Tony Colistro, an original member of the OSA's TAC and the head coach of the Thunder Bay Chill, has stepped down from his duties as coach after 15 years.
The veteran boss leaves the bench with an all-time Chill record of 130-94-24 (W-L-T). Colistro leaves with an impressive play-off mark of 13-6-0, which saw him take the team to seven consecutive playoff appearances. Colistro's sides brought home six Heartland Division Titles, four Central Conference Championships, three National Championship appearances, and one PDL Championship in 2008 in Laredo, Texas.
“Obviously the 2008 Championship team will be one of the most memorable events for me and the organization, but seeing the club grow from the youth to the PDL has also been very satisfying as head coach,” said Colistro.
In 2008 the Chill became the first Canadian team to win the PDL Championship when they defeated the home side Laredo Heat in 100-plus Fahrenheit temperatures via penalty kicks.
“Since that victory I think it just installed a sense of confidence to move forward and never look back. Every year we want to win the title now,” said Colistro. “I think the greatest thing about any coaching is not the wins and losses but the players that come into your life and the impact you have on them. What I will miss the most is the connection with the players,” he added.
Click here to read more about the news and Colistro's time at the club.