WORCESTER, Mass. – Holy Cross Director of Athletics
Marcus Blossom has named
Bill Riga as the next head men's ice hockey coach. Riga joins the Crusaders after 13 years at Quinnipiac University, the last seven of which were spent as the Bobcats' associate head coach.
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Bill Riga is the right person at the right time to lead our men's ice hockey program," Blossom said. "He is a tireless recruiter, committed teacher and extremely competitive coach who has contributed to great successes as an assistant. He is ready for this moment. I am excited to welcome Bill and his family into our community, and I look forward to partnering with him as we elevate Holy Cross men's ice hockey."
A native of Westborough, Mass., Riga helped lead the Bobcats to five ECAC regular-season championships, six NCAA Tournament appearances, two Frozen Fours and two NCAA National Championship games during his 13 years in Hamden.
"It is an honor and a blessing to be the next head men's ice hockey coach at Holy Cross," Riga said. "My family and I are grateful and humbled by this amazing opportunity, and I can't wait to get started creating relationships with our student-athletes, members of our campus community, and our alumni who love this program.
"I would like to thank Fr. Boroughs,
Marcus Blossom,
Nick Smith and the entire search committee for having the faith in me to lead this program into the future. This is truly a homecoming for me, and I'm eager to lead our great student-athletes in relentless pursuit of excellence on the ice, in the classroom and in the community."
Riga, who served as the Bobcats' recruiting coordinator, has helped develop 13 NHL draft picks and eight NHL players. He has also coached four All-Americans, including First Team selection Odeen Tufto in 2020-21, four Hobey Baker Top-10 Finalists, and one Hobey Baker Hat Trick Finalist.
Since 2008, Quinnipiac has accumulated 286 wins for a .621 winning percentage and nine 20+-win seasons. During the 2020-21 campaign, Riga and the Bobcats went 17-8-4, 10-4-4 in the ECAC, won the ECAC regular-season championship and advanced to the NCAA West Regional.
Quinnipiac finished the 2020-21 season ranked No. 12/11 in the nation. The Bobcats were 12th nationally with 3.45 goals per game, while their defense ranked fifth at 2.03 goals allowed per game.
From 2016-20, Riga served as the Vice Chair of the NCAA Men's and Women's Ice Hockey Rules Committee, where he was one of three Division I coaches responsible for developing and implementing rule changes across the NCAA. He has also served as a Team Coach at USA Select 16 and 17 festivals since 2009.
Before joining the Bobcats, Riga served as an assistant coach at Union College from 2003-08. There, he worked as the team's primary recruiter and recruited players who would go on to win ECAC Championships and compete in the Frozen Four.
Other stops for Riga include the Boston Junior Bruins (EJHL), where he was the associate head coach, and the Rivers School (ISL) as the head boys' hockey coach and director of hockey.
A 1996 graduate of UMass Lowell, Riga was a four-year letterwinner for the River Hawks, playing in two NCAA Tournaments and earning his bachelor's degree in exercise physiology. He went on to earn his master's in organizational leadership from Quinnipiac in 2015.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT COACH RIGA:
"Billy is a talented coach that has the work ethic and the passion to bring his teams to great heights. He is widely respected within the hockey community and will be a strong role model for the next generation of hockey players at Holy Cross."
Brett Petersen – Assistant General Manager, Florida Panthers
"I want to congratulate Bill on being named head coach at Holy Cross. Bill has earned this opportunity through years of hard work both on the ice and on the recruiting trail. He is a man of character and conviction who will be a tremendous leader of this program. Bill, Kim, Bryce and London will be great additions to the Holy Cross community."
Reid Cashman – Head Coach, Dartmouth College
"We are thrilled for Billy and Kim. He has been phenomenal at Quinnipiac over the past 13 seasons and was a key factor in our two Frozen Four runs and our 286 wins in 13 years. I wish Billy the best of luck at Holy Cross. He is an excellent coach, a great friend and he will be missed at Quinnipiac."
Rand Pecknold – Head Coach, Quinnipiac University
