Mike Chiellino is in his eighth season as the head coach of the Gilmour Academy boys prep hockey team with the 2021-22 season. He brought with him a well-rounded background, including his personal experience as both a player and a coach at the collegiate level, as well as experience within the private school and youth settings.

Named the 2017 Midwest Prep Hockey League (MPHL) Coach of the Year, Chiellino’s expertise on the ice has allowed him to assist numerous players in advancing to Junior, NCAA, ACHA and even professional hockey, including the NHL. Chiellino had led Gilmour to four consecutive 30-win seasons before the streak came to an end in the pandemic-adjusted 2020-21 season.

Chiellino began his coaching career at the Nichols School (Buffalo, N.Y.) in 2009, serving as the head coach of the boys 7th and 8th grade prep team. Less than one year later, he moved up to become the head coach of the senior boys division 2 prep team as well as assistant director of the boys hockey program. During his first season, he led the prep team to 11 victories, a marked improvement from the previous season when they won one game. In only his second season, the team won 20 games and a league championship.

During that same time period, Chiellino coached the Buffalo Saints 16-U AAA tournament team and showed the same ability to turn a team around from one season to the next. During his first season, the team finished third in New York state despite not having qualified for the state tournament the previous season.

During the offseason, he served as an assistant director and coach with Complete Hockey NY, was a clinics instructor with David T. Smith Hockey and was a team leader for the USA Hockey Select 15, 16 and 17 National Player Development Camps. Additionally, Chiellino was a NYSAHA - USA Hockey Coaching Education program presenter and an assistant coach for the Women’s Team Western NY at the 2012 Empire State Games in Lake Placid, N.Y.

Immediately prior to arriving at Gilmour, Chiellino had a two-year stint as an NCAA assistant coach with the Hamilton College men’s team.

Chiellino’s love of the game dates back to his days as a player. He grew up in New York where he was one of the varsity ice hockey team’s top five leading scorers during his junior and senior seasons at New Hartford High School. He went on to play two seasons at Mohawk Valley Community College where he ranked in the nation’s top 15 in points as a team captain in his second season. He then took his playing career to Siena College where he helped lead the team as an assistant captain to two ACHA Final Four appearances, including a third-place national ranking in his senior season. During his 141 college hockey games, Chiellino recorded 116 points.

Not only is Chiellino the boys prep head coach at Gilmour, but he is also the Director of Hockey. In that position, he oversees the entire program from youth teams and summer camps all the way up through the ranks of the various varsity and prep-level teams. Additionally, he is an admission associate with the school’s enrollment management team.

Chiellino is a member of the American Hockey Coaches Association and is a Master Level 5 USA Hockey certified coach. He was previously a regional scout in the United State Hockey League (USHL) with the Central Illinois Flying Aces, and currently works as an evaluator for the Mid-American District (Ohio, Western Pa., Ind., Kentucky, W. Va.) Select Camps. Additionally, he serves as a presenter for the Mid-American District for levels 1-4, with a specialization on the topics of practice planning and small area games.

Chiellino has a Bachelor’s degree in sociology with a minor in criminal justice from Siena College and a Master’s degree in counselor education from Canisius College. He and his wife Lindsay, who is a school counselor in Gilmour’s Middle School, as well as the MS volleyball coach, reside in Wickliffe, Ohio. Their son, Nicolas, attends Gilmour Academy’s Lower School.