This is the second of two parts; click here to read Part 1

There is no debating Frank Serratore’s impact on the Air Force Academy hockey program. He will wrap up his 25th regular season at the helm of the Falcons this weekend vs. RIT.

This two-part series of stories will take a look at Serratore’s career through the eyes of nearly a dozen sources who know him well and have crossed paths with him at the various junctures of his career.

The players’ perspective

There are many things you will get playing for Frank Serratore. One is honesty, sometimes brutal honesty.

“When you’re playing for him, back when I played for him, he was hard on people,” said Jacques Lamoureux, who before he was a volunteer assistant coach was a three-time all-Atlantic Hockey selection and an All-American in 2009. “I responded to that because I grew up with that. For others it was more difficult.”

Mike Corbett played for Serratore at Denver and then spent 10 years on his staff at the Academy before getting hired as Alabama Huntsville’s coach.

“As a player, you always knew where you stood. He wasn’t going to sugar coat it,” he said. “The kids respected it.”

That honesty, however, also comes packaged with intense loyalty.

“It was funny, (recently) we were in the locker room getting our skates on before practice, and he asked how my son’s team did in his games over the weekend. He said hopefully he did better than ours,” Lamoureux said. “I missed our game (vs. Holy Cross) because I was coaching my son’s team. I’m deploying this summer so when there are (schedule) conflicts I’m trying to spend that time with my family. I’ve got to prioritize that. He said, ‘Absolutely Jacques, I’m just glad that you’re back here. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate seeing you every day. You have no idea the impact you’re having on the guys. It’s like having one of my own sons back.’

“He doesn’t have to say that stuff, but he does. It just speaks to the type of person he is, how much passion he has, and how much he does care, not only just about Air Force hockey, his family, his legacy, but his players and what he thinks about them. When you’re playing for him you’re definitely not going to see that, at least what I remember. I wish all my teammates had the opportunity to interact with him in the manner that I am getting to and getting to see that. He truly does feel that way about his players. I think it’s awesome.

“The amount of time and effort and energy he’s put into me over the years I’ve known him. He treats me like I’m one of his family.”

This mentality permeates the program, and don’t think for a second that it hasn’t contributed heavily to the Falcons’ success.

“He has a phrase he likes to use: great teams with good players beat good teams with great players,” associate head coach Joe Doyle said. “That’s what he’s done over 25 years. We’ve had seven teams in the NCAAs, that’s the evidence.”

There is a variety of other ways – some obvious to outsiders, others not so much – that the program has moved up several more levels.

“What people don’t see is what he does behind the scenes,” associate head coach Andy Berg said. “He will do whatever he can to get the players what they need to be successful, whether that’s academic support, the travel. He has his hand in every area, and it makes it so our guys have the ability to just focus on Friday’s and Saturday’s.”

Not only do the Falcons sport well-designed home and road uniforms, but every season there are spectacular variations. This season’s entry, paying homage to the B-52, was another home run. During the 50^thanniversary season, a throwback to the Academy’s early days debuted and has remained in the rotation, sometimes with white gloves and pants shells from the outdoor game against Colorado College at Falcon Stadium a few years back. There is a beautiful gray variation with players name plates replaced with virtues of Character, Excellence and Integrity.

The Falcons also have every equipment advantage that any larger Division I school enjoys.

Their locker room, coaches’ offices and players’ lounge were rebuilt a few seasons ago and compare with any in the country. It’s a far cry from the days when that area was barracks.

“When I was coaching at (Division III) Wisconsin River Falls in the late 1970s, early 1980s we would play Air Force, and on my first visit there were barracks where the locker rooms are now,” former Denver coach George Gwozdecky recalled. “That’s where our team stayed. We all ate with the Cadets. It was quite an experience for all of us.”

Then there is the travel. Many players over the years have told me that is one of their favorite parts. It’s not unusual to visit Niagara Falls during a trip to play Niagara. The 9-11 Memorial was a stop on a trip to lower New York State.

“We travelled better than Denver, better than Colorado College,” Corbett recalled. “It was all because of how much Frank cared about those players. The kids might not fully understand that at the time because it became the norm.”

The highlight of those trips often is the food.

“He loves trying new places to eat,” former Falcons assistant coach Derek Schooley said. “I had lunch recently with him when he was (in Pennsylvania) recruiting and we went to Big Jim’s on the Run – I’ve only been there twice – both times with Frank. He likes to find these obscure places to eat.”

Corbett, who is now an assistant coach at Quinnipiac, added, “He’d find these places on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on the Food Network. I’d be 350 pounds if I’d stayed there on his staff. In 10 years I never had a bad meal.”

Paying tribute to the family

Walk around Cadet Arena or visit the player’s lounge and there are tributes upon tributes to players and teams of the Falcons’ history. That, too, is Serratore’s doing.

“Frank realizes it’s all about the people around you and the culture you’ve instilled,” his brother Tom said. “You stand on the shoulders of those who came before you. The bottom line is the program is built on the players.

“It’s important when players come back that they’re beaming with pride. He’s a traditionalist, and he’s always been that way. Once players see that they realize big time how much Frank cares.”

The alumni are aware of it, and proud of it, Lamoureux said.

“I think the level of appreciation and gratefulness he has for what he’s been able to accomplish in the game and what he’s done at Air Force hockey and everyone who’s been a part of it has grown,” Lamoureux said. “He wants to make sure whenever he walks away that every person who’s been a part of it knows how much they matter to the program. He wants to make sure it comes from him.”

Several other hockey alumni have returned to the Academy to teach, just as Lamoureux did. The welcome mat is always out.

“Frank welcomes them all back with open arms,” Corbett said. “They love him. They might not have loved him when we were winning championships, but they grew up and saw it from a different perspective.”

The coaching tree

Concurrent to guiding the Air Force program new heights, Serratore has been able to mentor a significant number of coaches. Schooley, Corbett, Lamoureux, and associate coaches Andy Berg and Joe Doyle (like Lamoureux former Falcons standouts) are the tip of an iceberg that includes Minnesota Mankato’s Mike Hastings, Philadelphia Flyers development coach Angelo Ricci, USA Hockey’s Ken Martel, Bemidji State assistant Mike Gibbons and Minnnesota’s Bob Motzko. Others who have played for him include Seattle Kraken coach Dave Hakstol, Wisconsin assistant Mark Osiecki, and Western Michigan coach Pat Ferschweiler.

“Look at his coaching tree,” Martel said. “There are an awful lot of his former players now coaching. As a college coach you win with people, and he actively promotes his people, moving them on. He’s obviously cultivated their passion for the sport.”

Schooley, with nearly 20 years as a Division I head coach under his belt, vividly remembers being a young assistant on Serratore’s staff and how foundational that time was for his development.

“He knows his job is to allow people to do their jobs,” Schooley said. “Frank will bring his two cents, but he doesn’t like yes men. He likes to debate. Even when I was a young assistant, he’d say, ‘I’m not telling you anything – your opinions are going to be different.’ I’ve tried to take the same approach with my coaches.”

Go to an Air Force practice now, and it’s not uncommon to see Doyle and Berg running it. Serratore will spend his time working with the goaltenders.

“The one thing we all appreciate is he lets us have our say,” Berg said. “He empowers his coaches. He’s been very patient with me as he guided and mentored me. He’s demanding, but he’s the first to support and encourage you.”

What goes on behind the scenes speaks to his attention to detail, said Corbett, an assistant for 10 years at the Academy before taking over the top job at Alabama Huntsville in 2013.

“My last 3-4 years, he saw something in me that I was ready to start making more strides to becoming a head coach, getting more responsibility,” Corbett said. “He would take care of all of those things. He was always so busy. We’d ask what are you doing? But those are the things he was fighting with the administration for, fighting for players, or fighting for our program because he knew how hard it was for us to stay at that level, and he entrusted Andy Berg and myself to do a lot more with the team. That prepared me more than anything for how run my own program.

“The great thing was Frank just told us, take care of hockey, go recruit. It’s all hockey all the time, and I loved it. He took care of all the meetings, you never had to see it.”

Said Doyle, “He develops people. If you’re a player, he’ll develop you as a player. If you’re a coach, he’ll develop you as a coach. He has the time for anyone around him who’s passionate about hockey.”

That extends beyond Air Force and the NCAA. Serratore has coached National Select Teams for USA Hockey and frequently is a presence at various functions the governing body holds.

“Frank has been unbelievably supportive of our staff and our initiatives,” Martel said. “He’s given time to various coaching programs, and he’s a great role model for coaches. He’s someone we’ve leaned on.”

His impact in their words

Each of the figures interviewed for this story had plenty more to say about the man they consider a friend, and in many cases a mentor. Here is a sampling of how they summed up his impact on Air Force and college hockey.

“Who he is, what his values are make him the perfect coach for Air Force. He’s always lived those values. He’s a leader of men helping develop leaders of men.”

Ken Martel, USA Hockey

“There’s only one of him. His personality is infectious. What a funny, humble, warm guy, but he’s also an unbelievable competitor.”

Rick Gotkin, Mercyhurst coach

“What he’s done there is remarkable, one of the best jobs in the country. He took a program from a D-I/D-III schedule to making statements in the NCAA Tourney.”

Tom Serratore, Bemidji State coach

“As coaches we should be people of integrity, people of standards. You want to be a person of your word. Frank is that. He’s done a great job.”

Wayne Wilson, RIT coach

“What you come to see is he has a passion for college hockey. He’s got a passion to win, and I truly believe he has a passion for a belief in the Air Force Academy. His older daughter went there. Character and passion are the two things I think about when I think about Frank.

“I’m grateful for the relationship I have with Frank now. When it first started, I knew of Frank but I didn’t know Frank. I’m not even going to say I liked Frank, but you know what, this relationship has turned into a friendship. We often call each other and just talk about anything. The one story that I will tell you is when my dad passed away six years ago in February, I’m walking out of the church in Cape Cod, I look up and who’s standing there but Frank. You know what, that hit me. I will never ever forget that, that he would fly out from Colorado and be at my dad’s funeral. That showed you what he’s all about.”

Brian Riley, Army West Point coach

“I marvel at the job Frank and his staff have done. They’re always competitive, always hard to play against. … He always has had a good vision, whether for Denver hockey, Air Force hockey or college hockey in general. For Frank to build that program to where they are in the national tournament and winning games in it, he’s done wonders. It’s great for college hockey, and it’s great for hockey in this state. Air Force hit a home run when they hired Frank Serratore.”

George Gwozdecky, former Denver coach

“When it comes to going to bat for someone – whatever the case may be – Frank bends over backward to help his players.”

Andy Berg, Air Force associate head coach

“He’s the CEO, the captain, but he recognizes you have to develop. It’s a credit to him. He wants to see what he’s made continue on. … He’s working as hard now as he did in Year 1. That amazes me.”

Joe Doyle, Air Force associate head coach

“He did so much for me as a player, but more so I feel like the impact has been since. Any time I ever reached out to him, he dropped everything he was doing and gave you the time of day and treated you like you were the only thing that was going on, and he always gave you a big hug. I went down to the rink recently and he gave me a big hug, and I’d literally just seen him the day before. It’s that kind of care.”

Jacques Lamoureux, Air Force All-American and volunteer assistant

“I can’t say enough about what he’s done. I wouldn’t be where I am without him. I played for him, I worked for him, and the best part is I consider him one of my best friends. If you had asked me that in 1989 in Omaha I wouldn’t have thought that.”

Derek Schooley, Robert Morris coach and former Air Force assistant

“The best thing for me is if I need him, I know he will be there. My parents have passed away. You have your mentors … I could call Frank tomorrow, and as crazy of something as I could ask, he would help me – whether it was about coaching, being a husband or a father, anything. If he can’t help, he’ll find someone who can. That’s the legacy for me – I know he’s there. That’s the definition of a true friend, that’s the definition of a true mentor.”

Mike Corbett, Quinnipiac assistant coach and former Air Force assistant

“Frank-isms”

You didn’t really think I’d write 5,000 words about Frank without mentioning his classic sense of humor or his one-liners, which at times have taken on a life of their own, did you?

For example: The Falcons are young?

“You can buy everything at Wal-Mart but experience.”

Said Riley, “Every time I go somewhere and I have to talk after him I think, ‘Oh my god, how do I follow him?’ I don’t think there is a camera or microphone he doesn’t like. He’s such a character.”

Is it possible to “out-Frank” Frank? In Riley’s estimation, probably not, and the Army West Point coach has tried.

“This year I tried to pull a fast one on him during the Army-Air Force week. I knew he had a radio show, and so through all the travel out there I’ve gotten to know everybody from the Zamboni drivers to the doctors, the trainers, the ORs, the radio broadcaster Jay Ritchie. So I called Jay to see if he could work this. I would call in and say ‘Joe from Monument’ and I have a question. I think what happened was the producer said we’re going to have a special guest caller, and Frank’s antennas went up. I was introduced as ‘Brian from Monument’. You’ve got to get up pretty early in the morning to fool Frank, so right away when he said, ‘Oh Brian from Monument. Are you any relation to Jack from Monument?’ Jack being my dad. I knew right then that he had me.”

The quick wit isn’t a new development, Serratore’s brother Tom reported.

“Frank has always been fun to be around. He’s really witty, very charismatic – you could say he’s the life of the party.”

And it’s not limited to social settings.

“Even at our league meetings he will be brutally honest, but he’s sincere. He came into our league with a great wealth of knowledge and has added to that. He’s obviously a character, but I say that affectionately,” Wilson said.

There was the aftermath of a 5-1 victory over Penn State on Nov. 9, 2013. The Falcons had played poorly and won, in the process providing material for one of his most famous post-game press conferences.

It included this gem: “Sometimes I think they should call this game ‘goalie’ instead of ‘hockey.’”

Said Corbett, “I probably had 20 text messages in 10 minutes after that one. The funny thing is he said all of that to the players after the game, and then he went to the old Penn State youth hockey rink and said the same thing on ‘Penn State Live.’ That was the game we won when we should have lost.

“I say a lot of them, and I don’t ever catch myself anymore. I should give him credit. Some of my favorites are: ‘Learn from the mistakes of others because you can’t make them all yourself.’ … ‘Don’t be in a hurry to look horse (manure).’

“The great part is there’s not one written down. They just come to him, and there is a limited filter. The great thing about Frank is if you’re not getting it done, he’s going to tell you you’re not getting it done.”

A few years ago, after a frustrating loss at Denver the included the Falcons being called for penalty after penalty, there was his assertion that there were only three things he’d never seen – Big Foot, the Easter Bunny and a ref who admitted he had a crap game. Big Foot and the Easter Bunny, as if on cue, made an appearance at a subsequent Falcons home game.

“I can’t get enough of that one,” said Gotkin, whose team ended up playing the Falcons the night Big Foot and the Easter Bunny attended. “He’s captivating. How he thought of that so quickly is remarkable – and memorable.”

And don’t get him started on Minnesota Vikings playoff losses …

One final thought

Writing about college hockey is a privilege, something I am reminded of every time I talk to a player or coach, or anytime I set foot in a rink. I’m particularly reminded of that when I speak with Frank, who is as engaging as they come. There has not ever been a time in the seven years I’ve known him that he hasn’t returned a phone call, usually quickly. He’s honest and insightful. His love for the game, and the people around it, comes through loud and clear.

A standing feature of this blog is light-hearted Q&As with players. One season, one after another told me about Frank’s strong affinity for salads, with goalie Shane Starrett encouraging me to ask Frank about it if I had the chance. Weeks later, I was interviewing Frank in his office when he got up, went to a refrigerator and pulled out a salad only slightly smaller than a hockey bag.

I had to ask. … “So is that one of the famous salads I’ve heard so much about.”

He looked up and deadpanned, “I can’t do anything about getting older, but I can do something about getting fat. Now what’s your question?”

Read part 1 here

By Chris Bayee, Founder of AFAFlightPath.com

©First Line Editorial 2022