Mark Frenette relied on his faith, especially the Holy Spirit, when he applied for the vacant varsity men's hockey coaching position at St. Dominic Academy.
“There was an unmistakable voice saying, 'Why don't you go coach at St. Dom's?'” Frenette said. “I was like, 'Okay, that's what we're going to do.'”
Frenette, a 1994 Saint Dom graduate, was named the Saints' next coach after Dan Dauteuil resigned earlier this spring.
St. Dom's is the first of three Lewiston-Auburn schools to fill the vacant men's hockey coaching position. Lewiston and Edward Little also have openings.
Frenette is familiar with some of St. Dom's current players, with his son (Class of 2023 Myles Frenette) playing on the hockey team.
“Part of the mission I feel is to raise up good young Christians and teach them hockey,” Frenette said. “Hopefully we can bring a few more championships back to St. Dom’s.”
The last time the Saints won a state championship was in 2019.
St. Dom's athletic director Brandon Rodgers said Frenette will make an immediate impact on the men's hockey team.
“Mark is a difference-maker for us from day one,” Rodgers said. “We had some great applicants on our hockey committee. He is a difference-maker on and off the ice and will help this program continue to reach its full potential year after year.” He will.”
The hockey committee in the hiring process consisted of Mr. Rogers, former St. Dom's athletic director and current St. Dom's Lewiston campus principal JP Yawkey, St. Dom's teacher Ernie Gagne, and women's hockey coach Paul Gosselin. there were. At St. Dom's.
Maine Gladiators 18U coach Mark Frenette laces up his skates before practice at Auburn's Norwegian Savings Bank Arena in March 2023. Frenette is the new varsity boys hockey coach at St. Dominic Academy. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal
Mr. Frenette, captain of the 1994 Class A state championship team, has previous coaching experience at the high school level. He served as an assistant to Jamie Bellow at Lewiston College from his 2009 until 2012.
“He was a well-respected person with tremendous character and was around this community, and that's important,” Rogers said of Frenette. “But more than that, his personality, his knowledge of hockey, and he's been doing this for a while. I think he's going to have a big impact on us. But it certainly helps him get to know the community here.” Masu.”
The first thing Frenette wants to do is establish a vision for the program's culture.
“What I’m looking forward to is building the culture,” Frenette said. “Hopefully, the culture will lead to success.”
The blueprint for how Lewiston built its culture under Bellow is something Frenette is looking forward to. Frenette said it's the entire village that can shape the culture, not just one coach.
Rodgers said building a team culture is also something he's looking for.
“Character building and relationships are a big part of what helps drive the program,” Rogers said.
Frenette also coaches in the Maine Gladiators organization, including at the 14U, 16U and 18U levels.
Frenette coached the Gladiators to a 2023 USA Hockey Tier II National Championship appearance. He stepped away from coaching last season.
“Last year we didn’t coach anyone all year,” Frenette said. “I said, 'Well, it's been a big part of my life and I really enjoyed it.' I didn't realize how much fun it was until I was away for about a year. That's my motivation. I think that's a big part of it too. I love coaching kids and the adrenaline that comes with the game. If you forget it for too long, you have to find a way to get it back. I was lucky to be able to do that.”
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