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Headshot of coach Jack Arena '83

Jack Arena '83

  • Title
    Head Men's Hockey Coach
  • Season
    39th (1983-84 to 2021-22)
   FAST FACTS   
  • 537 Career Victories
  • 26th All-Time Winningest Coach in All Divisions by victories
  • 12th All-Time Winningest Coach in DIII By Victories
  • 2-Time AHCA Division III National Coach of the Year
  • 2-Time NESCAC  Coach of the Year
  • 3-Time NESCAC Champion (2009, 2012, 2015)
  • 4-Time NCAA Statistical Season Division III Champion
    • Penalty Kill Percentage (2009, 2020)
    • Scoring Defense (2009, 2012)
  • Player Accolades:
    • 2 Division III National Player of the Years
    •  8 All-Americans
    • 3 NESCAC Player of the Years
    • 32 All-Conference Selections

Taking over the reins of the Amherst College men’s ice hockey team prior to the 1983-1984 season following a highly successful playing career, head coach Jack Arena ’83 has put together a coaching resume for the record books while creating a tradition of excellence in Orr Rink.

Arena finished the 2024-25 season after racking up 537 career victories in 41 seasons behind the bench. Arena is currently the 26th-ranked all-time winningest coach by victories across all NCAA divisions and is the 12-ranked all-time winningest Division III coach by victories. A two-time American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) Division III National Coach of the Year (2012, 2015), Arena has mentored two Sid Watson Award winners – an accolade presented to the Division III National Player of the Year by the AHCA – and eight AHCA All-Americans. Establishing the Mammoths as one of the premier defensive programs in the country, Amherst owns three spots inside the top-27 in all-time DIII single-season penalty kill percentage record book (2009, 2018, 2019) and has twice been named the NCAA Statistical Season Division III Champion in both penalty kill percentage (2009, 2020) and scoring defense (2009, 2012) under Arena’s guidance.

A two-time New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Coach of the Year, Arena has thrice raised the conference championship trophy (2009,2012, 2015) and has coached three NESCAC Player of the Years, two NESCAC Rookies of the Year, and 33 All-Conference selections since the league formally became a playing conference in 1999.

Over four seasons from 2018-19 to 2022-23, Amherst has amassed a 49-38-14 overall record (.485 winning percentage), a 38-24-9 record against NESCAC opponents (.535 winning percentage), and a 27-16-6 ledger at home (.551 winning percentage).

2019-2020: Picking up a key victory over the fourth-ranked team in the nation late in the season, Amherst remained one of just two schools to never miss out on the NESCAC postseason and advanced to compete in their 21st-consecutive NESCAC tournament. One of the top defensive teams in the country, Amherst allowed opponents to score on only six of 96 total power play chances all season to become the 2020 NCAA DIII Statistical Champion for Penalty-Killing Percentage (.938).

2015-16 to 2018-19: Amherst was defined by their ability to find the next gear when it mattered most - down the stretch of the regular season and into the postseason - from 2015 to 2019, with the Mammoths using decisive wins to upend their seed mark and twice advance to the NESCAC Championship Finals. Arena mentored five All-Conference selections and an All-American during this span.

2014-15: Clinching the program’s third NESCAC Championship crown with a 1-0 win over Williams and punching their ticket to the NCAA postseason, the Mammoths downed Norwich, 4-3, in an overtime thriller to advance to the Frozen Four for the second time in team history before finishing the season with an impressive 22-5-2 overall record. Voted the top coach in Division III men's ice hockey by his peers, Arena was named the Edward Jeremiah Award winner after previously being named the NESCAC Coach of the Year. It was the second time in four years that Arena was named both the National and Conference Coach of the Year.

2011-12: After posting back-to-back 12-plus win campaigns, Amherst erupted for one of the best seasons in program history in 2011-12 – setting a program record for single season wins en route to advancing to the NCAA Frozen Four for the first time in program history before closing out the year at 24-4-1 overall. Leading the nation in scoring defense (1.66) for the second consecutive year, the Mammoths climbed as high as No. 2 in the USCHO.com Coaches Poll during the season and, for his efforts, Arena was voted the 2012 AHCA Edward Jeremiah Award winner (National Coach of the Year) by his peers.
 
2008-09: Clinching the program’s first-ever NESCAC Championship title and advancing to the NCAA Quarterfinals, the Mammoths finished with a 22-5-1 overall record while leading Division III in scoring defense (1.46) and penalty kill percentage (90.3) on the year. Arena was named the NESCAC Coach of the Year and the New England Hockey Writers ECAC East Coach of the Year after the historic season.

A native of Randolph, Mass., Arena was the 1983 Hoby Baker Award winner as the best player in Division III during his senior season and owns a master’s degree from the University of Massachusetts. He and his wife, Diane Arena '84, are the proud parents of two daughters, Emily and Ellen, and two sons, Patrick ’16 and John ’18.

In addition to his men’s ice hockey head coaching duties, Arena also acted as the head coach of the men's golf team from 1994-95 until 2019-2020.

    >>> Read More About Coach Arena, "How Jack Arena ’83 Became Great"