PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – One of the most decorated coaches in the history of college men's ice hockey has decided to hang up the whistle, as Plattsburgh State head coach Bob Emery announced his retirement last week.
 
"After 30 years, it is time," Emery said. "I want to thank everyone that was a part of the program the last 30 years, especially all of the student-athletes that I coached and the great fans of Cardinal Country. I wish the program nothing but the best going forward."
 
"It's nearly impossible to summarize Coach Emery's contributions to our entire athletic program over the past three decades," Plattsburgh State director of intercollegiate athletics and recreation Mike Howard said. "In addition to a long list of accomplishments which rival only a very select group of coaches across all three divisions, his unwavering commitment to Plattsburgh State and specifically to building Cardinal Hockey into a nationally recognized program has solidified him as a legend throughout Cardinal Country. His passion for the game and his relentless drive to providing our players with an unforgettable playing experience are just a few of the attributes that will forever set him apart from many in the profession."
 
Emery's storied head coaching career began in 1989-90, and during his time behind the Cardinal bench, he accumulated an overall record of 624-215-65. He led the Cardinals to two NCAA Division III national championships in 1992 and 2001, and under his guidance, Plattsburgh State won 16 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) titles. The Cardinals made 18 NCAA Division III Tournament appearances under Emery's direction, including 10 trips to the national semifinals.
 
Few coaches in the history of college hockey boast Emery's credentials. He is the fifth all-time winningest coach in men's ice hockey across both divisions of the sport within the NCAA, as he wrapped up his career with a .726 winning percentage. Emery also ranks 11th in NCAA men's ice hockey history in career victories with 624.
 
The Cardinals won at least 20 games on 18 occasions under Emery, which included a 32-2-2 mark during the 1992 national championship season. Emery led Plattsburgh State to its second NCAA Division III title in 2001, upsetting previously-undefeated and top-ranked Rochester Institute of Technology, 6-2, on the Tigers' home ice. The Cardinals finished with a 29-5-0 record against NCAA competition that season. In all 30 years of Emery's tenure as head coach, the Cardinals never had a losing season.
 
Emery, an eight-time SUNYAC Coach of the Year, mentored 22 different student-athletes to All-America recognition.
 
He began his tenure at Plattsburgh State as an assistant coach in 1988-89 under Steve Hoar. Before his Plattsburgh State arrival, Emery was a head coach in the six-team New England College Developmental League, a prep league for high school athletes with aspirations of playing at the collegiate level.

Emery was a 10th-round pick and No. 208 overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1982 National Hockey League Entry Draft. 

Instead of signing professionally after high school, he became a Hockey East All-Star and alternate captain by his senior year at Boston College. During his four years there, the Eagles made three NCAA Division I tournament appearances and won the prestigious Beanpot Championship in 1983.

After his college playing career, Emery was invited to the Montreal Canadiens' training camp. Then, he joined the Quebec Nordiques organization and played for its American Hockey League affiliate Fredericton Express for one season before ending his professional career with the Boston Bruins' minor league affiliate, the Maine Mariners.

Emery attended Matignon High School in Somerville, Mass., leading his team to three consecutive state championships while earning Boston Globe and Boston Herald All-Scholastic honors.

A 1986 graduate of Boston College as a marketing major, Emery earned a master's degree in leadership administration from Plattsburgh State in 1990.
 
"I could not be happier for Bob and have great respect for his decision to retire at this point in his career," Howard said. "I look forward in the months to come to working with others to find appropriate ways to honor his legacy and more formally recognize the dedication his entire family has shown to Plattsburgh State Athletics. A search for a new head men's ice hockey coach will begin immediately."