In the high-stakes world of specialty retail and brand management, success often hinges on the ability to adapt, endure, and lead with a steady hand. Few executives embody these principles as clearly as Gregg Coccari , a former collegiate hockey player who has spent nearly two decades steering one of the world’s most iconic outdoor equipment retailers.
Coccari graduated from UVM with a degree in Business Administration, immediately bridging his athletic discipline with a career in sales and management. Before his rise to national prominence in the e-commerce space, Coccari spent over a decade at Mills Fleet Farm , a Midwestern chain of big-box retail stores catering to farming, automotive, and outdoor enthusiasts. gregg coccari
As the former Chairman, President, and CEO of (formerly Sierra Trading Post) and a long-time executive at Mills Fleet Farm , Coccari has built a reputation as a turnaround specialist and a leader who understands the gritty realities of both the playing field and the sales floor. Early Life and Athletic Discipline Gregg Coccari’s professional identity was forged long before he entered a corporate office. A native of New England, Coccari played NCAA Division I hockey for the University of Vermont (UVM) from 1980 to 1984. As a goaltender for the Catamounts, he learned the value of resilience, quick decision-making under pressure, and the importance of being the last line of defense—skills that would later translate directly into corporate crisis management. In the high-stakes world of specialty retail and