Fenwick hires Anderson as girls hockey coach

Doug Anderson is the new girls hockey coach at Bishop Fenwick High School.”I’m very excited about this opportunity,” said Anderson, whose 33-year coaching career includes stops with the boys programs at alma mater English, Classical, Swampscott and Fenwick. “I’m looking forward to it. It’s really more about the girls. I’m elated. I’d like to see what we can do to build the program up.”The Crusader program is entering its second year as a varsity sport. Before that, it was a club team for one year and essentially a JV team for another year, Fenwick AD David Woods said.Anderson and Woods met on Monday, and on Wednesday Anderson met with principal Sr. Cathy Fleming.”That was when I really knew,” Anderson said. “The last 48 hours have been very rewarding.”Anderson will bring longtime assistant John Kasle to the program and “put together a staff,” he said.He added, “I’m more of a teacher than a coach. I think I have the patience, and I certainly know the game. I’d like to teach the girls, work on skills and hopefully the team concept.””(Anderson) has a great demeanor,” Woods said. “I think the girls are going to love him. He’s very patient.”Brian Seabury, who coached Fenwick last year, accepted a head coaching position at Beverly High.Woods said that the interview process for Seabury’s replacement “was great. There were a lot of applicants, a couple very qualified, very good applicants that we interviewed and talked to. We decided on Doug.”Anderson has strong Lynn and Fenwick ties.After graduating from American International College and a stint with the St. Louis Blues, he served as an assistant to Hall of Fame coach Harold “Ben” Foote at English from 1973 to 1976, winning two Northeastern Conference championships. He was the head coach at Classical (1976-80) and then coached Swampscott (1981-92), accumulating over 100 wins and seven state tournament visits.He served as an assistant on the Crusader boys teams from 1993 to 1996, a span in which Fenwick won two Catholic Central titles.Anderson’s time at Fenwick included what Woods described as “a couple of our best years. In ’95-’96 (we went to the) Garden. His son was a captain on that team.”In fact, Anderson had two sons playing, one at Fenwick and one at English.Anderson joined Jim Dakin’s staff at Classical from 1996 to 2003, and from 2003-06 he returned to English as head coach. He retired from coaching in 2006.He is also a former Lynn elementary school teacher, including 25 years (1983-2008) at Cobbet, where he was a fourth grade teacher and a lead teacher. He retired in 2008.”I loved, really loved doing it,” Anderson said. “I was a very dedicated teacher.”This season will mark the first time since 2006 that Anderson will coach high school hockey.”I was just really anxious now,” he said. “The opportunity came up. It’s a program I can take hold of and maybe rebuild.”I’m excited. I’m taking the opportunity and accepting it. I’m all in and excited.”Rich Tenorio can be reached at [email protected].