Curry College assistant coach Mike MacDonald has been hired as the new head coach at UW-Stout. MacDonald has spent the last four seasons at Curry.
“I believe that UW-Stout has much to offer it’s hockey players,” MacDonald said about his interest in the program. “The last couple of years that I was playing (at SUNY-Geneseo), the hockey team under Terry Watkins, was a powerhouse. My goal is to bring the program back to that level.
“I am most excited in the possibilities of recruiting for UW-Stout. As far as a hockey student-athlete, Stout has a good fit for almost any student out there. UW-Stout graduates are in a good position to step into a job right away. We will have the opportunity to expand our recruiting. We will be committed to finding the right players for UW-Stout, regardless of location.”
While at Curry, MacDonald was responsible for recruiting, strength and conditioning, power play, video analysis, analytics, and coaching the defense.
MacDonald heads to UW-Stout with five total years of NCAA Division III coaching experience, spending the last four seasons as an assistant coach with the Curry College men’s hockey team. Curry is located in Milton, Mass., south of Boston. Prior to joining Curry, MacDonald spent a year as an assistant coach at Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston, where he helped guide a young Leopards team to the ECAC Northeast semifinals.
MacDonald graduated from SUNY-Geneseo with a degree in Business Administration in 2007. During his time at Geneseo, the team posted a record of 67-33-11, winning the SUNYAC Championship in 2005 and 2006. Over his collegiate career, MacDonald appeared in 109 games and is among the school’s all-time leaders in goals (61) and points (120).
After graduation, MacDonald played six seasons professionally.
“Ideally, I would like to play an offensive style of hockey,” MacDonald said. “I would like us to value puck possession, to own the puck.
“I see this as a really great opportunity,” MacDonald said. “I believe our student-athletes can represent Stout well both on and off the ice. I see this as a place we can be for a long time.”
MacDonald is the sixth head coach in program history.
