Mark Mazzoleni is going home—and not to his house in New Hampshire.

After five years in Cambridge, Mazzoleni resigned as Harvard men’s hockey coach earlier today to return to his native Wisconsin, accepting the top spot behind the bench with the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League (USHL).

Professionally, the move from the collegiate ranks to junior hockey is a step backward for Mazzoleni, who in his five seasons at the helm guided the Crimson to an 82-72-13 record—highlighted by three consecutive trips to the NCAA tournament and ECAC postseason titles in 2002 and 2004—and restored Harvard to national prominence following four consecutive losing seasons under his predecessor, Ronn Tomassoni.

“This is a big loss for Harvard,” Director of Athletics Robert Scalise said in a press release announcing Mazzoleni’s resignation. “Looking back, one can see that he has really done an outstanding job with our hockey program, and I am really proud of what he has done here.”

Only four other schools have gone to the NCAA tournament each of the past three seasons.

But despite his successes, Mazzoleni never quite found his niche in Massachusetts, limited in his adjustment by the same Midwestern sensibility and style that often set him at odds with players and their parents. Mazzoleni also remained decidedly aloof from the campus, choosing to live with his wife and children in New Hampshire, even if it meant a long daily commute to Bright Hockey Center.

Still, little indicated that Mazzoleni and Harvard would part ways prior to his final year. The Crimson entered the 2003-2004 campaign ranked sixth in the nation and was regarded as the hands-down favorite to capture the ECAC title after posting a 22-10-2 mark the season before. Mazzoleni had personally improved from the fourth choice for his position in 1999 to the recipient of a multi-year contract extension, and carried Scalise’s blessing, despite the widely-speculated misgivings of a small circle of team parents and alumni.

Early inconsistency, however, sent Harvard tumbling from the polls and unleashed a series of background grumblings from that group, muted only by the seven straight wins that propelled the Crimson to the ECAC crown. Harvard's third-period collapse against Maine in the first round of the NCAA tournament—a disappointing exit, given the high expectations carved out prior to the season—reignited those criticisms.

“I honestly don’t think [those complaints] had any role in his decision,” captain Noah Welch said. “We had meetings and stuff and at the end of the discussions, the athletics department always stood behind him and so did the team.”

When the University of Wisconsin brought former Green Bay head coach Mark Osiecki on board to fill a recently vacated assistant’s position, Mazzoleni’s name quickly surfaced among the frontrunners to replace him, thanks in large part to his longstanding friendship with the Gamblers' president, Rob Nicholson.

Both Mazzoleni—a former goaltender for Michigan State and long-time Packers season ticket holder—and his wife still have family in the Green Bay area, furthering suspicion that, should an offer be made, Harvard might be searching for a new coach. Those inklings were confirmed following Mazzoleni’s trip to Wisconsin this past weekend, with reports of a contract offer leaking not long after his arrival.

“When I found out he was first offered the job and realized the offer he’d received from Green Bay, I was a little surprised because [that would be such] a tough job to let go and we were expecting to have our whole coaching staff back next season,” Welch said. “But as soon as this job came up, I knew it was going to be tough for him to say no. As a player I wanted him to stay, but as his friend, I know he made the right choice.”

Although he had already taken the opportunity to inform Welch, Mazzoleni notified the team of his decision via e-mail earlier today, and the Gamblers announced the hiring at an afternoon press conference within hours of the announcement of his resignation.

“It’s not very often you can come home to do something you love and raise your family in a place you love, but I’m getting that chance,” Mazzoleni was quoted as saying on the Gamblers’ website. “Green Bay has always held a special place in my heart.”

The search for a replacement—and just the fifth Crimson coach since 1950—will begin immediately.

If history is any guide, Harvard will look to turn over the reins to a candidate with pre-existing Cambridge ties. Yale coach Tim Taylor ’63 withdrew his candidacy midway through the search five years ago and would be unlikely to abandon a cushy situation in New Haven, but several other prominent alumni present attractive alternatives.

Current Harvard assistant Sean McCann ’94—formerly a Crimson captain and Hobey Baker finalist—first-year Vermont and former Union coach Kevin Sneddon ’92 and Hobey Baker winner Mark Fusco ’83 would all present viable options, as would former NHL star Ted Drury ’93 and current Boston Bruin Ted Donato ’91.

But the two primary contenders may not be former Harvard players, but departed assistant coaches. Union’s head man Nate Leaman, one year removed from his assistant’s role under Mazzoleni, is beloved by the current Harvard unit—many of whom he recruited. Ron Rolston, a Crimson assistant from 1999-2002, currently occupies a spot on the Boston College bench alongside the legendary Jerry York, but may be reluctant to leave the Eagles, since he is considered to be one of the logical choices to succeed his current boss.

Additionally, Stan Moore—named last year's ECAC Coach of the Year while serving as Colgate's interim head man—will get a close look should he choose to apply.

“I know there’s going to be a lot of qualified applicants applying for the job,” Welch said, noting that the position will probably be filled quickly to ensure recruiting doesn’t suffer. “It’s well known nationally. And Harvard kind of put itself back on the map nationally these last few years. We’re not going to have any problems finding a great, qualified coach for next year.”

—Staff writer Timothy J. McGinn can be reached at mcginn@fas.harvard.edu.