Taking over for a legend doesn’t faze new interim coach
By Tom and Jerry Caraccioli
In the 63-year history of Oswego State Lakers Hockey, there only have been five men’s ice hockey head coaches — George Crowe (1964-68), Herb Hammond (1968-80), Don Unger (1980-96), George Roll (1996-2003) and Ed Gosek (2003-26).
The 2026-27 season marks the debut of the newest member of this rare fraternity: Jon Whitelaw.
Whitelaw, 38, a former Oswego State captain and All-American who played in four consecutive NCAA Division III Frozen Fours for the Lakers (2009-13), including two national championship games, was named interim head coach — and the program’s sixth — in June when Gosek officially announced his retirement after 23 years behind the Lakers bench.
Whitelaw served as Gosek’s assistant coach for the past 10 years and several prior years as a volunteer coach before being named the program’s interim head coach beginning this season.
With some luck and good seasons ahead, Whitelaw could be behind the bench for the program’s 1,000th victory.
Inheriting a nationally renowned program from the all-time leader in ice hockey wins, as well as the only head coach in school history to guide a SUNY Oswego team to an NCAA National Championship is a tall order. But it is one Whitelaw revels in the challenge, just like when he was leading the Lakers as a player.
Q: Tell us about your background?
A: I was born and raised in Barrie, Ontario. Home of the Barrie Colts. I grew up there and played the majority of my youth hockey there, as well as schooling before moving up to Huntsville, Ontario, when I was 16. I played junior hockey up there with the Huntsville Otters.
Q: Having been an All-American, volunteer and assistant coach, you’ve been on campus for nearly 20 years, what brought you to Oswego and why have you stayed?
A: I played in Huntsville for four years and had a very successful four-year run which ultimately led to my connection with Ed [Gosek] and at the time, assistant coach Dan Ford. Through various showcases and exhibitions in Ontario, they decided to invite me down for a visit. I’ll never forget watching the Lakers beat up on a very good Elmira team. The atmosphere, the environment, within the rink and community, was phenomenal and reminded me of what I was experiencing in Huntsville — hockey—crazed, small-town feel with a lot of passion. Oswego was very welcoming right from the start and I became very comfortable. I’ve been very fortunate from Barrie to Huntsville to Oswego to be in three places that are very welcoming and passionate about the game of hockey. I’ve never really wanted to leave because it feels like home.
Q: The obvious question on everyone’s mind, what are your feelings about following in the footsteps of legendary head coach Ed Gosek and all the success he brought to the program?
A: For me it’s bittersweet because of the relationship we have; four years as a player and then 10 years working alongside him as an assistant. It’s bittersweet because we have such a special relationship and bond as a coach, father figure, mentor and friend. I’m very happy and excited about his new chapter and what that will bring. I’m also excited for my own chapter and the new challenges that will come. Ed did a phenomenal job, especially in the last few years, in helping prepare me for this opportunity and moment. The nice thing for me is I’m in a place I’m very familiar with regarding the administration, the fans, our community and our players. Obviously, it’s nice that none of that has a shock value to it. I’m very excited and understand I have big shoes to fill. At the end of the day, I just want to be the best version of me. I’m forever grateful to Ed in helping me get to this point.
Q: Every good head coach “steals” from the previous head coach and mentor. What things do you plan to keep and what new ideas are you bringing into your debut season?
A: The number one thing is Ed’s genuineness. It costs absolutely nothing to be kind and show respect and care for people. That is his greatest strength and it will not change with me. Watching that for 15 years is something I certainly want to emulate. Going forward, I want to continue to move towards continuing our very proud and strong tradition while also putting my own stamp on things. Who we are and what we value as a program will never change. We will continue to be very community-driven, continue to represent ourselves well in the classroom, continue to be a very hardworking, blue-collar type of team that represents our community. But I certainly have some strengths of my own in relating to the younger generation of players that are here now. We will continue to utilize a lot of different technology that has come about and has been implemented into our game from practices to workouts, to our games and how we play. A lot of things at the core will remain but we’ll make some changes. At the end of the day, bringing enthusiasm, excitement and making sure our guys are happy to be at the rink every day, will be the key.
Q: What’s the prospect for the upcoming season?
A: Ed has left us in a phenomenal place. We have a very exciting team that, two years ago, maybe, overachieved and last year, maybe, underachieved. As I look at it, last year will help us because guys have learned the importance of not taking a weekend off, or any game for granted. We learned that the hard way last year and it maybe cost us an opportunity to get to the NCAA tournament. This year, we’ll build on what has been a very strong foundation of players. We also have an exciting new group coming in as well. This is a big year within the program. We’re hoping it will get us back to consistently making the NCAA tournament and not just being happy to be there. We’re looking to get back to Frozen Fours on a regular basis and fighting for national championships. The schedule is really going to test us throughout. We have the defending national champions, Hamilton, coming to town, along with Utica and Trine, as well as other high-quality opponents like St. Norbert’s, Geneseo, Hobart, up-and-coming Nazareth and other teams within our conference. We’re excited.
Q: What are your goals for Oswego State Men’s Ice Hockey for this season and moving forward?
A: Continuing to be very active in the community, continue to have high academics — the last two years we have had the highest GPA in the history of the program — and as I mentioned, we do not want to be satisfied about just getting back into the NCAAs. We want to get to Frozen Fours and win more national championships. That starts with having success in our very deep and challenging conference.
Q: What are some of your personal and professional aspirations?
A: I’m all about being where my feet are. This is the job I’ve been working toward for the last decade. This is where I always wanted to be. I was hoping to get into a position where I could ultimately take over the program and here we are. I want to continue to grow as a coach, see what kind of impact I can have and help develop a young, assistant coach in Danny Colabufo. I also want to develop student-athletes who will go on to play professionally and become successful in whatever career paths they choose.
