Fuller Coaches In 1,000th Career Game
Fitchburg, Mass. – Fitchburg State Ice Hockey Head Coach Dean Fuller coached in his 1,000th career game after guiding the Falcons to a 4-3 victory over the Rams of Framingham State on Thursday, January 12, 2023. With this milestone, Fuller becomes just the 20th head coach across all NCAA divisions and just the second head coach in Division III to reach one thousand career games coached.
Fuller, a 1978 graduate of Fitchburg State and former standout ice hockey player for the Green and Gold, took over the helm from legendary coach Jim Gorman in 1984. Throughout his time on the bench, Dean has accrued a career record of 585-351-64, while leading the Falcons to 27 winning seasons and numerous conference titles post-season accolades.
Entering his 39th season, Coach Fuller has coached over 250 players. Through the 2021-22 season, his .618 winning percentage ranks 15th all-time in NCAA DIII history, while ranking sixth in Division III in wins (585).
Fuller is second behind Salem State University's William "Billy" O'Neil in career games. O'Neil has guided the Vikings since 1978 with 1126 games behind the bench.
Fuller's coaching career began on November 19, 1984, with a 7-5 win over Stonehill College.
Fuller's 1989-90 squad was recently inducted into the FSU Athletics Hall of Fame. That season the team posted an overall record of 21-7 and captured the 1990 ECAC North/South Championship.
The Green and Gold also captured ECAC North/South titles in 1994, 1996, and 1999. They were ECAC North Champions in 1988, 1991, and 1982. In the MASCAC, Fuller's teams were regular season champions in 1989, 1996, and 2010.
During the 2010-11 campaign, Fuller led Fitchburg State to an overall record of 18-9-1 and the 2010-11 MASCAC Tournament Championship crown. The fourth-seeded Falcons defeated second-seeded Salem State 6-5 in overtime on the road, for the title
In 2017-18, Fuller guided the Green and Gold to an overall record of 18-7-3 and an 11-4-3 mark in the MASCAC as the Falcons secured the second seed in the MACAC tournament. The Falcons captured the title and an NCAA bid with a 2-0 triumph over the fourth-seeded Corsairs of UMass Dartmouth.
Over the course of his career, Fuller had eight seasons with over twenty wins, 11 seasons with at least a .700-win percentage, and one season with a .800 win percentage. Fuller has collected several individual accolades including three MASCAC Coach of the Year honors.
A pre-game ceremony honoring Fuller's achievement will be held this Saturday, January 14th when the Falcons face UMass Dartmouth at 4:00 PM at the Wallace Civic Center.
Click HERE to see photos of Coach Fuller Through the Years
