Anzalone Named Chiefs Head Coach

July 22, 2005 - ECHL (ECHL)
Johnstown Chiefs News Release


Johnstown, PA (July 22, 2005) - The Johnstown Chiefs announced today at a press conference that Frank Anzalone is the teams new Head Coach. Anzalone becomes the sixth Head Coach in team history.

Anzalone, 51, comes to the Chiefs after spending the last four seasons with the Lake Superior State University Lakers, his second head coaching stint with the school. Anzalone, a Brooklyn N.Y. native, is no stranger to the ECHL. He has been behind the benches of the former Nashville Knights (1991-92), Roanoke Express (1993-98) and Pee Dee Pride (1999-00). His career ECHL coaching record is 269-183-41 (.587), including six playoff appearances in eight seasons. He also has American Hockey League coaching experience with the Newmarket Saints (1990-91) and captured the Atlantic division title with the Lowell Lock Monsters in 1998-99.

Anzalone built Lake Superior State Hockey into a national powerhouse in the 1980s and led the program to its first NCAA Division I National Championship in 1988. During his first tenure, Anzalone's Lakers also made four NCAA Tournament appearances in five seasons. In 1988, he was the NCAA and CCHA Coach of the Year. He started his coaching career with the Lakers in 1982 as an assistant to Bill Selman. He took over the team midway through that season. It took Anzalone just two seasons to move LSSU from an 11th-place finish to second in the CCHA. The Lakers advanced to the conference championship at Joe Louis Arena and qualified for the NCAA tournament for the first time in 1984-85. They continued their improvement under Anzalone's tutelage, culminating in their 1988 national championship win in Lake Placid, N.Y. In 1989 and '90, the Lakers finished second in the CCHA and advanced to the NCAA quarterfinal before losing out, at Harvard and Colgate, respectively.

In 2001-02, Anzalone returned to LSSU where after missing the playoffs for six seasons, the Lakers returned to the post season. In 471 games (eleven seasons) as Lake Superior State University's Head Coach, Anzalone had a 219-210-42 record. He is the winningest coach in Laker history.

Anzalone will reside in Johnstown with his wife Theresa and son Francis. Season ticket and corporate sponsor packages for the 2005-2006 season are now available by calling (814) 539-1799 or 1-800-CHF-TIXX.



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