Bill Belisle, a Rhode Island high school hockey coach who led Mount Saint Charles Academy to 32 state championships and had more than 20 players picked by NHL teams during his four decades at the helm, has died, according to the school.
Belisle died on Wednesday, according to the school’s Facebook page. He was 92 years old at the time. The cause of death hasn’t been revealed.
“Personally, I remember Bill from my time as a student, then as a teacher and coach, and again when I returned to Mount as president,” wrote Alan Tenreiro, president of the Catholic school in Woonsocket. “He was always there as a guide and was an exceptional mentor to students and staff, and to family and friends. The world has lost one of its greatest coaches.”
Normand “Bill” Belisle, a 1948 graduate and Korean War veteran, took over as coach in 1975 and went on to win 32 state championships, including 26 in a row from 1978 to 2003. In 2019, he announced his retirement.
Brian Lawton, the first American to be taken first overall in 1983, and Bryan Berard, the first overall pick in 1995, were two of his players drafted.
Belisle, who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the United States, is survived by four sons and several grandkids.