Northeastern Next Podcast

Coach , DMSB’86 6 Beanpots, 1 Chicken Lou

Aired on September 14, 2020

Meghan Brisson: Hi Coach Madigan. Welcome to the Northeastern Next podcast.

Coach Jim Madigan: Pleasure to be with you. Thanks for having me.

Meghan Brisson: I think whether you are a sports fan or not, Northeastern hockey is ingrained in the campus culture, the traditions and memories, and we have three consecutive wins. And this past spring, a season that ended too soon due to the pandemic. But beyond coaching, you are a member of the Northeastern family from student to alumni, staff to parent, and I’d just love to dive into where it all began.

Coach Jim Madigan: It's 39 years ago this month when I first set foot onto our campus. I was volunteering, helping out with our move in process, and I walked by White Hall, and that's where I moved in as a freshman in the fall, September of 1981. And I had flashbacks about pulling up the car -- and my mom and dad, we drove down from Toronto and moved in. And it was a different Northeastern of course back then, but it was great memories. And it was in that building, White Hall, where I actually met my wife. And this time of the year is always exciting because it's a brand new, fresh faces and crop of new freshmen who are excited to begin their journey at Northeastern and their educational and college journey. You see it's very vibrant around campus, even amongst a different type of move in this year because of COVID-19.

Meghan Brisson:

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It's nice to see. I mean, I haven't been on campus myself, but watching the pictures and students and there's still energy there, even though things have to be done a little differently. When you think back to your student experience in the 80s, what stands out to you as the biggest difference than the one we see today?

Coach Jim Madigan: Northeastern back then, we had probably 20,000 full time undergraduates and we had a housing capacity of probably 3,300. We really catered towards the commuters and only the freshmen for the most part, and some of the athletes were on campus. It was more of a transient experience back then. And saying that, we still all had a great time. We got a great education. We had a chance to meet some wonderful people and relationships and friendships that I hold to this day. And the university did a great job of educating and co-op was a big part. And that was the one connector, for all of us at the university back then was co-op and you used your co-op experience, which helped gain you a foot into the door professionally.

Now, this campus, it's just taken off. The difference from then to now -- the physical campus for one is just tremendous and to see all the beautification and landscaping that the university undertook beginning in 1986 and Jack Malone and the physical plant people and the facilities have just done a great job with the beautification. And then the residential experience now is on campus with all of the new dorms. We’re no longer that commuter school, residential-based campus and a campus that has plenty of opportunities and amenities to offer our students.

And then the academic experience and again, we got a solid foundation, academic foundation back in the 80s and 90s, but it transformed itself academically, to the point where we changed our model. Where instead of bringing in 4,000 freshmen students every year, we brought it down to 2,800 and focus more on quality versus quantity. And it's paid off. With that, you can attract better students, quality students. And the academic side of it is just tremendous. And we can cite the numbers of 70,000 almost applications every year for 2,800 spots, but when you combine all three of those, the academics, the social components and opportunities, and the beautification, the aesthetics of the university, it's a home run.

And then under this leadership -- President Aoun has just taken our university to another level over the last 14 years where, hey, we're a hot school and we've been a hot

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school for awhile. I know we're going to continue to be a hot school for our students over the next few years.

Meghan Brisson: Personally, I've actually worked at Northeastern for the past seven years. But when we think about loyalty and tenure at a university, you definitely beat me tenfold on that. And so, when you graduated, did you start right away on the coaching staff? Talk us through your career path up until now.

Coach Jim Madigan: What I was able to do while I was a student is get ahead of myself academically -- a few classes. My last co-op job, I worked at the university of Vermont as an assistant hockey coach. I wanted to get into coaching. I had a great experience with two fabulous coaches in and Don McKenney, who were my coaches and I learned a lot from them. And they taught us a lot about growing up and being men and so, coaching was something I wanted to continue. I grew up in Montreal and Toronto so I've been around the sport for a long time.

And that experience through co-op allowed me to go to Vermont for a full two and a half semesters. Back then, we're on the quarter system so it was the fall quarter, it was the winter quarter, a little bit of the spring quarter, I stole a little bit of time there. And then I only needed to go to one quarter my senior year, which was my last year and graduate. Co-op really helped launch my career and opportunities into coaching.

And then I finished off my education, graduated in '86, and then an opportunity opened up with Fernie Flaman and Don McKenney -- my two coaches, the gentleman who I'd been around and learned so much from, now to work with them full time. And I was very fortunate to be able to do that and get a full time coaching position. And it tied into the same time when I've mentioned before my wife, we were engaged through my last year, my fifth year at Northeastern, then we got married that late August. And so I finished 34 full time years at Northeastern in full time capacity. And then we just celebrated our 34th wedding anniversary on August 30th.

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Meghan Brisson: Oh, wow, Congratulations!

Coach Jim Madigan: So a lot happened in that end of August, beginning of September time for us as a family.

Meghan Brisson: That's amazing. So you worked also, I mean, now you're head coach and you've had probably a lot of different coaching responsibilities working your way up the ranks, and you've also worked in advancement and other positions. So tell me about your different roles at Northeastern and process of then getting that head coach job.

Coach Jim Madigan: I often say that there's so many of us -- when we graduate are very fortunate to have the Northeastern experience. I think I'm the luckiest of all our graduates out there because not only did I have a great experience as a student and as a student athlete, I continue to be able to come back to Northeastern each and every day. And I call it the Center of Excellence on Huntington Avenue. And I've also been able to have different experiences, I haven't just been in one role at Northeastern.

So as you mentioned, I was an assistant coach when I came back coaching for seven years. And then I was able to work in facilities and spend a lot of time in athletic facilities -- and learn a new skill set there under Jack Malone, who's one of my mentors and one of our assistant vice presidents right now in the facilities department -- who's been at Northeastern for 40 plus years. So I worked for Jack for six years and then learned a lot on the facility side of the house and did some project management work at the arena. So I never was far from arena, through all my different tenures.

And then at that point, two gentlemen who were trustees at the university, Bunny Solomon and Bill Cotter, who I got to know really well thought that, thought the athletic development role in advancement would be something that I would do well in. So there was an opportunity and I moved over to advancement and it was the best thing that I did here in my career.

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So I was in advancement, but I worked in the business school after athletic development and the experiences and learning about the faculty, working with the faculty, partnering with the faculty really helped me as a person and as a professional to grow. And then it coincided with the time when Diane McGillvery came in, the presence started in August 15th of 2006 and Diane came the following year and it coincided just as I was moving into development for the business school.

Coach Jim Madigan: [08:13] And then ultimately to come back to hockey and I always stayed at my passion, I was at the cross section of my passion of hockey and . People would say, "What were your goals?" Well, I just want to enhance and service the university any way I can, and this gave me that opportunity to return back to my roots of hockey. And to be able to work with young men and help form their values -- teaching them about opportunities, just not in hockey, but outside of hockey. And we've been able to have a fairly good run the last few years. Then to work with a staff of our associate head coach, , who is just very, very, very good. And coach Michael McLaughlin, who was our the first year I coach him now is with us on the staff and to see his growth and development and Matt Harlow.

So I've been really fortunate to touch a lot of different parts of the university. And you always want to think you can contribute to the university and I'm hoping that I have, but at the end of day, I've taken way more from the university that I've been able to give back and I'm fortunate because of that.

Meghan Brisson: [09:16] That's quite the Northeastern network. I think we've talked about that a lot and yours has no end. I mean, it shows how you've been able to navigate around and get different experience that gives you that well-rounded career. It's not just about hockey. And I mean, I think there's a lot more to the sport and I'd love to get into that with you. So what makes this sport special for you?

Coach Jim Madigan: And Meg, you're absolutely right. For me, it's just not about hockey, it's about Northeastern. It's about the organization. We all have our own individual silos and areas, but we always got to make sure that we're always looking out first and foremost for the institution.

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And what makes hockey special for me, it's an easy one, because when you start playing hockey, first thing you have to learn is how to skate. And when you're four or five or six, whatever the age is, for me it was age four growing up in Montreal on the outdoor rinks. What happens in hockey when as you learn to skate, is you fall down a lot. You fall down, you get up, you're holding maybe an egg carton pushing you around. You're holding the boards, grabbing on, but you're falling and then you're getting up again. Well, isn't that what life's all about? You fall down and then you have to pick yourself up again. You have to face adversity. We all face adversity. And you learn that in our sport early on, to pick yourself up.

The most successful people in the world are people who have failed and have fallen down and have had to pick themselves up again. So that's the first lesson for me. And the second lesson is it's all about teamwork and hockey is a team sport -- just like a lot of sports are. But you rely on each other. You rely on your line mate, your teammate, your defense partner, whoever it is, for success. This sport is not won by individual successes. You win and you have success through a team environment. And so you learn all the lessons that team work provides you. You're working together for a common , pulling your own weight, sacrifice, commitment, determination, drive. So that's what makes us the sports special to me. Because all those lessons learned you're going to apply in later in life, in all aspects of your life.

Meghan Brisson: I think that's so important to know. And I love hearing it from a coach's perspective because whether, I mean, I'm sure a lot of us have played on a team at some point, whether it's little league or up until high school, college level or even as an adult, there are a lot of team opportunities too. It is beyond that. And I think we have all those sports movies to show it -- that it’s not just about the score. It’s the storytelling, it’s so far beyond that. And I think what our whole Northeastern community has gotten behind is the Beanpot. People are talking about the Beanpot, whether they’ve even followed the team game to game. And so you had the unique experience of winning a Beanpot as a student. And then of course the last three Beanpots. So what is the Beanpot to you? And did the feeling change from as a student to a coach? And I’d love you to tell me a little behind the scenes.

Coach Jim Madigan:

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Yes. And just one correction. I didn't win the Beanpot, because if you saw my skills, you know that it wasn't my skills or maybe even coaching ability. So I've been really lucky to be amongst some real good teammates and be amongst good coaches, both when I was an assistant when we won one and the last few years as the head coach -- to have a great staff and great players again. So I've been in the right spot and I don't mind being in the right spot six times.

I was fortunate to win two as a player, one as an assistant coach and then as you mentioned, the last three. And the experience as a player, nothing beats the experience winning it as a player, because you go through all the physical and mental anguish, it takes to win the Beanpot. There's a physical toll it takes and a commitment and sacrifice. And yes, coaches make commitment and sacrifices, but not like the players. And in our sport, team sport, it's always about the players. It's not about the coaches or the Xs and Os and all. It's about the players making the sacrifice and winning. And so as a player, when you win it's like, "Wow." It's that accomplishment. The feeling of euphoria in something that we just did is special. And as an assistant coach, as a coach, it's still special. It's a great feeling don't get me wrong. It's not the same feeling though, as you win when you're in the trenches.

And then when you think of the significance of that Beanpot. So yes, it's winning it, but it's just not any other tournament. It's a tournament in this city that has tremendous significance and is a staple event in the city, it's a staple event just like the Head of the Charles, like opening day at Fenway Park, like the Boston Marathon, like the opening of the Boston Pops. It touches the culture, the historical, the theater, the sport, all of it. And Boston, the Beanpot has that significance and that stronghold here in the city. As much as it is an athletic must, it's a social must. Because our Northeastern alumni are going to games are working with other alumni of BU, BC or Harvard, maybe their boss, maybe they're the employee, they all have their own traditions.

So it's just not for teams going to the Garden and playing. So when you win it and you know the magnitude -- and sometimes the players don't realize the full magnitude until they graduate. And then they come back. And certainly for me, I understand because of the alumni, they understand what it means to the institution when you win. And so our players first and foremost have to go through that tremendous experience. The coaching is a real big part of it. And then because my daughters are alums, my wife's an alum and I have a lot of alumni friends and our student body -- they're excited. And for

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me, winning the Beanpot, all those factors, all those facets of the university get to experience and enjoying the excitement of winning the Beanpot.

I'm thrilled for our student body when we won it, because when they hop on that orange line from the Boston Garden, they're coming back to campus, or the green line - - and I know for so many years, they were down in the dumps because we lose. And we just, as you know, went 30 years before 2018 before winning again, so I'm thrilled for them. I'm thrilled when they come back to campus and they can enjoy for our university community of faculty, staff, and administrators that they can proudly say, "We won it." For our alums who come and support us so often.

Meghan Brisson: It truly is a whole campus celebration. And not even just in Boston, around the whole globe. We know our university is very, very far beyond Boston.

Coach Jim Madigan: And Meghan, you're actually right about that. And I should touch upon them. We have Beanpot parties going on in New York, New Jersey, Washington, D.C., Florida, all over. I'm sending apparel down there in D.C., I mean they get 150 people down there. And I don't want to take away from other alumni parties that Alumni Relations puts on. So you're absolutely right. It's just not a Boston event. Thank you for reminding me of that.

Meghan Brisson: Absolutely. So thinking back at your time at Northeastern in general, this is probably a difficult question, but do you have a proudest moment?

Coach Jim Madigan: I do and it's not on me. The proudest moment for me, two of them, would be when both my daughters graduated from Northeastern. So my oldest daughter, Kelly graduated in 2013 from the D'Amore-McKim School of Business with a marketing concentration. And then my youngest daughter, Kate, graduated in 2015 with an accounting undergraduate as well as a master's in accounting, both in '15. And I was able to present both of them their diplomas on the floor of the Boston Garden. And I always worked the commencement each and every year. And those two specific years, '13 and '15, I was on the floor with our dean at the time was Dean Courtney and presenting my daughters their diploma.

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So they had their own unique Northeastern experience. And both of them had a great Northeastern experience. And at times they didn't mention their last name because they want to navigate through the university on their own, which was fine. But for me, both myself and my wife were really proud of what they accomplished at Northeastern. They both were part of the track team for three and four years and have great friendships and relationships and a great Northeastern experience and are both doing very well now professionally. But to hand out their diplomas to them was a culmination of their hard work in five years and that was special.

Meghan Brisson: [18:25] So switching gears just a little, we talked about Northeastern hockey as a tradition, but so is a little sandwich shop on Forsyth street, which opened in 1990 and recently closed down after 30 years -- and we all know it as Chicken Lou’s. I just want to ask you as someone who's been around for all of that time, what was the sandwich shop all about?

Coach Jim Madigan: So Chicken Lou and the owner was Lou Ferretti, so the moniker Chicken Lou -- In 1981, '82, when I started, you would have all these small little trucks, the small ones that would be up and down Huntington Avenue. Because again, we didn't have all the food options that we do have now. And so they'd be parked right in front of the quadrangle with their tops open and people would come in and buy stuff. And you couldn't park there because it created traffic issue right in front of the quad and at the crosswalk. And so the university was always trying to get them to move on, move on. And Chicken Lou’s was one of those trucks. And then they would park down on Forsyth Street and a little bit on Forsyth and Greenleaf. It was a game of cat and mouse. And the university always tried to move them, the City of Boston always tried to move them.

Coach Jim Madigan: [19:38] And so I had worked part time, a little bit with Jack Malone at the time and facilities -- and Lou got a larger truck, one of those higher ones where you could do a little bit more food options, and he would then park it right in front of where he built his location and park it on the street there because a little bit quieter. And then when I was working for Jack, I got to know Lou, cause I would have to say, "Okay Lou, you got to keep moving, you got to keep moving." But I got to know him.

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And then the university and Lou came together and they built his location right there. And it became a permanent location. Lou himself was just a big personality, tall guy, booming voice. He'd be outside on the sidewalk. Old time marketing and luring them in. The law school was right there -- he connected very well and early with the law school. And then through that booming infectious personality that he had, he'd be bringing them in off the streets as they said. The old time marketer. And David his son and back then Denise, daughter, and another gentleman who was there for a long time doing all the cooking. And Lou would be yelling out the order, "Chicken Lou and Chicken Ribs." And I don't know how they even got everything, organize it and how it ran and flowed, but it did.

And through that, I got to be when I was a steward, a real good friend of Lou. And I'd always make sure from a university perspective, making sure Lou was all set because he would be using some of the water and things like that, just to make sure from a hygienic perspective everything was going well. And I got to know him really well and that was in '84, '85. And then I stayed on right away, so I'd see him. And then all our hockey players would go and eat there. Not that it was the most nutritious type of food, but it filled you up. And then they would open a little bit at nighttime and then it just became a permanent staple to the university.

And Lou, Chicken Lou himself was just an awesome person and a real good guy. And unfortunately passed away early on, too early. And I remember going to his wake and seeing so many Northeastern people there cause they just adored the guy and he was loud, but you could always bring him down. If you talked to him and said, "Lou, you got to calm it down a little bit." Because hands were going out there, the voice was going. He was really good and his son David, and his two daughters took it over. And they're a staple.

And it's funny because just before this interview, my youngest daughter got an email from the university alumni relations about the plates. "Dad, how can we get one of those?" I said, "Don't worry, I'll get you a plate.” But everyone's been touched in some way by Lou. And he's always a great supporter of the hockey program and the athletic programs, and the athletes -- was always looking out for the university students and athletes. And tried to be a voice of reason to the students and student athletes and just a big staple of the university for so many years.

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Meghan Brisson: [22:58] I love hearing your stories because most people didn't have a chance to know Lou, but they are familiar with his family and the family run business for so long. And I think what was tricky is that Chicken Lou’s was supposed to be open through April 30th, 2020, with with closing celebrations planned and canceled, unfortunately. And so I want to take a minute to announce to the listeners of this that, like you said, your daughter getting the email that we have these commemorative Chicken Lou’s plates that are for sale. And those were created in partnership with the Ferretti family as something that would be a good celebration -- and the proceeds going to a fund that meant something to them and it's going towards the student activities fund. So this is put on by annual giving and alumni relations.

And I've seen the plates then they're really fun because basically only a true Husky would know what all these sandwich names are around the edge of the “All-Lou- American” and “Lou's Misteak” and “Crispy Louisious Delux” and more. And it’s just a fun way to really remember this, this tradition. And it has the dates on it, 1990 to 2020, -- which I didn't even know about the trucks. I'm glad you told that story that it started before then, before you had that actual building on Forsyth.

Coach Jim Madigan: [24:09] You could almost say Meg, he was on campus from '81 to now, almost a span of 40 years. And I've seen the plates. I agree with you, they're awesome. And we have a house down at the Cape that we're going to buy some to bring down there, because we have so many Northeastern people, our friends that come down and join us down on weekends, And everyone knows Chicken Lou, we've all been touched by Lou. And there was a Chicken Lou sandwich that I used to get. It was a chicken cutlet on a roll with melted cheese and in some type of sauce, a sweet and sour sauce is was what it was. And so I'd go in and order my Chicken Lou. And you can still hear his booming voice, he had that personality.

Meghan Brisson: [24:50] I think that's probably why it became such a beloved establishment. There are plenty of places you can get a fried chicken sandwich, but it's about the family, the personality, the experience of people going in, -- how do they keep these orders straight? And it's so small, you have to just funnel through.

Coach Jim Madigan: Page 11 of 14

Meg, at your point about keeping the orders straight every hour there's a missed order. So someone would come back, "This isn't mine." And he goes, "What? You don't like that one?" And he'd go, "Come one order me another on."

And he's be yelling at the cooks back there and he'd call to them, "You screwed up back there." And it was a show, I mean you went there for a little comic relief on top of it. I mean, he was giving you the song and the dance and he could have been out there with Dean Martin and Jackie Gleason type of thing. But no, he was a big personality. And then David, as I said, and the family did a great job with it. And those are the personalities of people that make up Northeastern. And we're fortunate at the university to have a lot of vendors who have been with us for 30 and 40 years, whether they be working on facilities, whether they be providing other types of services that are maybe not university employees, but are part of a university community. And we're really fortunate we have that.

Meghan Brisson: I have one final question and it's twofold. I know students are back on campus now, things are pretty uncertain I think in the world of athletics. And I'm wondering how you're planning for your next season? How you're talking to your players? And then the other part is you're kind of known for your pep talks. So I think we could all use one. So what are your final words for bringing this Husky pack together?

Coach Jim Madigan: For us right now, here in hockey, it's not unlike every other team and athletic team and group around the university, we're in a wait and see situation right now. And we always talk about control what you can control. Our guys have been working out, have been in the condition room. And hockey the practice might be a little bit delayed. Yes, we might not be able to get in the weight room maybe for another week. So get out there and do some running, do some things, activities that you could do on your own control what you can control.

Because when the season begins, no, one's going to say, "Well, you started late." Or, "If you're not playing well, it's because of this." Hey, we're all on an equal playing field. What's happening at Northeastern is the same thing's happening over at the school at Commonwealth Avenue, as the school over in Chestnut Hill and there's a school down the road in the city of Providence. And all of those schools that we play against, we're all

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facing the same thing right now. So control what you control, no excuses, just get yourself ready. And as soon as we can come together as a group, as a unit, as a team, we're going to push it. And we have to be flexible. And if we all come with the right attitude, positive attitude and not worry about what we can't control, we're all going to be fine.

And then for me, I'd say this to the university. Hey, this university is faced with a lot of adversity and the numbers out there. Under this president and our leadership we've just invested to get us up and running. The easiest thing would have been just to go online remotely, right off the bat. We're not about easy. This president, President Aoun, and the senior leadership team is not about easy. We're about health and safety and welfare, but we're about providing opportunities to our students. In hockey, we're providing opportunities to our student athletes. So, hey, we're facing adversity and we're facing straight on and we're going to overcome it. We have to be smart. We have to be diligent. We have to do the right thing, be responsible. But it's all about moving forward.

And I call it inconveniences. We have inconveniences in our life. It's how you deal with those inconveniences. If you deal with them in the right way, you're going to come out on the other side in a positive way and moving forward and better off for it. If you can't deal with the inconvenience and again, we have it whether you have it in home life, in the classroom, in your sporting events, wherever it is in your work environment, there are inconveniences. Follow the path and the example that's set forth right here at the university, our students have to follow it. And if we do the right thing we're going to be better off coming out of this in two, three, four, five months, whatever that time frame's going to be."

Meghan Brisson: Well, thank you so much Coach, for your time today. I loved hearing these stories. And I can't wait to watch some more hockey when we can get back to it.

Coach Jim Madigan: Meg, thanks for having me. I enjoyed this conversation and dialogue with you, appreciate your time. And yes, we all look forward to getting back to . Because that brings some normalcy back to it. Our players want to play, our university community, our fans, our students, our alums, administration, they want to come out and support us. So we're looking forward to that time also.

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