Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Athletics

John Burke took over the women's hockey program in 2003-04 and has led the Engineers to 174 wins in his time as the head coach. Among the highlights of his career have been guiding the team into the Division I era, reaching the post-season in three consecutive seasons and becoming the program’s all-time winningest coach.

Burke has led Rensselaer to a great deal of success since the program went to Division I during the 2004-05 season and joined ECAC Hockey in 2006-07. Playing in the premier women’s hockey conference in the nation, he guided the program to three consecutive appearances in the league playoffs from 2008-09 to 2010-11.

In his first season with the women – Burke took over the program in October 2004 following the sudden death of his good friend Bill Cahill – the team finished 19-5-3 as a member of the Division III ranks. The Engineers had a nine-game unbeaten streak (8-0-1) and a 13-3-1 mark in the ECAC East, finishing second in the regular season before advancing to the league tournament championship game. Five players were named All-League, including freshman goaltender Rosina Schiff, who was also selected as a National All-America. The team finished eighth in the final national poll that season.

The 2004-05 campaign – its last in Division III – saw RPI advance once again advance to the championship game of the ECAC East Tournament and the team set the school record for wins in a season with 21 (21-6-0), including a 17-2-0 league mark. The Engineers, were second nationally in scoring defense (1.22 goals allowed per game), fourth in power play percentage (20.5) and eighth in scoring offense (4.52) and once again had an AHCA National All-America in sophomore forward Julie Aho, who led the team in scoring for the second straight season.

As an NCAA Division I independent in 2005-06, Burke led the Engineers to a 9-0-1 start and an 18-6-2 overall record, including victories over Colgate, Northeastern, Connecticut and Boston University. RPI was among the national leaders in a number of categories, including fourth in winning percentage (.731) and seventh in scoring offense (3.23). Numerous players had outstanding seasons, including Schiff, who became the program’s all-time leader in wins (40) and games played (65), among others. As a team, the Engineers were presented with the prestigious Rensselaer Alumni Association Team of the Year award.

The following season, 2006-07, Rensselaer rebounded from a tough start to go 11-6-1 over an 18-game span and closed out the year with the 20th-ranked scoring offense in the nation (2.60 goals per game). The Engineers, who were 12-22-1 overall and 8-13-1 in the league, finished eighth in the standings, which qualified them for the league playoffs. Individually, second-year captain Sarah Daniel concluded her career with her second consecutive National Academic All-America honor.

The 2007-08 campaign saw Rensselaer post a 13-15-5 record, including a 6-12-4 ECAC Hockey mark. The Engineers matched the single season record for ties, including it’s first-ever point against then nationally-ranked Dartmouth in a 1-1 draw in Hanover. RPI excelled off the ice as well, producing a league-high 20 selections on the ECAC Hockey All-Academic team.

Burke led Rensselaer to its most successful Division I season in 2008-09 as the Engineers finished as the conference’s runner-up at the league tournament after defeating Princeton in the quarterfinals and Harvard in the semifinals. RPI, which was 19-14-4 overall and 11-8-3 in the league, knocked off the Crimson, 3-2 in overtime to advance to its first championship game. RPI, which lost to the Big Green in the finals, posted an overall record of 19-14-4, including an 11-8-3 ECAC Hockey mark.

The Engineers advanced to the league playoff semifinals in 2009-10, finishing with 16-15-6 overall mark and an 11-7-4 record in the standings. The fifth seed in the tournament, RPI won its quarterfinal series against Quinnipiac, 2 games to 1, which included a dramatic five-overtime victory in game three that was the longest game in NCAA Hockey history at the time. Rensselaer, which lost its last game to Cornell, which went on to play for the NCAA Championship, was led by senior Allison Wright. She produced 12 goals with 15 assists for 27 points. Off the ice, RPI saw 15 student-athletes named to the ECAC Hockey All-Academic squad, led by Laura Gersten, who was the ECAC Hockey Student-Athlete of the Year and awarded the Sarah Devens Award.

In 2010-11, RPI posted a 10-18-7 record, going 8-12-2 in ECAC Hockey play, which was good enough to secure its third straight berth in the conference playoffs. RPI lost in the quarterfinals to eventual league champion and Frozen Four participant, Cornell.

RPI finished tied for eighth in the conference standings in 2011-12 (9-21-4 overall; 6-14-2 ECAC Hockey) but fell short of making their fourth straight ECAC Hockey Playoff appearance on a tie-breaker. The squad was led by senior captain Alisa Harrison, who was a finalist for the conference's Best Defensive Forward Award for the second straight season.

The team made it back to the post-season in 2012-13, though it lost to Clarkson in the first round, including an overtime defeat. Rensselaer, which was 8-12-2 in the league and 10-22-4 overall, was led in scoring by freshman Alexa Gruschow, who had 14 goals and 27 points on her way to earning All-Rookie Team honors. The following year, Gruschow again led the team in scoring (20 points), while Jordan Smelker, who was invited to numerous USA Hockey Tryout Camps throughout her career, was first in goals. Off the ice, Schiff was chosen for induction into the Rensselaer Athletics Hall of Fame.

Following three years without a playoff appearance, the Engineers qualified at the eighth seed in 2015-16, following a 8-9-5 ECAC Hockey record. RPI visited top seed Quinnipiac and was swept in the best-of-three series, despite going to overtime in each contest. The team finished with a 10-17-7 mark, which included a win over fourth-ranked Clarkson (2-1) and a sweep of the season series with Cornell. Freshman goaltender Lovisa Selander was named to the ECAC Hockey All-Rookie Team.

In addition to his duties at Rensselaer, Burke works with many of the nation’s elite players as a coach at the USA Hockey Girls’ Select 15 Festival in Rochester, N.Y., including in the summer of 2009. He previously worked with the Girls’ Select 16 Festival in the summers of 2007 and 2008, coached at the USA Hockey Girls’ Select 14 Festival in 2006 and at the USA Hockey Girls’ Select 17/18 Festival in Lake Placid in the summers of 2004 and 2005.

Prior to his post with the women’s program, Burke, who is 157-164-39 as the head women’s coach, was as an assistant coach with Rensselaer’s men’s team for eight years. Among his responsibilities were mentoring the goaltenders, working with the defensemen and recruiting.

While with the men, Burke helped the team to a 142-125-20 record from 1995 to 2003. Among the top seasons was 2001-02, when the Engineers finished 20-13-4 overall and 10-9-3 in the ECAC. They tied for third place in the regular season standings and finished third in the ECAC Tournament. In addition, two players earned national recognition for their outstanding seasons, including Marc Cavosie, who was the ECAC Player of the Year, a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as the top collegiate player in the U.S., and a National First Team All-America, and Matt Murley, a National All-America.

The 2000-01 campaign saw Rensselaer make its 19th consecutive ECAC Playoff appearance and in 1999-00, the Engineers went 22-13-2 to advance to the finals of the ECAC Tournament. Other highlights included a third place finish in the league standings and three players being named National All-America. One of those was Joel Laing, a goaltender who was recognized as the ECAC’s top netminder and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award.

Rensselaer finished 23-12-2 in 1998-99, compiling the school’s highest win total since the 1985 National Championship season (35-2-1).

A native of Newton, Mass., Burke began his coaching career as the head coach at Worcester Academy in Massachusetts. In his lone season he led the team to an 18-4-1 record and the 1993 Division II New England Prep School Championship, earning the league’s Coach of the Year Award. He then spent the next two years as an assistant coach at Hamilton College before joining RPI’s staff in 1995.

A 1991 graduate of Bowling Green University in Ohio, Burke was a member of the 1988 Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) Championship team and helped the Falcons qualify for three consecutive NCAA Tournaments.

Burke and his wife, Mary, reside in Albany.