Meadville hockey coach nears 1,100th win in storied career

Nov. 22—Jamie Plunkett isn't fond of fanfare and being the center of attention, but "Chief," as he is known, has endured quite a bit of attention during his 35-year reign as head coach of the Meadville Bulldogs hockey team.

Plunkett's celebrated numerous milestones and championships during his legendary career, the next of which will be win No. 1,100.

He currently has 1,099 wins, 499 losses and 99 ties. The 'Dogs are home for a two-game stretch this week against Indiana on Tuesday and Jamestown (New York) on Wednesday.

"When you do this it's because you love the game and want to give back to the game," Plunkett said. "All the other stuff is nice and maybe I'll look back on it when I'm done coaching, but it's still about the kids and it's about the team. That's what I like to put the focus on."

The early days

Plunkett started with success. In his first season as head coach in 1987, he led the team to a 19-3-2 record and a state championship. He added another title two seasons later.

"I learned quickly I had a talented group of kids. They were kind of the springboard for the program," he said. "We won two titles in three years and that was just the beginning. It grew from there."

Not only was the team talented, but Plunkett received a "master's degree in coaching" thanks to some friends in high places — the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Plunkett knew Barry Smith, an assistant coach with the Pens when the team won the Stanley Cup in 1991 and 1992, from his days playing for Cornell University in the 1970s. He also knew the head athletic trainer for the Penguins, Skip Thayer, because Thayer was Plunkett's boss at a hockey school in Chicago when he was 16.

"They'd invite me down to watch practice all the time. I had access to the dressing room and training room and watched practice when they won the first two cups," Plunkett said. "To be able to listen to Bob Johnson (head coach in 1991) and Scotty Bowman (head coach in 1992) was the best learning experience I ever had. Both were great at sharing information as far as how and why they do things. I was able to come back to Meadville and use all that information."

Five-in-a-row

A talented Meadville roster paired with Plunkett's knowledge of the game terrorized their opponents in the 1990s.

Meadville won a state title in 1992 with a 9-3 rout of Monsignor Bonner. It was the program's third state title. It was also the start of five-straight state titles for the Bulldogs as Meadville dominated Pennsylvania hockey for half of a decade.

"I credit Jamie for the explosion of good hockey in western Pa. His Meadville teams in the '90s set the bar of how a program should be run. He is the GOAT (greatest of all time) of Pennsylvania high school hockey coaches and, quite frankly, one of the best coaches in the country," said Ryan Smart, who played from 1990-94. "Jamie is one of the best coaches I ever played for during my hockey career.

"Jamie was a legend for my generation of players. He came to Meadville in the mid-1980s, took over the program, and began to win almost immediately. He was fiery in those days and I remember almost looking forward to his legendary speeches to get us going between the second and third periods. Honestly, if he didn't toss a garbage can or two, I was disappointed."

Smart is not alone in his high praise for Plunkett. Tom Westfall was team captain in 1993. He also captained Penn State in 1998, a team that won the national championship.

"Personally, Jamie has always taught me to 'shoot for the stars and if you land on the moon you are doing OK.' I was cut my freshman year by Jamie. I could have packed it in, but I worked hard and within two seasons I was a two-time state champ, a state championship game MVP, and captain of the back-to-back '93 state championship team," Westfall said. "Jamie taught his players to be winners on and off the ice.

"For me, Jamie Plunkett and success are synonymous and he deserves every accolade. The guy deserves it."

The Bulldogs won the 1993 title 5-1 against Monsignor Bonner, the 1994 title 3-0 against Germantown Academy, the 1995 title 4-1 against Germantown Academy and the 1996 title 3-2 against LaSalle.

"Jamie put Meadville on the map," assistant coach Scott Phillis said. "Not a season goes by where someone from Pittsburgh, Cleveland or Buffalo doesn't mention to me that they are so impressed with such a small town being able to produce consistently good teams."

Longevity

Plunkett is cognizant that the sport of hockey evolves and therefore he must evolve as a coach. His self-awareness to always seek out ways to improve as a coach is reflected in his program's success. The Bulldogs won an eighth state title in 2003.

In addition to Chief's access to the Penguins, he's made friends with coaches in the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League. By seeing how the game changes at the highest level, he can stay ahead of the curve at the high school level.

"If you don't change with the game it will pass you by. I think the kids are still kids. They like structure and they like boundaries. I've been fortunate to have so many great kids and families, but you have to change," Plunkett said. "I was like a lot of young coaches that learned the hard way that referees will win the battle 100 times out of 100. I lost every battle with the officials when I was younger, so I figured I should try to get along with them to try and have a better outcome."

Plunkett said the sport is much faster now than compared to the 1980s. Players are also more skilled.

"The skill level of these kids is amazing," he said. "Kids are doing things at 9,10,11 that I couldn't do at 14, 15, 16."

Beyond an overall skill increase among athletes, there is also more information for coaches.

"There are a number of coaching clinics available that weren't when I started," Plunkett said. "I think its helped me as I try to stay current."

Phillis attributed Chief's success to his passion for the game, consistency and commitment.

"I think the numbers tell the story. The number of years he's coached, the number of games played, the number of wins, state championships and ultimately the number of people he has positively affected," Phillis said. "I think about the time he has given, whether it's scheduling games in the summer, showing up at the rink an hour before practice to open the locker room, watching film, traveling up and down (Interstate) 79, the meetings with parents, players, the board of directors and then factor in the number of years he has been doing all those things, it's amazing."

Fellow assistant coach Kyle Waite credits Plunkett's long-term success to his love for the game.

"He just loves the game of hockey and never stops watching or learning new things about the game. I played for Jamie back in the early '90s and it was such a different game back then. It's like any sport, the game changes over time. Back when I played it was a more physical style of game and today's game is more skilled," Waite said. "The great thing about him is his ability to change with the game over time."

More than a game

Phillis played for Plunkett in the '90s. Now, as an assistant coach, he considers the Chief a good friend. It's a sentiment that is common among former players.

"Before even joining the varsity team, Chief helped me gain confidence in my skills and helped become the player I was. Not only did he give great advice about hockey, but he taught everyone how to grow as a person as well through our careers," said Nick Frantz, a player from 2015-19. "He's had many accomplishments I could go on about, but the 1,000th win my sophomore year is one I won't forget. I hope all the kids on the team enjoy his 1,100th with him just like we did."

When asked about what he is most proud of throughout his storied career, Plunkett didn't mention anything about state titles or topping 1,000 wins — Chief talked about relationships.

"I see guys I coached during my first few years that are married with kids. I think back to when they were 15 and now they're in their 40s with children. The relationship changes from player-coach to a friendship," Plunkett said. "It's really rewarding for me and my family. I stay in touch with a good many of my former players."

Chief's reach goes beyond what's happening on the ice. Jack Michaels is the play-by-play announcer for the Edmonton Oilers, but early in his career called Meadville games in the 1990s.

"Jamie was instrumental in furthering my career, spending countless hours with me on and off the air going over nuances of the game and the principles on which his program has thrived," Michaels said. "Most importantly, while he's been a terrific coach, he's a much better friend. Anyone who knows him at all would tell you that."

Plunkett is also proud of his team's philanthropic efforts. The team has organized power play for prevention since about 2006. People will pledge to donate a certain amount of money for every power play goal throughout the season, then donate after the season.

"I think we've raised about $140,000 throughout the years. We started with the Susan G. Komen Foundation, but for the past ten or 11 years we've donated to the Yolanda G. Barco Oncology Institute," Plunkett said. "That's something we're proud of."

Chief is eternally grateful for what hockey and the community of Meadville has brought him and his family.

"We go after people to raise dollars to keep the cost of this expensive sport down for the kids. While we may not have won as much in recent years as we did previously, the commitment is still there from the community," Plunkett said. "I think the kids over the years have had a great experience here. That's something great from a small town, all the support. I want to thank everyone for helping make it such a great experience."