Episode 81: Frank Serratore

Episode 81: Frank Serratore. We had Army’s HC on in the past so this week it was time for Air Force Academy’s Frank Serratore to join the prohockeypod. The 25/26 season will be Frank’s 29th season at Air Force and we talked about how he has continuously built solid teams over his time there. Frank is from Minnesota, and like me, was a goalie growing up. Our goalie chemistry was instantly there throughout the episode. What can I say, great minds think alike. Frank would go on to play D1 hockey at Western Michigan University for 2 seasons before transferring to Bemidji State. This is where Frank would get a intro to coaching, learning from Coach Bob Peters, which ignited his fire to coach. After school, Frank would be a HC/GM in the USHL for 5 years before becoming an Assistant Coach at the University of North Dakota. A few years passed and Frank was awarded the opportunity to become HC of the University of Denver. We talked about Frank’s quick rise and if he felt he was ready at the time to be a HC. After 4 years at Denver, Frank would get a chance in Pro hockey with the Minnesota/Manitoba Moose of the IHL. After that, Air Force Academy was in need for a coach and Frank’s name came up. After speaking to his wife, he interviewed for the job and it ended up being a great decision, as he has been there ever since. We talked about the academy, the types of players they look to recruit and how they continue to stay competitive, even though they can’t use certain advantages that other NCAA programs have access to (portal, transfers, 5th year). It was really interesting to talk to Frank and his knowledge/love of the game. Hope you enjoy!