Naturally, Ryan Sheehan kept an eye on the happenings on the Cape Ann League hockey world over the last nine years as the head coach at Triton Regional.
He couldn’t help but notice the achievements style of play, and amount of players in the Essex Tech program, which only moved from the Commonwealth Conference into the CAL two years ago and had immediate success, winning the league crown this past winter.
The 39-year-old wasn’t looking to change jobs. But when Mark Leonard stepped down after six years at Essex Tech (and 30 as a head coach on the North Shore) to follow his own son’s hockey journey at the prep school level and beyond, Sheehan figured he’d throw his name into the mix and see what transpired.
He’s now the third head coach in Essex Tech hockey history, having been officially named to the post on Monday. He follows not only Leonard but also Mike Geary, who headed up the Hawks during their first three seasons as a varsity program.
“It was just the right move to make when the opportunity came up,” said Sheehan. “It’s 20 minutes closer to my house, I’ve known T.J. (Baril, the athletic director at Essex Tech) for a long time now through coaching baseball, the facilities there are top notch, the administration has been great, the school is growing … there were a litany of reasons.
“I was 100 percent planning on going back to Triton; I wasn’t looking at all. But then this opportunity came up, and my wife (Amanda) and I talked it and felt like this would be the right time to make a move.”
Sheehan — the brother of Masconomet head football coach Pat and one of four Sheehan boys who grew up in Lynnfield — had a boatload of success during his time in Triton. His teams went a combined 108-67-16 and reached the state semifinals three times in nine seasons. This past winter, his Vikings went 15-6-2 before falling in the Division 3 state quarterfinals to Scituate.
Essex Tech went 18-4-1 last winter and won the CAL title, reaching the Division 3 state quarterfinals for the second time in three seasons. Among the team’s top players expected to return for 2025-26 are forwards Ben Rehal, Brian DeLisio, Ted Toustouris and Tyler McHugh; defensemen Cam Casey, Chase Ruberti and Liam Waterman; and goalie Teagan Moreau.
A starting goaltender at Lynnfield High under Vinnie Mirasolo in the early 2000s whose Pioneer squads went to the Division 2 North final twice in his three varsity seasons, Sheehan went to Eastern Connecticut State University and played baseball for the Warriors, graduating in 2009.
Not knowing what he wanted to do in the workforce, he went to help his sibling Pat (then the head football coach at Triton) and was soon approached by Scott Brennan, assistant principal at Triton, if he’d like to get into teaching. He did and began as a special education teacher before moving into physical education; Sheehan now teaches phys ed at Sisson Elementary School in Lynn.
Sheehan was still helping coach football and baseball at Triton while also assistant his former coach, Mirasolo, at Melrose High when the Triton hockey job opened up. He got it and spent the last decade there, winning his 100th career game this past winter.
His two assistants, Bob Hawkes and Marc Bastarache, where with him all 10 seasons at Triton and will be joining him at Essex Tech.
“The program has been in really good hands under Mark Leonard; I’ve really liked the way they conducted themselves. Their kids always seemed to come at you in waves. I want to help keep that success going,” said Sheehan, who has two daughters with Amanda — 8-year-old Victoria and 7-year-old Abigail, and a third child expected in January 2026. “This school, and this program, has a chance to win more league championships and make state championship runs.
“A lot of kids are taking the vocational angle for high school these days, knowing the opportunities it can present when high school ends,” he added. “It’s going to be exciting to have a big group of kids trying out. We want to play with that same intensity they have in the past and adapt to our strengths.”