BOSTON – As part of a continued effort to enhance resources across the department, Suffolk University Athletics and Director of Athletics Cary McConnell unveiled that the Rams' men's hockey head coach position will be elevated to full time. 

With the promotion of the position, current head coach Chris Glionna made the difficult decision to step down as the men's hockey coach at Suffolk University after 18 seasons behind the Rams' bench. Glionna will stay with the program as a liaison.  

The double Ram, a 1995 Suffolk University graduate, who also earned his Law degree from Suffolk University Law School in 2001, Glionna told his coaches and players that this step is the right direction for the program that he has headlined as a head coach for nearly two decades.  

Glionna stated, "We've always had high expectations for our men's ice hockey program at Suffolk; since I was a student here in the mid-90s until today. This move to elevate the men's ice hockey coach to full time is a necessary step for the program to achieve its goals." 

 "It has been an honor and a privilege to be the head coach at Suffolk for the past 18 seasons," Glionna said, who will concentrate on his career as an attorney for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts full time. "It has been truly an amazing experience." 

Glionna continued, "I want to thank the dedicated staff, (assistant coaches) John Burgess and Greg Fowke, as well as past members of the coaching staff for their professionalism, commitment and loyalty to the program. I would also like to thank (Director of Athletics) Cary McConnell and all the administration and staff I have worked with throughout the years for their time, effort and expertise in caring for our players and program."

"Most importantly," Glionna said, "I want to thank our current and former players for their trust and belief in our vison, and the pride they showed in representing Suffolk. Being your coach and building relationships with you is what I will always cherish." 

"I'd like to thank Chris for his years of dedication to Suffolk," McConnell said. "Coach Glionna has been a great teammate during his time here, and most importantly, he was extremely committed to the academic, athletic and personal development of every student-athlete he recruited and coached. We're excited that Chris will continue to use his knowledge and passion for the program moving forward in a liaison role."  

Glionna is the all-time winningest hockey coach in Suffolk's history with 139 career victories across three conferences. Over his tenure, he was voted by his peers as ECAC Northeast Hockey Coach of the Year during the 2009-10 season.  

Close to 30 players have earned all-conference recognition by respective leagues under Glionna's direction, highlighted by Simon Leahy's ECAC Northeast Rookie of the Year nod in 2013-14, Jeff Rose's ECAC Northeast Goaltender of the Year honor in 2009-10 and Joe Feeney's CCC Scholar-Athlete of the Year distinction this season. 

One of Glionna's major points of emphasis throughout his time at Suffolk was the true model of University and department, student first, athlete second and it has shown. Since 2016-17, the Rams have excelled in the classroom with 40-plus All-America Scholar nods from the American Hockey Coaches Association, which awards individuals who achieve a 3.75 GPA and compete in at least 40 percent of the teams' contests. 

Glionna has emphasized service along with success on the ice. He has directed a Toys for Tots drive organized by his players. In 2010-22 the Rams donned pink sweaters to raise awareness of breast cancer and has donned fatigue-styled sweaters on multiple occasions to raise donations for local veterans.  

The shift to the full-time head coaching role is a phase in the evolution of Suffolk's Athletics that began back in 2016 when six varsity sports – women's golf, women's hockey, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track & field – were added to the Rams' line-up. Two years later, the men's and women's soccer coaching roles were promoted to full time for the first time in program history and the athletic training staff expanded from one full-time AT to three.  

A national search for the first full-time head men's ice hockey coach at Suffolk University will begin in the coming weeks.