COACHING PHILOSOPHY

David Cole is well respected in the hockey community for both his knowledge of the game and his passion for teaching it.

After playing goal for the Williams College Ephmen, and graduating with a B.A. in Studio Art in 1984, Coach Cole settled in New York City where he continued to develop his music and art.  Ultimately, at the urging of his wife, Janet, he began his coaching career at Joe Espinosa Sports Club in Manhattan. 

After seven years coaching baseball, basketball, soccer, tennis, swimming and hockey there, Coach Cole accepted the manager of Fan Development position with the Atlanta Thrashers Hockey Club in 1998.  Then in 2001 he became the Director of Fan Development with the Tampa Bay Lightning Hockey Club.

In those NHL roles over an eleven-year period, Cole directed those team’s hockey camps, roller and street hockey clinics, sled hockey programs and high school hockey initiatives. Perhaps most importantly, his position enabled him to learn from some of the best hockey minds in the NHL, the NCAA and USA Hockey, such as: John Tortorella, Mike Sullivan, Jeff Reese, Kush Sidhu, Curt Fraser, Bob Mason, Tim Army, Brian Durocher, Julie Chu, Katie King Crowley, Patti Crowe, Cap Raeder, Rick Tocchet, Digit Murphy, Shawn Walsh, Rob Stauber, Bob McCaig and Red Gendron.

In the fall of 2009, Cole began a three-year tenure with the Blake School in Minneapolis, MN as the Director of Summer Programs. While at Blake, he also managed Blake Ice Arena, while serving as the Varsity Assistant and Goalie Coach under the legendary Head Coach, Brano Stankovsky. Since moving to the “State of Hockey,” Coach Cole has also coached at USA Hockey’s National Development Camps, Reebok High Performance, the Academy of Holy Angels, Centennial High School, Eden Prairie High School, East Ridge High School, Minneapolis High School, the St. Paul Blades, the Community Athletic Development Program (CADP), the Ice Cougars, the Minneapolis Storm, Miracle Gold, Minnesota Frost, Minnesota Machine, National Sports Center Development Programs, Orono Youth Hockey Association, St. Paul United and Wes Walz Hockey Schools. 

On two occasions Coach Cole has had the good fortune of coaching in the Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament. First, in 2014 he, and assistant coaches John Cole and Paige Lemieux helped guide St. Paul United to their first State Tournament appearance in the program’s 20-year history, finishing fourth.  Then in 2017, Coach Cole returned to the tournament as the goalie coach with Centennial High School, where the team came in second. The following season he became Centennial’s head coach for two seasons. His combined record at both programs is 50 - 31- 5.

In addition to working with numerous teams and organizations, Celebration Hockey provides private on ice instruction for goaltenders, forwards and defensemen, many who have continued their playing careers at the NCAA Division I and III levels. Coach Cole is a Level 5 USA Hockey Coach and a Level 3 Tenured USA Hockey Official with AHA, Minnesota District 1, Minnesota, Os and WHAM. Three students have been awarded the Senior Goalie of the Year Award for the state of Minnesota, also known as the Ms. Goalie Award.

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Coach Cole pictured with his Mom, Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole