A short conversation with coach Frank Serratore makes your pulse race a little faster. His enthusiasm and energy for Air Force hockey are that powerful.
As the fourth head coach in the 38 years of Air Force hockey, Serratore was in his office less than a week when he pointed out what it would take to turn the program around.
"We want to be the hardest working team in the country," Serratore said. "We want to have a team full of over-achievers. Not everyone is blessed with outstanding ability, but everyone can work hard and play with pride and spirit."
As Serratore enters his 10th season at Air Force, that quote still holds true.
The 2006-07 season brings much excitement as the Falcons will join the Atlantic Hockey Association. After seven years, in the College Hockey America conference, Air Force will now join the Atlantic Hockey Association.
Air Force is coming off of its best season ever in the CHA. The Falcons were 11-20-1 overall in 2005-06, but the Falcons won a school-record eight league games. Serratore's Falcons also earned three all-conference honors and placed a school-record 11 players on the CHA all-academic team.
The veteran head coach enters the 2006-07 season with a 130-173-19 record in nine seasons at Air Force. He has an overall mark of 179-265-28 in 13 seasons as a college head coach.
In his first season at the Academy, Serratore's disciplined and aggressive style produced more wins than the previous two seasons combined and the first 15-win season in three years. The first-year coach guided the Falcons to a 15-19 overall record. The season could not have ended on a better note as the Falcons swept Army at West Point.
His second season was no different as he guided one of the nation's youngest teams to the best winning percentage in four years at the Academy. The Falcons were 2-2 against nationally ranked teams as the team swept a two-game series from 18th-ranked Niagara.
In 1999-2000, Serratore led the Falcons to the most wins (19) in 23 years and the first winning season (19-18-2) in 10 years. The Falcons won 14 Division I games, the most in school history.
Serratore juggled an injury-riddled and depleted Falcon lineup throughout the 2000-01 season. The Falcons still posted a 16-17-4 record and the second-most Division I wins in school history (13). AFA claimed five CHA awards, including the player of the year (Marc Kielkucki) and the student-athlete of the year (Scott Bradley).
A great run at the end of the 2001-02 season capped a 16-16-2 overall record. AFA's eight-game unbeaten streak late in the season was the second-longest in the nation. The Falcons finished fifth in the CHA (6-10-2) and upset fourth-seeded Niagara in the CHA Tournament. For the second straight year, the Falcons claimed the CHA Student-Athlete of the Year (Brian Gornick).
In 2002-03, a midseason scoring drought and numerous close losses left the Falcons with a 10-24-3 overall record. The highlights of the season included Andy Berg and Brian Reaney earning all-CHA honors and Mike Polidor being named to the academic all-district team.
Expectations were low as the Falcons were in a rebuilding mode in 2003-04. However, Serratore led the Falcons to a 14-21-2 record, tying the school record with 14 Division I wins. The Falcons also defeated two teams that went to the NCAA Tournament (Miami-Ohio and Holy Cross).
The 2004-05 season was the second year of a rebuilding process and Serratore's Falcons again provided much excitement. A 14-19-3 overall record again tied the school record for Division I victories. The Falcons placed fifth in the CHA with a 5-14-1 record and then proceeded to upset fourth-seeded Wayne State in a thrilling overtime victory at the CHA Tournament. The team set new school records Division I road victories and overtime wins.
In his nine seasons at Air Force, Serratore has taken the Falcons to new heights. He is the only coach in AFA history to lead the team to five consecutive 15-win seasons. Under Serratore, the Falcons have dominated the series against Army. Since his arrival, AFA is 12-6-1 vs. the Black Knights.
Serratore, 49, came to the Academy from the Manitoba Moose of the International Hockey League, where he was the director of hockey operations in 1996. He was the head coach and general manager of the Minnesota Moose (before they moved to Manitoba) in 1994 and 1995. He led the team to a 52-56-16 record in two seasons. In 1995, he led the expansion Moose to the IHL playoffs.
Prior to his position in Manitoba, Serratore was the head coach at the University of Denver from 1990-1994. During that time, he led the Pioneers to a 49-91-9 record in four seasons and is credited with rebuilding a struggling Pioneer program. In 1995 and 1997, Pioneer teams which were recruited during his tenure made two NCAA final eight appearances and placed third in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. Serratore was responsible for improving an out-dated program. The greatest success of his stint in Denver was the increase in attendance. In his first season, home attendance had dipped below 70 percent of the capacity. When he left, DU attendance was up to 93 percent of capacity, one of the top attendance marks in the country.
Before taking over the reins at DU, Serratore was the coach and general manager of the Omaha Lancers of the United States Junior Hockey League. In one season, he took over a last-place team and led them to the USHL regular season and playoff championship. The worst-to-first Cinderella season earned Serratore the USHL General Manager of the Year and the Omaha Sportscasters Sportsman of the Year awards in 1990.
His other coaching experiences have been as the assistant coach at the University of North Dakota (1987-89), the head coach and general manager of the Rochester Mustangs (1985-87) and the Austin Mavericks (1983-85) of the U.S. Junior Hockey League. During his tenure in the USHL, he won three league championships and was runner-up twice while posting a 247-103-6 record. In 1987, he led Rochester to the USA Hockey national championship. While coaching in the USHL, he was named general manager of the year twice and coach of the year once.
Serratore attended Western Michigan University from 1977-79 before earning his bachelor's degree in physical education from Bemidji State University in 1982. He lettered four years in hockey at the two schools playing goalie. He then earned a master's degree in athletic administration/physical education from North Dakota in 1994. He played two seasons for the St. Paul Vulcans (USHL) from 1975-77 and had a brief stint with the Nashville South Stars (Central Hockey League) in 1982.
The native of Coleraine, Minn., is no stranger to coaching at the Olympic development level. In August 2003, Serratore was the head coach of the United States Under-17 Team that won the gold medal at the Five Nations Tournament in Prievizda, Slovakia. He has coached at two USA Hockey Olympic Sports Festivals and has been the coach of the USA Hockey Development Program since 1985. In 1993, he coached the west team to the silver medal at the U.S. Olympic Sports Festival in San Antonio, Texas. He is a member of the NCAA Championships Committee and has also been active on the Hobey Baker Selection Committee.
Serratore is married to the former Carol Samec of St. Paul, Minn. They have four children, twin boys Thomas and Timothy (17) and two daughters, Carly (16) and Carina (10).
