Charlie Van Kula is the new varsity hockey coach at St. Joseph’s Prep. He replaces David Giacomin who spent 14 seasons behind the Hawks’ bench.
For the past three seasons Van Kula has coached the Hawks’ JV Gray team. He has also served as a varsity assistant and been a coach for the Ed Snider Youth Hockey organization.
A St. Joseph’s Prep graduate, Van Kula was a four-year letter winner as a goaltender for the Hawks before going on to Boston College where he was a student manager apart from a brief stint as a walk on during the 2015-16 season.
Van Kula returned to the Prep in 2018-19 as an Alumni Service Corps member, during which time he served as a Varsity and JV assistant coach. He was a frequent presence at subsequent Prep Hockey summer camps and clinics.
Van Kula has also coached with a variety of the Ed Snider Youth Hockey and Education organization’s programs from 2018-2021. Since 2022 he has been a full-time member of St. Joseph Prep’s Institutional Advancement team.
In addition to his coaching and playing experience, Van Kula has been an on-ice official for the past 17 seasons, including three full-time seasons in the USHL and NAHL. He currently referees at the NCAA Division I and Division III levels.
– Rick Woelfel, www.hockeyhappenings.com
