Marc Frenette relied on his faith — the Holy Spirit, specifically — when he applied to the vacant varsity boys hockey coach position at St. Dominic Academy.

“I had an unmistakable voice say, ‘Why don’t you go coach St. Dom’s?'” Frenette said. “I was like, ‘OK, that’s what we will do.'”

Frenette, a 1994 St. Dom’s graduate, has been named the next coach of the Saints after Dan D’Auteuil stepped down from the position earlier this spring.

St. Dom’s is the first of the three schools in Lewiston-Auburn to fill its open boys hockey coach position. Lewiston and Edward Little also have openings.

Frenette is familiar with some of St. Dom’s current players, with his son — 2023 graduate Miles Frenette — playing on the hockey team.

“A part of the calling that I am feeling is to raise good, young Christian men and teach them to play hockey,” Frenette said. “Hopefully, we can bring back a few more championships to St. Dom’s.”

The Saints’ last state championship team was in 2019.

St. Dom’s athletic director Brandon Rogers stated he thinks Frenette will impact the boys hockey team quickly.

“Marc is a guy for us that will be a difference-maker from Day 1,” Rogers said. “Our hockey committee had a couple of great applicants, and he will be a difference-maker on and off the ice and will help continue to take this program to its full potential year in and year out.”

The hockey committee during the hiring process was Rogers, JP Yorkey, who is a former St. Dom’s athletic director and current principal of St. Dom’s Lewiston’s campus, Ernie Gagne, a teacher at St. Dom’s, and Paul Gosselin, the girls hockey coach at St. Dom’s.

Frenette, the captain of the 1994 Class A state championship team, has experience coaching at the high school level before. He was Jamie Belleau’s assistant at Lewiston from 2009-2012.

“He’s a well-respected person with phenomenal character, and he has been around this community, which is important,” Rogers said of Frenette. “But more so his character, his knowledge of hockey and he has been doing this for a while. I think he will have a huge impact for us. But it certainly does help he knows the community here.”

The first thing Frenette wants to do is establish his vision for the culture of the program.

“What I am looking forward to doing is building a culture,” Frenette said. “Hopefully, a culture that leads to some success.”

The blueprint on how Lewiston built its culture under Belleau is what Frenette is looking forward to doing. Frenette said it takes a village and it’s not just one coach that can form the culture.

Rogers said building a team culture is also what he’s looking for.

“Character-building and relationships are big pieces that will help further the program,” Rogers said.

Frenette has also coached in the Maine Gladiators organization, including at the 14U, 16U and 18U levels.

Frenette coached the Gladiators to a 2023 USA Hockey Tier II national championship appearance. He took this past season off from coaching.

“I didn’t coach anybody last year for one year,” Frenette said. “I said, ‘Boy, that’s a big part of my life that I really enjoyed.’ I didn’t realize how much I enjoyed it until I stepped away for a year. I think that’s a big part of my motivation as well, is I love coaching hockey — I love coaching the kids and the adrenaline that goes with the game. When you miss it long enough, you have to find a way to get it back into it. I have been fortunate to do that.”

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Boys hockey: Lewiston and St. Dom’s head coaches step down