DIII Coaching Changes

[Scott_TG]

Here's a summary of the openings based on what's posted and other notes:

Buffalo State: currently an interim tag on Rachel Grampp, who took over midseason from David Dee. I imagine the job is her's if she wants to stay, but there's been a lot of turnover with this program.

Plymouth State: posting for a new head coach was posted today. No word on where Josh Funk is going.

Lawrence: this was also posted today. On Feb 20, Lawrence HC Jocey Kleiber tweeted out how she was looking forward to next season with the team. 5 days later she tweeted: "Today was my last day at a place I thought was going to be my spot for a long time. This one was different. This hurts. And it’s going to hurt for a long time. My love for the kids I got a chance to work with will never waiver. Best of luck
@LUWomensHockey#LUWH #EarnedNotGiven"

SUNY Cortland has posted for an assistant coach despite currently listing 3 and Castleton is searching for an assistant coach and a grad assistant.

 

[ZedLeppelin]

Lawrence: this was also posted today. On Feb 20, Lawrence HC Jocey Kleiber tweeted out how she was looking forward to next season with the team. 5 days later she tweeted: "Today was my last day at a place I thought was going to be my spot for a long time. This one was different. This hurts. And it’s going to hurt for a long time. My love for the kids I got a chance to work with will never waiver. Best of luck
@LUWomensHockey#LUWH #EarnedNotGiven"

She led the team to an 0-32-0 record in their only two years - she can't be that surprised they let her go.

 

[Scott_TG]

She led the team to an 0-32-0 record in their only two years - she can't be that surprised they let her go.

Was she given the resources to recruit players who can compete against other teams? Nazareth, Endicott, and Aurora didn't take a long time to be competitive.

 

[pucko]

Actually, Aurora used to have Grant Kimball as the head coach. He started the program a few years back and was not successful. They became competitive because of the new coach's recruiting efforts. So, it may not have anything to do with the resources and much to do with the ability of the coach's recruiting skills.

 

[Scott_TG]

Actually, Aurora used to have Grant Kimball as the head coach. He started the program a few years back and was not successful. They became competitive because of the new coach's recruiting efforts. So, it may not have anything to do with the resources and much to do with the ability of the coach's recruiting skills.

I thought Kimball left when he got the job at Yale, not due to any lack of success those first two seasons. And 8 wins in season two playing in an established conference is pretty solid. Not everyone gets to get their feet wet debuting in conferences like the UCHC, CHC, or even the old ECAC East like the programs that have gone straight into the national picture on launch.

 

[pucko]

My response was in reference to Aurora being included with Endicott and Nazareth as having success very soon. There was a coaching change with Aurora, not with the other two programs. The new coach at Aurora went from Kimball's 8 wins to 17 the following year and then to the NCAA tournament right after that. My point was that Aurora's success most likely has nothing to do with the help of the administration and everything to do with her, which was the original point of topic. Administration support vs. Coaching.

 

[Scott_TG]

And the fact that Aurora replaced a well regarded coach with one with the skills to keep things progressing shows the support the administration gives the program.

Look at the credentials or lack thereof of some other coaching hires by both new and established programs.

Clearly Aurora provides a similar level of support as other great programs to get a conference championship in five seasons in a better conference than either Endicott or Nazareth play.

 

[shelfit]

Please do me a favor and rank all the D3 conferences in order from strongest to weakest. I know this is a subjective thing but I'd like to know people's opinions on this topic.

 

[tjoneslo]

The least subjective way would be to take the Pairwise ranking ( https://wp-admin.uscho.com/rankings/pairwise-rankings/d-iii-women/ ) note the conference for each team, then have a spreadsheet calculate the median (note: not mean or average) pairwise ranking for each conference. This should generate an unambiguous ordering and a relative strength of each conference.

 

[Scott_TG]

The least subjective way would be to take the Pairwise ranking ( https://wp-admin.uscho.com/rankings/pairwise-rankings/d-iii-women/ ) note the conference for each team, then have a spreadsheet calculate the median (note: not mean or average) pairwise ranking for each conference. This should generate an unambiguous ordering and a relative strength of each conference.

Here are the conferenced by median PWR Rank as you requested. Looks about right, though I am surprised the CCC is above the NCHA.
[TABLE="border: 0, cellpadding: 0, cellspacing: 0"]
[TR]
[TD="width: 64"]NESCAC[/TD]
[TD="width: 64, align: right"]17[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]MIAC[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]30[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]NEWHL[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]34[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]NEHC[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]37[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]WIAC[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]38[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]CCC[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]44[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]NCHA[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]47[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]UCHC[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]50[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]INDY[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]62[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

 

[Scott_TG]

Adrian has posted for an assistant coach. Shawn Skelly's assistant for the past two seasons has been Kalie Grant (St. Lawrence '20 [DI]).

 

[crzyeagle]

She led the team to an 0-32-0 record in their only two years - she can't be that surprised they let her go.

FYI - not let go for coaching ability or the record. Not much administrative support either. Team will be competitive next season. Tough people behind the keyboards as always on this site and those that don't know what it takes to be a coach at this level with the amount of stress you go through every day during a 6-7 month period...

 

[shelfit]

FYI - not let go for coaching ability or the record. Not much administrative support either. Team will be competitive next season. Tough people behind the keyboards as always on this site and those that don't know what it takes to be a coach at this level with the amount of stress you go through every day during a 6-7 month period...

Golly gee, are you implying her players and their parents complained to administration about her "inability" to coach?! My goodness, what a total shock that would be, especially at the D3 level. LMFAO.

Give me a break! When a team goes winless like that, it's the players, not the coaches, except the coaches recruited those kids so at the end of the day, it is their fault. Therefore, see ya later coach is how administration handles it. Got to keep those players and parents happy after all, don't they?!?!?!?! I say they don't, but at the D3 level I think administration looks at them as paying customers. However, the customer isn't always right! Failure to support the coach of a new program through the growing pains of the first 4-5 years is failure BY THE ADMINISTRATION. Huge red flag here for potential new coach candidates!!

You know what, I think for sh*ts and giggles I'm going to apply even though I have no intention of leaving my real career for a D3 coaching job. I see it listed on like 3 different websites not including their own so maybe they're desperate for applicants. Lol. I'll be curious to see what kind of response I get as a former player myself.

 

[123kidd]

Who will you send your app to? The recently appointed intern AD...interesting when the AD of 15+ years and a head coach are dismissed on the same day, that something could be going on with how a situation was handled. And of course she recruited them (players) because she was trying to start a program in the middle of BFE Wisconsin. I think she was getting support for athletically related issues like recruiting, playing time or non-playing time or with those crazy parents at the DIII level. Yeah right. Especially on year two.
Back to the topic -there are now openings at JWU and the College of St. Benedict.

 

[shelfit]

Who will you send your app to? The recently appointed intern AD...interesting when the AD of 15+ years and a head coach are dismissed on the same day, that something could be going on with how a situation was handled. And of course she recruited them (players) because she was trying to start a program in the middle of BFE Wisconsin. I think she was getting support for athletically related issues like recruiting, playing time or non-playing time or with those crazy parents at the DIII level. Yeah right. Especially on year two.
Back to the topic -there are now openings at JWU and the College of St. Benedict.

No, I don't deal with interns. I sent it to the interim AD though. Lol

So you seem to be suggesting some sort of problematic internal situation involving both the fired coach and AD?? Please elaborate.

Where exactly is BFE Wisconsin? I haven't heard of it before.

 

[GTOWN]

Here's a summary of the openings based on what's posted and other notes:

Buffalo State: currently an interim tag on Rachel Grampp, who took over midseason from David Dee. I imagine the job is her's if she wants to stay, but there's been a lot of turnover with this program.

Plymouth State: posting for a new head coach was posted today. No word on where Josh Funk is going.

Lawrence: this was also posted today. On Feb 20, Lawrence HC Jocey Kleiber tweeted out how she was looking forward to next season with the team. 5 days later she tweeted: "Today was my last day at a place I thought was going to be my spot for a long time. This one was different. This hurts. And it’s going to hurt for a long time. My love for the kids I got a chance to work with will never waiver. Best of luck
@LUWomensHockey#LUWH #EarnedNotGiven"

SUNY Cortland has posted for an assistant coach despite currently listing 3 and Castleton is searching for an assistant coach and a grad assistant.

I heard that Plymouth didn't "renew" the coach's contract. Castleton looks to be on the upswing, McAuliffe is putting a solid program in place and is a very good coach, GA graduated, assistant coach position is a good sign!

 

[Scott_TG]

Buffalo State has posted for a part-time assistant. This is in addition to the head coach job being vacant if Rachael Grampp doesn't go from Interim Head Coach to permanent.

Wilkes has posted for an assistant coach but I don't see if they are looking for full or part-time.

No word on any of the previously listed vacancies that I can find.

 

[Scott_TG]

Williams has posted for an assistant coach. No word on where current assistant Jordan Lipson is moving on to.

 

[Scott_TG]

Hilbert has posted for a part-time assistant coach.

 

[Scott_TG]

Plymouth State has hired Mollie Fitzpatrick as their new head coach, starting in June. Fitzpatrick played for Norwich between 2008 - 2012. As a coach she was an assistant at both UNE and Endicott for their inaugural seasons (13-14 and 14-15 respectively) before returning to Norwich as Mark Bolding's assistant between 2015 - 2020, leaving after one season of coaching behind her former teammate Sophie Leclerc. She spent 2021-22 as an assistant coach at DI Boston University alongside veteran HC Brian Durocher and Associate HC Kerstin Matthews who was making her return to BU following a successful run at St. Anselm.

Plymouth's release touts her recruiting skill. They note (as did BU when they introduced her last year) that Fitzpatrick played a big role in recruiting Amanda Conway, who retired from the NCAA competition as DIII's third-leading scorer along with three other All-Americans. They also highlighted how she recruited 20 players on Endicott's first season roster (of 29 players).

There is no incumbent assistant coach listed so presumably that is her next step once she starts.

Full release: https://athletics.plymouth.edu/news/...ead-coach.aspx