A native of West Utica, Bill Plante is the winningest high school hockey coach in New York State history.

Though tiny geographically, Salmon River Central School looms large on the ice.

Under Plante's leadership, the Shamrocks have become a dynasty, skating to six Division II New York State championships and more than 400 wins since 1979.

Plante first attended Kernan School and went on to New Hartford Central School, where he played baseball and hockey. After graduating in 1968, he attended Herkimer County Community College, again becoming involved in baseball and hockey.

In the middle 1970s, he was instrumental in organizing and coaching the O. W. Hubbell Kings, a top semi-professional baseball team in Utica. In the seven years that Plante coached, the Kings earned six city titles, five state titles (league), four New York State playoff titles, three Northeastern United States championships, and made three trips (0 the national playoffs.

In 1975, he coached a women's softball team from Holland Patent to the New York State Championships, and qualified for the Northeastern United States Tournament.

Plante returned to college at SUNY Cortland, where he played hockey and baseball. Following his graduation in 1976, he organized and coached the Utica College hockey club.

In 1977, the expansion Toronto Blue Jays named him director of operations for their New York -Penn League baseball team in Utica.

In 1979, he began his 23-year career as an elementary and high school physical education teacher and the varsity hockey coach at Salmon River. His teams have amassed 442 wins, placing first in the league 17 times, and placing second six times. Salmon River also has 14 sectional titles.

Plante's 2001 hockey team finished with a state record 27 wins-2 losses, and was ranked fourth nationally, the highest ever achieved by a New York State team. It was also the highest in the seven times that Salmon River has been nationally ranked.

The New York State Hockey Coaches Association named him its first Coach of the Year in 200 1. He has subsequently served as the association president.

He received a national coaching award in 1988. He also was Salmon River's head baseball coach from 1979 to 1981.

Perhaps his crowning achievement is that he has taken groups of young men, over half of whom are Native Americans, and molded them into state champions known for their spirit of cooperation and strong character.