Men's Ice Hockey
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Phone:
- 603-862-1161
Mike Souza is currently in his eighth season as the head coach at UNH in 2025-2026. Souza, a 2000 UNH graduate, ascended to the head coaching position following three seasons as an associate head coach under Dick Umile, who retired after 28 years as the Wildcats' head coach.
Souza guided the 2023-24 team to a 20-15-1 (.569) overall record which was its best in 11 years when the Wildcats went 20-12-7 (.603) in 2012-13. This was UNH’s first 20-win season in 10 years when the ‘Cats recorded a 22-18-1 record in 2013-14. The ‘Cats, who were picked 10th in the Hockey East Preseason Poll, tied for fifth in the standings going 12-11-1 with 36 points which was their best finish in 10 years when the Wildcats were tied for fourth in 2013-14. The 12 wins were the most for the program in 11 seasons when the team went 13-8-6 in 2012-13.
UNH was nationally ranked for 20-consecutive weeks which included a No. 10 ranking on Nov. 20 which was the first time in six seasons the ‘Cats were in the top-10 as they were No. 9 on Nov. 6, 2017.
The 'Cats went 14-4-1 at the Whittemore Center at Key Auto Group Complex including a 6-3-1 record versus nationally ranked teams, marking the most wins at home in 16 seasons when UNH also went 14-4-1 in 2007-08. The ‘Cats defeated No. 1 Boston University, 6-4, in the home-opener on Oct. 13. The last time UNH defeated the No. 1 ranked team in the nation was a 3-2 win versus Cornell on April 10, 2003 in the national semifinal game in Buffalo, N.Y.
The Wildcats earned their first home playoff game in nine years as they defeated UMass Lowell, 1-0, in the Hockey East Opening Round. UNH’s home attendance of 103,816 was its most in 10 seasons when 104,841 fans went to the Whitt in 2013-14.
During his time as head coach the Wildcats have had 14 NHL Draft picks on the roster and student-athletes from seven different countries.
UNH won its first game under Souza with a 3-2 overtime victory versus Vermont in the home opener on Oct. 27, 2018.
In 2019, UNH competed in the Friendship Four in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where the Wildcats posted a 3-2 win over Princeton.
In his role as associate head coach for three years, Souza worked directly with the defensemen and the power play. In his first season (2015-16), UNH boasted the best power-play percentage (.239) in Hockey East, which was ranked sixth in the nation. Souza mentored future NHL forward Andrew Poturalski, who tied for the NCAA lead with 24 power-play points, and Matias Cleland, who was the nation’s leader among defensemen in power play points (18) and assists (14). Under Souza’s tutelage in 2016-17, senior forward Tyler Kelleher was named a Hobey Baker Finalist after ranking first nationally in points (63) and assists (39) while Cleland tied for third nationally and first in the conference in defenseman points (36).
Prior to returning to Durham as an associate head coach in 2015, the native of Wakefield, Mass., spent two seasons (2013-15) coaching under Mike Cavanaugh at the University of Connecticut. Souza assisted with all aspects of the program, focusing primarily on power plays and recruiting efforts; he was promoted to associate head coach in April 2015. In his final season at UConn, Souza played an integral role in transitioning the program into the Hockey East Association.
Souza began his coaching career with a two-year stint (2011-13) at Brown University as an assistant coach under Brendan Whittet. He was responsible for recruiting, game and practice preparation, and video breakdown for the Bears. During games he worked primarily with the team’s forwards, including four players who went on to reach the NHL: Bobby Farnham, Garnet Hathaway, Nick Lappin and Matt Lorito. In 2013, the Bears advanced to the ECAC Championship game.
Souza graduated from UNH following a decorated four-year career with the Wildcats from 1996-2000. During that time, the squad reached two Frozen Fours, including the national championship game against the University of Maine in 1999. In that game Souza, who led all Frozen Four participants with six points, scored a critical third-period goal that forced overtime, and he was subsequently named to the NCAA All-Regional Team and NCAA All-Tournament Team.
In 1999-2000, Souza won the Jim Urquhart Award as Student-Athlete of the Year, which is the highest honor bestowed upon a graduating student-athlete at UNH. He was also named to the New England All-Star Team, All-Hockey East Second Team and was feted with the Wildcat program’s Charles E. Holt Coaches Award for contributions both on and off the ice. In 156 career games, Souza totaled 156 points on 66 goals and 90 assists.
Souza was the 67th overall selection by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. He played professionally in the American Hockey League from 2000-05, and he played six additional seasons (2005-11) in Europe. From 2008-11, he was a member of the Italian National Team, participating in the IIHF World Championship all three years and winning the Division I gold medal in 2009 and 2011. In 2010, Souza and Team Italy participated in the Elite Division at the World Championships.
Souza, who was inducted into the Wakefield High School Hall of Fame in 2009, is married to Kelly McManus Souza, a member of the Boston College Varsity Club Hall of Fame who graduated in 2002 as the women’s hockey program’s single-season record holder for goals, assists and points. McManus Souza, the first Patty Kazmaier Award nominee in Boston College history, now is the head girls’ hockey coach at Berwick Academy and coaches the Souzas’ daughters, Ella and Ava, with the Assabet Valley Girls Ice Hockey Team in Concord, Mass. The Souza family resides in Portsmouth, N.H.
| All-Time UNH Head Coaches |
Seasons |
| Mike Souza | 2018- |
| Dick Umile | 1990-2018 |
| Bob Kullen | 1986-87*; 1988-90 |
| Charlie Holt | 1968-86 |
| Rube Bjorkman | 1964-68 |
| A. Barr Snively | 1961-1964 |
| Pepper Martin | 1951-1961 |
| Joseph Petroski | 1947-1951 |
| Tony Dougal | 1939-1947 |
| George Thurston | 1938-1939 |
| Carl Lundholm | 1936-1937 |
| Ernest Christensen | 1925-1936; 1937-38 |
| Hank Swasey | 1924-1925 |
| *Dave O'Connor was interim head coach in 1987-88 |
