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Perram returns as head coach, Beauts add Mark Zarbo to coaching staff

Buffalo’s coaching staff is coming together

Per the Buffalo Beauts’ social media accounts, the team’s coaching staff for the 2020-21 season is coming together. On May 20, the Beauts announced the return of head coach Pete Perram.

Perram joined the Beauts as the team’s head coach before the 2019-20 season, bringing a wealth of experience behind Buffalo’s bench including a stint as the head coach of the Swiss women’s national team. Under Perram, the Beauts finished fourth in the regular season standings with a record of 8-15-1 and a -45 goal differential.

Per the @BuffaloBeauts' Instagram, Pete Perram will be back for a second year as head coach of the team.
— Mike Murphy (@DigDeepBSB) May 20, 2020

On May 26, the Beauts announced that Mark Zarbo would be joining the team as an assistant coach. Zarbo played NCAA DI hockey at Bentley College and RPI and one season of ACHA hockey at Buffalo University while earning his Doctorate of Physical Therapy Degree. Last season, he was an assistant coach for the boys’ 16U team at the Nichols School in Buffalo.

Zarbo also operates Mark Zarbo Hockey, a training program that works with players of all ages. According to the program’s social media, he does not expect this to interfere with the camps he is hosting during the 2020-21 NWHL regular season.

‪The #Beauts would like to welcome aboard new assistant coach, Mark Zarbo! Glad to have you join us for the 2020-21 #NWHL season! 🏒‬ ‪#FortBeaut ‬ ‪🖼: Jordan Santalucia ‬
Posted by Buffalo Beauts on Tuesday, May 26, 2020

At this juncture it’s unclear if assistant coach Rhea Coad will be back with the team for a second season, but it would be surprising if she and the Beauts parted ways. In addition to being on the Beauts’ coaching staff last year, Coad has spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach for Nazareth College’s NCAA DIII women’s team and softball team. She played four years of NCAA DIII hockey at SUNY-Canton, scoring 25 points in 76 games. There’s also no news on assistant coach Matt Bak, who also joined the team as an assistant last year.

The other change from last year’s coaching staff is that Mandy Cronin, who was also the team’s general manager in 2019-20, is not returning as the goaltending coach. Cronin has joined the Toronto Six as the team’s general manager. The Ice Garden has learned that the Beauts aim to have a goaltending coach on staff for the 2020-21 season.

Mandy Cronin named General Manager of Toronto NWHL team