In news that sent shockwaves across the college hockey world, it was learned Thursday that Jim Madigan would become the new director of athletics at Northeastern, thus vacating his position as head coach of the men’s hockey program.
His longtime associate head coach, Jerry Keefe, will become the 11th head coach of the Northeastern hockey program. Keefe, 45, has played a large role in Northeastern’s improved performance on the ice.
Madigan played for the Huskies from 1981-85, captaining the team his senior year. Upon his graduation, he spent seven seasons as an assistant coach before embarking on a scouting career with the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins. He returned to his alma mater in 2011, becoming the head coach of the Huskies.
He’s helped resurrect the program, guiding the Huskies to two Hockey East tournament crowns, three Beanpot championships and three trips to the NCAA tournament. Northeastern has sent numerous players to the NHL during his tenure, including 2018 Hobey Baker Award winner Adam Gaudette (Braintree, Mass.).
Keefe, a Billerica, Mass., native, has been on Madigan’s staff since the start. The 2000 Providence alum had been an assistant coach at Brown for two seasons before his arrival to Huntington Avenue. His coaching résumé includes two seasons as head coach at Division 3 Westfield State and one year as assistant coach at UMass Boston. Keefe was an assistant coach for USA Hockey at the 2019 and 2020 World Junior Championships.
Keefe was a standout player in his own right, highlighted by a 52-point season as a junior at Providence in 1998-99. He played parts of four seasons in minor league hockey. Keefe played high school hockey at Matignon before two seasons in the USHL with the Omaha Lancers prior to matriculating to Providence.
This maneuver in the power structure at Northeastern has long been rumored. It makes perfect sense and is a win-win for all involved. In all my dealings with college hockey coaches while covering the sport, no one has shown more of a love for his school than Madigan. His new position will allow him to promote the school, help in fundraising, and benefit a wider range of student-athletes.
It should be noted that Madigan was showing no signs of slowing down. The 58-year-old Montreal native was at the recent Battle of Boston Spring Tier 1 Showcase in Walpole. He was the only Hockey East head coach I saw in the rink that weekend. Along with Providence head coach Nate Leaman, Madigan was as active on the recruiting trail as any head coach during my time covering the scene. He seemed to truly love scouring the rinks to find future Huskies.
Keefe’s promotion to head coach is well-deserved. He’s been regarded as one of the top assistant coaches in the country for several years now. The transition should be seamless as Keefe already was doing a significant amount of the game planning, in-game adjustments, and practice planning.
Assistant coach Mike McLaughlin, 32, is one of the bright young minds of the game. He certainly will stay on the staff with Keefe at the helm. A Northeastern alum, McLaughlin was promoted from director of hockey operations to assistant coach in 2019. He captained the 2011-12 team, Madigan’s first at Northeastern. Brown alum Matt Harlow likely will stay on board as well.
It’s possible that Keefe could promote Harlow to an assistant, but the more plausible scenario is bringing in a more experienced coach. According to multiple sources, that man is likely Paul Pearl, who was recently let go as associate head coach at Boston University. The Winthrop, Mass., native, Holy Cross alum and longtime head coach of the Crusaders has a long relationship with Keefe.
