Gino Faia is well known around the North Shore, as he’s been the Swampscott boys hockey coach for more than two decades. He’s been a coach for Swampscott for 27 years, and the head coach for the last 24.
Now, he has been etched in Massachusetts hockey history by being inducted into the Massachusetts State Hockey Coaches Hall of Fame.
“I was notified back in October by my good friend (Essex Tech boys hockey coach) Mark Leonard. He’s on the board of directors for the Mass Hockey Coaches Association. Back in that meeting, I was chosen to be inducted into the high-school hockey hall of fame,” Faia said.
When asked what his reaction was when Leonard told him he was selected to be inducted, Faia said he was “a little surprised.”
“It was a great honor and I was humbled and honored by it,” Faia said. “You don’t get into coaching looking to get pats on your back. It’s more of when the team wins, it’s because of the players and when they lose, it’s because of the coach. It was nice to be recognized and it’s just a great honor.”
The ceremony took place on May 4 at the American Legion in Waltham.
“It was really nice. It was a great dinner by the association. It was a dinner with a few of the inductees and award winners, including some student-athletes,” Faia said.
It was Leonard who introduced Faia at the ceremony. Their relationship goes back to when Peabody first joined the Northeastern Conference.
“I met Mark about 19 years ago, when he was coaching Peabody when they joined the NEC. We started to play with each other and our sons, my son Derek and his son Brady, started to play together since Mark coached the North Shore Coyotes,” Faia said. “My son joined the team and I started to help out as an assistant coach. Over the years with tournaments in New Jersey, Philly, up in New Hampshire, all over the place we have become really good friends over the years.”
When asked what keeps him going and wanting to be the coach at Swampscott, Faia mentioned pride — something he and his long-time assistant Mike DeLisio talked about.
“Mike DeLisio and I are both from the town. It’s a pride thing. We both went to Swampscott High School and played hockey for Swampscott,” Faia said. “When I was hired, I remember saying in the interview that there was no other coaching job I was looking for. Swampscott has been through three coaches in a six-year period. I just wanted to let them know I was going to be there for the long haul. It was a pride thing to be able to come home and coach my hometown team. Mike and I started together, starting in middle school and then being on varsity for the last 24 years.”
When Faia reflected on the past 27 years, there were a few memories that came to mind.
“We’ve had many great memories. Winning our first NEC South Division title back-to-back in 2007 and 2008,” Faia said. “Of course, our school’s only state hockey championship appearance in 2013. We won the Eastern Mass championship. We were the Division III North champions and then won the Eastern Mass championship.”
“Coaching my son for the last three years (COVID wiped out the majority of Derek’s freshman year) has been really special. I’ll always remember those times,” he added.
Faia said he was proud that Swampscott was able to compete in the NEC, despite not having the biggest of squads compared to other conference rivals.
“Being a small-town program, I’m just proud we were able to hang in the NEC. We’ve taken our lumps some years when we had young teams. We always stuck with it and never went independent,” Faia said.
Faia’s name is forever etched in the Massachusetts history books as one of the best coaches the state has to offer.
