When Mr. Craig Ferguson ’79 came back to Mount Carmel in 2013, he wasn’t expecting to become the head hockey coach for the school. However, the school needed a new coach, so he took the program and, for the past few years, has worked toward building it up to what it once was. Now, Ferguson has decided to step down as the head hockey coach, in order to dedicate more time to his primary position as the school’s alumni director. Mr. Brian Black, a 2003 alumnus and former Caravan goalie, will take over the head coaching duties for next year’s team.

This was Ferguson’s second stint as MC coach, having previously led the program from 1994 to 2000. Following that successful run in the 90’s, Ferguson worked in the admissions office at St. Rita High School, and also coached hockey there for nine years, “taking a program that was dormant for a long time, and building that up to win five Kennedy Cups in a row and two State Championships.”

Ferguson sees Mount Carmel’s current hockey program as similar to that of St. Rita’s when he first started there, noting that the team is struggling with wins and losses.”  However, despite its 3-19 record this season, he is optimistic about the future. “We feel good – not just about the quantity of hockey players coming in, but also the quality of the kids.”

As the school’s director of alumni relations, Ferguson’s focus is on keeping alumni engaged with Mount Carmel, an important role that leaves little time for coaching. However, he plans to stay close to the program by continuing as the hockey director, in which he can support the team’s growth through marketing and fundraising instead of coaching.

During his student days playing hockey for MC, Ferguson won three straight Kennedy Cup Championships, and in his senior year, a state championship, the first in school history. In addition to the sense of accomplishment those championships represented, he  also remembers the thrill of playing in front of large student crowds.

However, Ferguson notes that things have changed.  Today, many hockey players choose to play club hockey instead of playing for their school, a situation that he finds disappointing.  “I think kids who don’t play for their high school definitely miss out on that experience.”