:Jim Cross (ice hockey coach)

{{Short description|American ice hockey player and coach (1933–2020)}}

{{Infobox college coach

| name = Jim Cross

| image = Jim Cross Vermont Hockey.jpg

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_date = January 29, 1933

| birth_place = Weymouth, Massachusetts, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2020|5|2|1933|1|29}}

| death_place = Savannah, Georgia, U.S.

| alma_mater = Boston University

| player_years1 = 1958–1960

| player_team1 = Boston University

| player_positions = Forward

| coach_years1 = 1965–1984

| coach_team1 = Vermont

| overall_record = 280–251–9 ({{winpct|280|251|9}})

| bowl_record =

| tournament_record =

| championships = 1970 ECAC II tournament champion
1973 ECAC II Champion
1973 ECAC II tournament champion
1974 ECAC II Champion
1974 ECAC II tournament champion
1980 ECAC Hockey West Division Champion

| awards = 1973 Edward Jeremiah Award
1975 Harry Cleverly Alumni Award
1996 University of Vermont Athletic Hall of Fame
2001 AHCA John MacInnes Award
2019 Hobey Baker Legends of College Hockey Award
2020 Vermont Sports Hall of Fame

| coaching_records =

}}

James M. Cross (January 29, 1933 – May 2, 2020) was an American ice hockey player and coach who led the Vermont Catamounts of the University of Vermont for nineteen seasons.{{cite news|title=Jim Cross |url=https://uvmathletics.com/hof.aspx?hof=211 |publisher=University of Vermont Athletic Hall of Fame |accessdate=October 14, 2018}}

Playing career

Cross graduated from Boston University in 1960, having played ice hockey for the Terriers for two seasons. In his senior year, he helped the team record a third-place finish at the 1960 NCAA men's ice hockey tournament.{{cite web |author=Wally Shaver |url=https://www.hobeybaker.com/news_article/show/999616 |title=Jim Cross Named Hobey Baker "Legend of College Hockey" |publisher=hobeybaker.com |date=February 28, 2019 |accessdate=September 25, 2019 |archive-date=October 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211022065758/https://www.hobeybaker.com/news_article/show/999616 |url-status=dead }} While at BU, Cross played collegiate summer baseball with the Dennis Clippers of the Cape Cod Baseball League.{{cite news | title = Dennis Clippers Overcome Orleans to Win Lower Cape Championship | pages = 7, 10 | newspaper = Central Cape Press | location = Harwich, MA | date = September 6, 1956 | url = https://brooksfreelibrary.microsearch.net/Document?db=BROOKS-FREELIBRARY&query=(select+0+(byhits+(andf+(field+DOCUMENT+(phrase+clippers))+(eq+DATE+%601956%2F09%2F06)))) }}{{cite news | last =Arnold | first =Pete | title = Pitchin' With Pete | pages = 15 | newspaper = The Cape Codder | location = Orleans, MA | date = August 22, 1957 | url = https://snow-library.com/viewer/2348?medianame=1957_thecapecodder_vol12_issue28_orleans_000015 }}{{cite news | title = Girsch Too Much For Yarmouth | pages = 4 | newspaper = Yarmouth Register | location = Yarmouth, MA | date = July 25, 1958 | url = http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/APA/Yarmouth/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=SYR%2F1958%2F07%2F25&id=Ar00417&sk=3AE1E5A2&viewMode=image }}{{cite news | last =Hunt | first =Lee | title = Talking Sports | pages = 7 | newspaper = Yarmouth Register | location = Yarmouth, MA | date = December 16, 1960 | url = http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/APA/Yarmouth/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=SDYR%2F1960%2F12%2F16&id=Ar00700&sk=48B7AD83&viewMode=image }}

Coaching career

After graduating from BU, Cross became the director of physical education at Lyman C. Hunt School, a position he held for four years before accepting the head coaching position at nearby Vermont. Cross joined the program in only its third year of existence and took a few years to get the team going in the right direction. In 1970 Cross won his first ECAC 2 tournament title but did not participate in the national tournament because the Division II championship did not start until 1978. After two more good seasons Cross's teams won back-to-back ECAC II titles, and went undefeated in conference play in 1973, earning Cross the Edward Jeremiah Award that year.{{cite news|title=Coaches of the Year |url=http://www.ahcahockey.com/coty.php |publisher=American Hockey Coaches Association |accessdate=October 14, 2018}}

In 1974 Vermont promoted its program to Division I and was immediately accepted into ECAC Hockey. The Catamounts exceeded general expectation by finishing the season with a 24–12 record and in third place in the conference. The team also finished third in the ECAC tournament. After this promising start, Vermont declined to middling records for four years before winning an ECAC West divisional title in 1980. The 1979–80 season was Cross's last winning season, and over his final four years Vermont finished no higher than 12th in the conference. In 1984 Cross resigned, saying, "I want to step aside before I get to the burnout stage."{{cite news|title=Cross's 19th Season His Last at Vermont |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/01/01/sports/cross-s-19th-season-his-last-at-vermont.html |work=The New York Times |date=January 1, 1984 |accessdate=October 14, 2018}}

Cross remained with the University of Vermont until his retirement in 1994 and two years later was inducted into the University of Vermont Athletic Hall of Fame. He was honored in 2001 with the American Hockey Coaches Association's John MacInnes Award, which "recognizes those people who have shown a great concern for amateur hockey and youth programs."{{cite web|url=https://ahcahockey.com/awards.php |title=AHCA Awards|website=The American Hockey Coaches Association}} In 2019, Cross received the prestigious Hobey Baker Legends of College Hockey Award,{{cite web|url=https://www.uscho.com/2019/02/28/former-vermont-coach-cross-tabbed-2019-hobey-baker-legend-of-college-hockey-recipient/ |title=Former Vermont coach Cross tabbed 2019 Hobey Baker Legend of College Hockey recipient |publisher=uscho.com |date=February 28, 2019 |accessdate=May 6, 2020}} and in 2020, he was inducted into the Vermont Sports Hall of Fame.{{cite web|author=Austin Danforth |url=https://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/sports/2020/01/29/vermont-sports-hall-fame-announces-inductees-class-2020/4613807002/ |title=Vermont Sports Hall of Fame unveils inductees for 2020 |publisher=burlingtonfreepress.com |date=January 29, 2020 |accessdate=May 6, 2020}}

Later life and death

In his later years, Cross lived in Savannah, Georgia,{{Cite web|url=https://www.savannahnow.com/sports/20190520/savannahs-jim-cross-to-receive-legacy-award-in-college-hockey|title=Savannah's Jim Cross to receive legacy award in college hockey}} and died there of complications from COVID-19 on May 2, 2020, at age 87, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Georgia (U.S. state).[https://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/sports/college/vermont/2020/05/03/former-uvm-hockey-coach-jim-cross-dies-due-covid-19-complications/3075891001/ Former UVM hockey coach Jim Cross dies due to COVID-19 complications]{{Cite web|url=https://www.bradleybanderson.com/obituary/James-Cross|title = Obituary for James M Cross | Bradley B Anderson Funeral Home}}

College head coaching record

{{CBB Yearly Record Start

|type=coach

|conference=

|postseason=

|poll=no

}}

{{CIH yearly record subhead

|name = Vermont Catamounts men's ice hockey

|color = color:white; background:#005710; {{box-shadow border|a|#FFC20E|2px}}

|startyear = 1965

|conflong = ECAC 2

|conference = ECAC 2

|endyear = 1974

|}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1965–66

| name = Vermont

| overall = 8–11–0

| conference = 8–7–0

| confstanding = 7th

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1966–67

| name = Vermont

| overall = 5–14–0

| conference = 4–9–0

| confstanding = 12th

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1967–68

| name = Vermont

| overall = 12–11–0

| conference = 12–6–0

| confstanding = T–4th

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1968–69

| name = Vermont

| overall = 13–12–0

| conference = 11–8–0

| confstanding = 10th

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference tournament

| season = 1969–70

| name = Vermont

| overall = 16–8–0

| conference = 14–4–0

| confstanding = 2nd

| postseason = ECAC II Champion

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1970–71

| name = Vermont

| overall = 17–9–0

| conference = 14–4–0

| confstanding = 2nd

| postseason = ECAC II Runner-Up

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1971–72

| name = Vermont

| overall = 17–7–2

| conference = 13–3–1

| confstanding = T–2nd

| postseason = ECAC II Semifinals

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = confboth

| season = 1972–73

| name = Vermont

| overall = 24–7–0

| conference = 19–0–0

| confstanding = 1st

| postseason = ECAC II Champion

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = confboth

| season = 1973–74

| name = Vermont

| overall = 28–5–0

| conference = 18–1–0

| confstanding = 1st

| postseason = ECAC II Champion

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Vermont

| overall = 140–84–2

| confrecord = 113–42–1

}}

{{CIH yearly record subhead

|name = {{color|white|Vermont Catamounts}}

|color = color:white; background:#005710; {{box-shadow border|a|#FFC20E|2px}}

|startyear = 1974

|conflong = ECAC Hockey

|conference = ECAC Hockey

|endyear = 1984

|}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1974–75

| name = Vermont

| overall = 24–12–0

| conference = 12–5–0

| confstanding = 3rd

| postseason = ECAC third-place game (win)

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1975–76

| name = Vermont

| overall = 15–16–1

| conference = 9–13–0

| confstanding = 11th

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1976–77

| name = Vermont

| overall = 15–15–0

| conference = 10–13–0

| confstanding = 11th

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1977–78

| name = Vermont

| overall = 15–16–0

| conference = 9–14–0

| confstanding = T–11th

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1978–79

| name = Vermont

| overall = 12–18–0

| conference = 11–10–0

| confstanding = 8th

| postseason = ECAC Quarterfinals

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = division

| season = 1979–80

| name = Vermont

| overall = 23–12–0

| conference = 16–7–0

| confstanding = 4th

| postseason = ECAC Quarterfinals

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1980–81

| name = Vermont

| overall = 9–23–2

| conference = 4–16–2

| confstanding = 16th

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1981–82

| name = Vermont

| overall = 11–16–2

| conference = 8–12–2

| confstanding = 12th

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1982–83

| name = Vermont

| overall = 6–21–1

| conference = 3–16–1

| confstanding = 15th

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1983–84

| name = Vermont

| overall = 10–18–1

| conference = 6–13–1

| confstanding = 14th

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Vermont

| overall = 140–167–7

| confrecord = 88–119–6

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record End

|overall = 280–251–9{{cite news |title=Vermont Hockey 2018–19 Record Book |url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/uvm.internetconsult.com/documents/2018/5/23/MHKYRecordBook_2017_18.pdf |publisher=Vermont Catamounts |accessdate=October 14, 2018 }}{{Dead link|date=October 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

|confrecord =

}}