'Energy and fire': Coach Rob Sangster raring to rebuild DeSales hockey program
Saddled with having to rebuild its hockey program for the second time in seven years, DeSales has turned to a coach with extensive experience in central Ohio.
Rob Sangster doesn’t expect smooth sailing in returning the Stallions to the ice, but he’s eager to get started.
Sangster, 54, will take over a program that was forced to join forces this season with Columbus Academy because of a lack of players. The combined team, which wears Academy uniforms, is 0-17 overall and 0-13 in Capital Hockey Conference play.
“I have a ton of energy and fire,” said Sangster, who will officially start his new role at DeSales at season’s end. “I’m trying to build excitement.”
Sangster has been the head coach at Olentangy and St. Charles, and he’s currently in his first season as a skills coach for the Newark Generals hockey organization. He was drafted by the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks in 1989 with the 155th overall pick and played professionally for seven years in the Ontario Hockey League, International Hockey League and East Coast Hockey League.
Darcy Cahill, the coach who rebuilt the DeSales program in 2017 under similar circumstances, said Sangster is perfect for the job.
“I’ve known Rob for 30 years,” Cahill said. “He’s great with the kids. He pushes the right buttons. He’s a great guy. He’s very knowledgeable hockey-wise. He lived it like I have our whole lives. He’s a great coach. He has a lot of wins in high school hockey, and I’m sure he’s going to do great rebuilding DeSales’ program.”
The combined Academy-DeSales team has a roster of 20 players with seven from DeSales – five are underclassmen. The team is coached by Dar Faroughi, who has said Academy is considering a move to the club-based Ohio Scholastic Hockey League next season while it looks to increase interest.
Sangster, who recently met with some of the DeSales underclassmen after accepting the position, said he will try to bring in athletes from other Stallions teams.
“We could potentially be going into next season with lacrosse and football players,” Sangster said. “... We have to put together a team. We have to try to get a movement in the school where it’s let’s get behind rebuilding the hockey program at DeSales so we can have consistent athletics in every sport. DeSales has such a rich history of being strong performers in athletics. It takes an effort to get that back going.”
In the 2017 rebuilding, Cahill took over the program in March. He said there were seven players on the roster that spring, but he and assistant coach Donny Rogers persuaded about 10 more to join up before the season started. The Stallions went on to finish 7-20.
Cahill resigned after four seasons because of time constraints. Rogers will serve as an assistant under Sangster.
Sangster coached St. Charles for 11 years, going 279-116-17 with a state tournament berth in 2014. The Cardinals lost to Sylvania Northview 3-1 in a semifinal. That same season, St. Charles won the Blue Jackets Cup – the league tournament for the CHC – after finishing first in the CHC-White, the second highest of three divisions, behind the Red. The Cardinals won CHC-Red titles in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2021.
Then, after last season, he stepped down because of health issues. He underwent knee surgery in November 2022 and back surgery in May 2023.
“It was really tough to say goodbye because every single year I had kids coming in, and that always felt like you were letting some people down,” Sangster said. “The part that I felt good about was the team was left in great shape.”
Before taking over at St. Charles, Sangster coached Olentangy for four seasons.
From this season’s results from the combined Academy-DeSales team, Sangster knows he has a tough task ahead.
“There’s going to be a lot of growing pains (at DeSales), but it’s ultimately those growing pains that make us stronger and gradually we’re going to be able to hopefully get closer and closer in these games,” he said.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Rob Sangster raring to rebuild DeSales High School hockey
