Larry Rocha '79 was selected as the eighth head coach of the Saint Anselm College men's ice hockey program on June 11, 2018. An assistant coach since the start of the 2013-14 season, Rocha is the first alumnus to pilot the team since Tom Birmingham '76 from 1979 to 1985.

Rocha finished his seventh season and eighth year at the helm of the men's ice hockey program in the 2025-26 academic year, guiding the Hawks back to a Northeast 10 Conference (NE10) Championship appearance for the second straight season. The Hawks went 14-14-4 overall with an 11-7-2 NE10 mark to earn the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament. After a come-from-behind overtime victory over Southern New Hampshire University in the opening round, the Hawks downed second-seeded Saint Michael's College, 3-2, in the semifinal round to advance to their second consecutive title game. The contest spanned 106:08, marking the longest game in NE10 ice hockey history, topping the previous record of 102:25 which was set on Feb. 23, 2019 in an NE10 Semifinals bout between the Hawks and Assumption. Under Rocha's leadership, senior forward Cam Collins and first-year defenseman Sean Connolly were named to the All-Conference First Team, while senior forward Luke Linart earned All-Conference Second Team honors. Connolly also represented the Hawks on the NE10 All-Rookie Team. Linart set a program and NE10 record for games played in a career with 128. Rocha recorded his 00th career victory at the helm of the Hawks' program on Feb. 6, 2026 with a 7-2 victory over Franklin Pierce University.

In the 2024-25 campaign, the Hawks won the NE10 regular season crown for the 16th time in program history, and the second time in three seasons, with a 16-3-1 league ledger. The Hawks concluded the campaign with a loss to Saint Michael's in the NE10 Championship to finish with an 18-10-2 overall record. Rocha coached senior Hunter Brackett who was named the fifth NE10 Player of the Year in program history. Bracket was also named a finalist for the Sid Watson Award and a semifinalist for the Joe Concannon Award alongside classmate Mark Blaney.

The Hawks won the 11th NE10 title in program history in 2022-23 under Rocha's leadership, setting a new program record for wins in a single season (21) in the process. Rocha was named the NE10 Lance "Duke" Brady Coach of the Year as well as a finalist for the CCM/AHCA College Division (II-III) Men's Ice Hockey Coach of the Year award. Several student-athletes received postseason honors, highlighted by senior  Jack Murphy earning NE10 Defensive Player of the Year honors along with an All-Star selection from the New England Hockey Writers Association.

His squad posted a 13-12-2 record overall and a 10-6-2 mark in Northeast 10 Conference play in 2021-22. The Hawks jumped out to one of the finest starts in program history in 2021-22 as the team was unbeaten through its first five games, something that had not been accomplished since the 2007-08 season.

In his first year as Head Coach, Rocha guided the Hawks to a 16-13-2 overall record alongside a mark of 10-4-1 in NE10 play. Saint Anselm, winners of 16 or more games for the eighth time in team history, won the NE10 Regular Season Championship and guided the Hawks to their 17th appearance in the league championship game.

In 2019-20, Rocha led the Hawks to a 13-13-2 record alongside an NE10 mark of 8-8-2.

Since Rocha joined the program as an assistant, the Hawks have won two NE10 championships, including the team's 10th overall conference title in 2017-18. He assumed the helm of a team that posted 17 wins in his first season, the most in a single campaign across the previous 10 seasons.

"My time as a student-athlete on the Hilltop gave me so much more than I could ever express," said Rocha upon his appointment. "It has been a pleasure to give back to the Saint Anselm community, especially over the past five years, as an Adjunct Professor and Assistant Coach. This opportunity to return as Head Coach is a dream. I am honored to lead such an outstanding group of young men, student-athletes and Anselmians. I would like to thank President DiSalvo and Daron Montgomery for giving me this amazing opportunity."

"Anyone who knows or has worked with Larry will attest to his love for the sport of ice hockey and unmatched passion for Saint Anselm College," said Montgomery. "Larry's leadership will give our program strength and stability in the years ahead, it's an added bonus that he's an alumnus."

Rocha began his coaching career as an assistant at Penn State University from 1979-84 and also served as the acting head coach. Rocha guided the Nittany Lions to the 1984 ACHA National Championship and was later inducted into the Penn State Ice Hockey Hall of Fame in 1999.

Rocha was the head coach of the Division I varsity ice hockey team at the Berkshire School in Sheffield, Mass. from 1996-03. There, Rocha led the Bears to a league title in 2001 and was voted the Coach of the Year. Before that stint, Rocha made stops at the Hotchkiss School (1985-87), Lawrence Academy (1987-88) and the Brooks School (1988-96).

During his time as a student at Saint Anselm, Rocha was a four-year letter winner on the men's ice hockey team from 1975-79 and was also a member of the Red Key Society. A Dean's List student, Rocha received the first-ever Senior Student-Athlete Award handed out by Saint Anselm and graduated with degrees in economics and business. Following graduation, Rocha, who also played lacrosse as a junior and senior, turned down a chance to play professional hockey to attend graduate school.

Rocha's daughter, Michaela, graduated from Saint Anselm in 2009 after a stellar playing career for the women's lacrosse team. Michaela captured the Female Student-Athlete of the Year award as a senior and currently ranks fifth all-time in point scoring and sixth in goals. Her 59 assists are tied for the second-most in program history. She served as the Chair of the Alumni Council at the College.

Rocha and his wife, Candace, also have two sons, Cheyne and Aaron, who were student-athletes at the U.S. Military Academy and Babson, respectively.

Candace was an eight-time All-America selection at Penn State in lacrosse and field hockey while Cheyne earned Academic All-America plaudits while captaining the United States Military Academy ice hockey team. Cheyne is a 2020 graduate of the Harvard Business School. Cheyne was also a finalist for a Rhodes Scholarship. Aaron played varsity lacrosse at Babson College, co-founding the Concussion Awareness Network Recover Foundation, helping athletes handle the effects of concussions.

An adjunct professor of economics at Saint Anselm, Rocha is one of 12 Coaches in Chief for USA Hockey and is in charge of the education of coaches in the New England District.

Prior to arriving on the Hilltop, Rocha captained Brick (N.J.) High School to state titles in both 1974 and 1975. Rocha and his Brick (N.J.) High School teammates were inducted into the New Jersey Hockey Hall of Fame in 2024. Following graduation from Saint Anselm, he went on to earn a master's degree from Penn State in 1984. He is a world-traveled surfer, holds five different black belts and has appeared in Black Belt Magazine and various videos.

Rocha Year-by-Year