2008, while Garbowsky swept all major Atlantic Hockey honors in 2015. In 2017, Adam Brubacher was named the Atlantic Hockey Rookie of the Year. Overall, 28 different Tigers have earned 53 All-AHC honors since 2006-07.
While at Bowling Green, Wilson played with current National Hockey League General Managers Brian MacLellan (Washington Capitals) and George McPhee (Las Vegas Golden Knights). In addition, Wilson coached current Pittsburgh Penguins Associate Head Coach Todd Reirden and former Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma, who won a Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2009.
In 2007, Steve Pinizzotto became the first Tiger to sign an NHL contract at the Division I level. Pinizzotto was a key component of the two-time Calder Cup Champion Hershey Bears of the AHL and made his NHL debut with Vancouver in 2012-13. Since the end of the 2006-07 season, 48 players have gone on to sign pro contracts, including Tanev, who signed with the Vancouver Canucks in June 2010. Tyler Brenner signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs in March 2011.Tanev became RIT’s first player to suit up in an NHL contest, making his debut with the Canucks on Jan. 18, 2011 and appearing in over 400 career games for the Canucks Tanev also helped Team Canada to a gold medal at the 2016 World Championships.
Wilson earned a degree in health, physical education, and recreation from Bowling Green in 1984, and added his master’s degree in education at BGSU in 1987. He lives in Rochester with his wife, Lynn, who is a pediatric registered nurse. Their daughter, Stephanie, graduated from Bowling Green in 2011, resides in Cleveland, Ohio and is presently working for the Cleveland Clinic. She is married to Kyle Konczos and together, they have two sons, Carter (6) and Calvin (2). Stu, a 2016 graduate of Yale University, played a vital role in helping lead the Bulldogs to the 2013 NCAA Division I Ice Hockey Championship and earned First Team All-Ivy League honors in 2016. He is currently teaching and coaching at Tabor Academy in Massachusetts and is married to Molly Lyons. They welcomed their first child, Teddy, in November of 2023.
