DULUTH, MN – Maura Crowell, a five-year veteran of the Harvard University coaching staff, has been named the University of Minnesota Duluth’s new head women’s hockey coach, UMD Athletic Director Josh Berlo announced today.
Crowell, who becomes just the second head coach in the 16-year history of the Bulldog program, served as Harvard’s associate head coach this past season after filling an interim head coaching role in 2013-14. She was a Crimson assistant coach from 2010-13.
“We are excited to welcome Coach Crowell to UMD and the Bulldog athletics family,” said Berlo. “Maura exhibits the passion and commitment necessary to lead our Bulldog women’s hockey student-athletes to excellence in the classroom, community and competition. Coach Crowell is a perfect fit for our university, the Bulldog tradition-rich program and our exceptional student-athletes. She is a proven winner, a strong recruiter and an experienced head coach with great connections to USA Hockey
This past season, Harvard went 27-6-3 overall, captured the ECAC and Ivy League regular season championship and the ECAC playoff crown, and advanced all the way to the NCAA Frozen Four title game before falling to the University of Minnesota. Crowell has been an instrumental component of a Harvard program that has qualified for the NCAA Tournament three consecutive winters.
One year earlier, Crowell stepped in for head coach Katy Stone (who spent the 2013-14 season with the USA Women’s Olympic Team) and was named a finalist for the 2014 ECAC Coach of the Year award after guiding Harvard to a 23-7-4 record, an Ivy League regular season title, a berth in the ECAC semifinals and the NCAA quarterfinals and a No. 7 ranking in both the USCHO.com and USA Hockey/USA Today polls.
“It is a true honor to have the opportunity to lead Bulldog women’s hockey,” said Crowell. “I wish to thank UMD Chancellor Black, Josh Berlo, Karen Stromme, Dr. Castleberry and the entire search committee for believing in me to lead this great program and develop its student-athletes. I look forward to working with Josh, our student-athletes and the entire athletic department. The future is extremely bright for the UMD women’s program. I am eager to begin this new chapter in my life and cannot wait to start the journey with the student-athletes, athletics department and Northland community. It is an exciting time for Bulldog women’s hockey.”
Prior signing on with the Crimson, Crowell built an impressive resume over five years (2005-10) at the University of Massachusetts-Boston helm. During her time behind the Beacon bench, she rolled up an overall record of 73-53-4 -- making her UMass-Boston’s all-time winningest coach -- and helped produce 11 All-Conference selections. In 2009-10, Crowell was chosen the ECAC’s Coach of the Year after the Beacons went 17-9-0 in all games and 13-6-0 against ECAC competition.
Crowell’s collegiate coaching resume also includes a two-season stint (2003-05) as an assistant coach at Connecticut College, where she helped the Camels to their first first-ever playoff appearance. Crowell came to Connecticut College from St. Mark’s School in Southborough, Mass., where she doubled as an assistant women’s hockey coach and junior varsity lacrosse coach.
In addition to serving as an assistant at the 2010 Women’s National Festival in Lake Placid, N.Y., Crowell participated in a number of USA Hockey development events, including serving as an evaluator for Massachusetts Hockey and the Texas Amateur Hockey Association. She was a coach and evaluator for USA Hockey’s Rocky Mountain and New England districts, and served as a coach at U-14, U-16 and U-17 National Development Camps in Rochester, N.Y., and St. Cloud, Minn. Crowell holds a USA Hockey Level Four coaching certification.
Crowell, a Mansfield, Mass., native, enjoyed a rewarding four-year playing career at Colgate University and helped the Raiders to three straight ECAC playoff appearances and a spot in the 2000 ECAC championship game. Crowell — who was part of Colgate’s transition from Division III to Division I — earned ECAC All-Academic accolades as a senior assistant team captain in 2001-02, and was awarded an academic prize for excellence in German. She graduated from Colgate in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in German and earned her Master’s of the Art of Teaching degree in German from UMass-Boston three years later.
“We are absolutely thrilled for Maura and this new opportunity. We enjoyed five great years with Maura as part of the Harvard Hockey program. She will be missed! In this next step in her career, we wish Maura well and great success as she takes over the Bulldog program.” Katy Stone, Head Women’s Hockey Coach, Harvard University.
“Maura Crowell is an intelligent, concerned and well prepared coach who is ready to succeed as a Division 1 head coach. Her success as an assistant coach and Head Coach shows that she is a rising star in this profession. She will be an asset to the outstanding tradition of UMD women’s hockey.” Brian Durocher, Head Women’s Hockey Coach, Boston University
“As a long time women’s hockey season ticket holder I am excited for the future of Bulldog women’s hockey under the direction of Coach Crowell and for what she brings to the program.” Kim Riordan, Ed., Search Committee Member, Associate Vice Chancellor/Associate Professor in Education.
Crowell’s Collegiate Coaching Experience
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