Damian DiGiulian returns to Saint Michael's for his 13th season as the men's ice hockey head coach in 2024-25. DiGiulian, who has also coached in the USA Hockey development system and at NCAA Division I and III, is just the third head coach since the program was elevated to varsity status for the 1982-83 season.
DiGiulian, who earned his 100th career college coaching victory on Nov. 3, 2023, has led the Purple Knights to a pair of Northeast-10 Conference regular-season co-championships and five league tournament title games during his tenure. Two of DiGiulian's student-athletes were honored as winners of the 2017 Hockey Humanitarian Award, with Danny Divis '17 and Justin McKenzie '17 earning the recognition for their work as creators of mental health awareness campaign Hope Happens Here. They were the first Purple Knights to earn the accolade, and the initial co-winners of the Hockey Humanitarian Award, which lauds college ice hockey's finest citizens. Divis and McKenzie were featured on ESPN, U.S. College Hockey Online's (USCHO) live radio show and in the pages of NCAA Champion magazine before throwing out ceremonial first pitches at Fenway Park on Aug. 5, 2017.
As an assistant coach at UVM, DiGiulian was instrumental in the recruitment of Torrey Mitchell and Patrick Sharp, both of whom have played at the highest professional level in the National Hockey League (NHL). Mitchell played for five NHL teams, while Sharp won the 2010, 2013 and 2015 Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks and an Olympic gold medal for Canada in 2014.
A 1993 graduate of Hamilton (N.Y.) College, DiGiulian earned a degree in history while also playing for the Continentals. He played professionally in 1993-94 with the Louisville Icehawks of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) and the Tulsa Oilers of the Central Hockey League (CHL). Beyond his coaching and playing careers, DiGiulian has been an on-air ice hockey analyst, appearing on radio station WVMT for University of Vermont broadcasts since 2006 and on ESPNU for select Division I contests since 2007.
Saint Michael's College Men's Ice Hockey Head Coach, 2012-13 to Present (13th Season)
- 65-39-9 NE10 record
- 2 NE10 Regular-Season Championships (2014-15, 2016-17)
- 5 NE10 Championship Title Games (2013-14, 2014-15, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2022-23)
- 8 NE10 Championship Semifinals (2013-14, 2014-15, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2022-23, 2023-24)
- 2 Hockey Humanitarian Award Winners (Danny Divis '17, Justin McKenzie '17)
- 1 NE10 Player of the Year (AJ Pieprzak '15)
- 2 NE10 Defensive Player of the Years (Sel Narby '22, David Ciancio '25 [co])
- 1 NE10 Goalie of the Year (Marshall Murphy '24)
- 1 ECAC East Rookie of the Year (Danny Divis '17)
- 2 NE10 Rookies of the Year (Danny Divis '17, Case Kantgias '25)
- 4 NE10 Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence Awards
- 1 NE10 Elite 24 Award Individual Winner
- 4 ECAC East/NEHC All-Conference Honors
- 28 NE10 All-Conference Honors
- 1 ECAC East All-Rookie Team Honor
- 11 NE10 All-Rookie Team Honors
- 1 College Sports Communicators Academic All-America Honor
- 6 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Honors
- 70 Conference Academic All-Conference/All-Academic Honors
- 3 NE10 Team Academic Excellence Awards (2012-13, 2016-17, 2017-18)
- In 2016, assistant coach for Lithuanian national team, which won Division II Group A bronze medal at IIHF U18 World Championship in Romania
- Coach, evaluator and presenter in USA Hockey development system since 1997
- Helped organize evaluation camps in Vermont for USA Hockey while evaluating and choosing players aged 14 to 17 for USA Hockey Select Festivals
Rice Memorial (Vermont) High School Prep Boys' Ice Hockey Head Coach and Director of Hockey, 2009-10 to 2011-12 (3 Seasons)
- Established program in 2009
- Won New England Fall Prep Hockey League (NEFPHL) title in 2010-11 (36-12-3 record)
Middlebury (Vermont) College Men's Ice Hockey Assistant Coach, 2007-08 to 2008-09 (2 Seasons)
- 37-14-3 overall, 26-9-3 ECAC East record
University of Vermont Men's Ice Hockey Assistant Coach, 1997-98 to 2005-06 (9 Seasons)
- Heavily involved in coordinating and supervising alumni and community service endeavors in Burlington area
- Served on Hobey Baker Memorial Award selection committee
- Served on America Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) awards committee
- Selected to coach 1999, 2000 and 2001 Rocky Mountain District Select-16 team
- Assisted gold-medal-winning U17 select team during a 2000 tournament in Czech Republic
Butte (Montana) Fightin' Irish Associate Head Coach and Associate General Manager, 1996-97 (1 Season)
- American Frontier Hockey League (AFHL) Junior A program
- Team advanced to league finals
Vail (Colorado) Avalanche Assistant Coach, 1995-96 (1 Season)
- American Frontier Hockey League (AFHL) Junior A program
- Team posted league's best record (40-6-3)
Furokawa Hockey Club of Japan (British Columbia) Assistant Coach, 1994-95 (1 Season)
