It seems safe to say that Bentley’s affairs officially are in order. Just over five years since the completion of their new arena, the Falcons begin the season with a new coach — Andy Jones.
After 22 seasons behind various collegiate and junior benches, Jones will begin his first head coaching stint with Bentley this October. Following longtime bench boss Ryan Soderquist’s (Stoneham, Mass.) departure, a lengthy selection process took place — one that declared Jones the man for the job.
“It was a longer process, but it was thorough and I enjoyed it," Jones said. “I think one of the things I enjoyed about it is it really gave me a great understanding of what Bentley is. … I got to meet a lot of really positive people that had a really unique and strong vision for what the hockey program could do and what it should be doing for the university in the future.”
Before joining the UMass Lowell River Hawks staff for eight years, Jones spent four years as an assistant coach at Clarkson and five seasons as an assistant coach with the Sioux Falls Stampede of the USHL. Lowell and Clarkson both took steps forward in his time there, climbing their conference ranks and making NCAA tournament appearances.
THE FULL MAGAZINE: Check out our college hockey preview edition
“I wanted someone that I felt would fit where we are and can grow our program where we were,” athletic director Vaughn Williams said. “Someone that we felt could relate to our players, someone that would prioritize leadership and developing young men, and also a teacher and developer of talent.”
After completing its 20th season as a member of Atlantic Hockey, Bentley is still searching for its first conference title and NCAA tournament berth.
Without the resources or cachet of neighboring schools like Boston College or Boston University, Bentley must adopt a “bootstraps” approach to build itself as a program. With updated facilities and a new face of the program, the Falcons are looking to take their first steps in that direction.
“I think there’s a lot of newness and a lot of change,” Jones said. “I think we’re headed in the direction of being a program that the university can be really proud of. The goal is to build the program into an excellent development program.”
In college hockey, a balance must be struck between development and results. An optimistic Jones hopes to thread that needle during his time as a Falcon.
“I also see it as a program that can and will compete near the top of Atlantic Hockey,” Jones said. “I think that’s a goal of ours that we should be shooting for and in terms of wins and losses, that’s something we have in mind.”
Bentley Arena stands as a major point of pride for the university as well. Much of that pride stems from the immense sustainability standards that the venue has set for future arenas around the country.
The multipurpose arena is the first rink in the entire country to receive LEED platinum certification, which is a standard to measure buildings’ energy efficiency. The venue also has held career fairs, alumni events and concerts since its opening in 2018.
“It’s been an unbelievable space for our students across campus,” Williams said. “(The arena) has been a great space, obviously for hockey, intimate facility, (LEED platinum), environmental facility, so that’s pretty important. We wanted to do something that was environmentally, more safe, so to speak.”
Both Williams and Jones echoed what seems to be a school-wide sentiment — being the best versions of themselves. It is a principle of doing things the right way, which is reflected in their new rink.
As a longtime assistant, Jones will be tasked with leading his coaching staff, rather than just being a part of it. The Falcons’ newest leader spoke to autonomy, learning from mistakes and positivity as his greatest takeaways throughout his coaching career thus far.
“We’re going to come at the development process from a space of positivity,” Jones said. “Guys need to be excited to come to the rink every day, and they need to feel like they’re getting better. This generation needs a lot of attention, and I say that in a good way. I don’t mean that in a negative way. I think they need creative instruction and they want to get better.”
Bentley has been able to boast a state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly rink for a few years now, and they now have their next leader as well.
INSIDE THE PROCESS: What it's like to be recruited in college hockey
“We’re looking to lift people up,” Jones said. “When you lift people up and you help individuals become the best versions of themselves, then the collective improves. I think we’re looking to have a really strong collective.”
