Mark Mobus was at the helm when Amherst won its last Section VI Championship in 2010. It was not only the first Section Championship in school history, but the Tigers’ 12-10-2 record that year was the first winning record in program history as well.
And now, he’s back.
Mobus left Amherst after the 2012-13 season for the Buffalo Jr. Sabres organization, where he coached for the past few years. Now, Mobus has taken on a new role with the Jr. Sabres that will allow him to return to Amherst.
Former Amherst coach James Ryan resigned following the 2016-17 season, and the timing was perfect for Mobus.
“I had just switched roles with the Buffalo Jr. Sabres from coaching to an administrative role managing the midget programs,” Mobus explained. “I looked into if I could do both jobs with the Sabres and coaching at Amherst, and it would work.”
Mobus teaches at Smallwood Elementary School in the Amherst School District, and his familiarity with the students and history with the program drew him back.
“Being a teacher in the district and having a connection with the kids that I taught through the elementary years at Smallwood, I felt the need to try to bring some success back to the program and to have a connection with the school again,” Mobus said.
Amherst hockey hasn’t seen much success recently, with a league record of 2-12-1-1 last season. There isn’t a strong hockey culture at Amherst. Mobus expects just 17 players for the 2017-18 season, not including incoming freshmen, and many of them do not play travel hockey.
Mobus has two goals for the program: positivity and pride. He discussed both with Amherst athletic director Dr. Kiel Illg and was given the coaching job and the green light to go ahead with a plan that includes an overnight road trip and new equipment. He’ll combine his familiarity with Amherst and his experiences from coaching with the Jr. Sabres to do what he can to improve hockey culture for the Tigers.
“I’m trying to give these kids a positive experience,” Mobus said. “That’s my goal. And another goal is just for the kids to be proud of playing at Amherst and for their parents to be proud of what their son is doing at Amherst High School. I’m taking them on an overnight trip, so they can experience that. So getting them on a trip, scheduling some non-league opponents that they never see or did not see in previous years, just trying to change it up in that way, and of course we’re getting some new equipment for them.”
With 17 returning players and familiarity with most of them, Mobus is looking forward to providing a spot on the team and a positive experience for each one.
“The names that I have so far that I’ve obtained through either the parents or the previous team, I’ve taught many of them at elementary at Smallwood, so I already have a little connection with them,” Mobus said. “As far as the incoming freshmen, I only know of a couple, so I anticipate whoever’s showing up, to hopefully find a spot for them and to, again, provide a positive experience for them.”