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Russo Named Head Coach of the Amarillo Bulls

By Neil Ravin - Director of PR & Social Media, 06/17/17, 9:00AM EDT

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2016-17 Coach of the Year Returns to Texas

AMARILLO, TX -- As the Eastern Hockey League (EHL) continues to prep for season #5, the mission continues to stay the same. The EHL provides a direct path to college hockey, and of course, every path is different. To date, the EHL has tallied over 650 NCAA Commitments, and throughout the past five years, has also helped over 50 players advance their way up the USA Hockey Ladder of Development to the United States Hockey League (USHL) and the North American Hockey League (NAHL).

Today, the EHL is very proud to announce that our advancements do not just include players, as Rocky Russo of the Philadelphia Little Flyers has been named the new Head Coach of the Amarillo Bulls.

"The EHL will definitely miss Rocky," said Mark Kumpel, the EHL's Directory of Hockey Operations. "Rocky is one of the best coaches I've ever worked with, and his dedication to his players is incredible. It's not just a seasonal job for Rocky, as he puts in the work all year long. While it's tough to see one of the top coaches move on, we couldn't be more proud or happy for Rocky. The Bulls know what he brings to the table, and I can't wait to follow him as he takes over behind the bench in Amarillo."

After 4 seasons with the Little Flyers, and 3 regular season championships, Russo definitely left his mark on the EHL. Every season Russo was in the running for EHL Coach of the Year, sharing the honor once and then winning the award outright this past season. The accolades are very impressive for Russo, as he'll also leave behind a pair of EHL records that may never be broken.

  • Winning Streak Record - 30 Games (2016-17 Season)
  • Point Streak Record - 33 Games (2016-17 Season)


"Rocky is the reason the Little Flyers turned into the team that they did," said Walpole Express head coach Jon Lounsbury. "I don't think there's a harder working guy out there. He's got a drive to win and his players play off his energy. We have had some good battles and his new coaching job is well deserved. Best of luck to Rocky in Amarillo."

As Russo gets set for the next chapter in his coaching career, there is some comfort in returning to a place that he's been before. During Russo's first tenure as an Assistant Coach with the Bulls, the program amassed a record of 153-41-20, winning two South Division regular season titles, three division playoff titles, and earned three consecutive trips to the Robertson Cup National Tournament. Russo and the Bulls were league-wide regular season champions in 2012 and 2013, and capped things off with the playoff title in 2013. The future is bright in Texas and John Giacobbo, the owner of the Little Flyers is looking forward to working with Rocky and the Bulls.

“On behalf of the Giacobbo family, the Little Flyers family I’d like to wish Rocky the best of luck as he moves up to the North American Hockey League as the head coach in Amarillo” said Little Flyers Owner John Giacobbo. He continued “Rocky has been a great asset to our organization, he elevated our program to the top of the EHL during his four years as our head coach and general manager. More important than winning, he brought in high character players that we are proud to call Little Flyers. I know he will be very successful in Amarillo, his dedication to his craft and willingness to learn and get better is unmatched. We are looking forward to having a good working relationship with the Bulls organization as our players try to move up the ladder of development under the USA Hockey umbrella to reach their ultimate goals of becoming NCAA Student-Athletes. We will all be rooting for Rocky and want to see him continually succeed as he will always be a part of the Little Flyers family” concluded Giacobbo.

The EHL congratulates Rocky on being named the 4th Head Coach in Amarillo Bulls history, and we would also like to extend a thank you for everything you did for our league. Good luck in Texas!