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As has been rumored for over a month now, Boston University has added Albie O'Connell and Scott Young to its coaching staff, per Tim Healey of the Daily Free Press. Both are former Terrier players under the legendary Jack Parker, who retired after last season.
O'Connell comes to Boston University from Harvard, where he served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator since 2011. The Watertown, Mass. native previously worked as an assistant at Northeastern, Merrimack, Holy Cross, Niagara and Division III Colby College.
O'Connell is known as a great recruiter and helped Northeastern land such prospects as Jon Gillies and John Gaudreau, before both de-committed during a coaching regime change on Huntington Ave.
O'Connell had 42 goals and 66 assists in 149 games in a Terrier uniform before embarking on a short minor pro career in the ECHL and Europe. He served as team captain for BU in his senior season, the 1998-99 campaign.
O'Connell is filling the void left by former assistant Buddy Powers, who has decided to move back to Ohio. Powers served as an assistant coach at BU for the past few seasons after having previously been a head coach at RPI and Bowling Green.
Young, a former Terrier great, comes to Commonwealth Ave. after having served as head coach at his high school alma mater, St. Mark's, for the past four seasons. He replaces Pertti Hasanen as the team's Director of Hockey Operations.
A Clinton, Mass. native, Young played in 1,181 career games in the NHL, notching 342 goals and 415 assists. He was drafted No. 11 overall in the first round of the 1986 NHL Draft. Young played just two seasons at BU before turning pro, but he was named Hockey East Rookie of the Year in 1986.
Boston University is coming off a disappointing ninth place finish in Hockey East, but has one of the top recruiting classes in the country led by projected superstar Jack Eichel of Chelmsford, Mass. First year assistant Steve Greeley has hit the recruiting trail hard, securing many top commitments for BU.