St. Lawrence’s Paul Flanagan and Middlebury’s Bill Mandigo have been named the University and College Division Coach of the Year, respectively, by the American Hockey Coaches Association.
The Saints were 24-8-3 this season under Flanagan, and pulled off a stunning 3-1 win over No. 1-seed Dartmouth in the semifinals of the inaugural NCAA Division I Women’s tournament. St. Lawrence would lose the title game to Minnesota-Duluth, 4-2.
Flanagan, a 1980 St. Lawrence graduate, spent 11 seasons as an assistant coach with the SLU men’s program. He took over the women’s program in 1999-2000 and immediately produced the school’s first winning season
The runner-up for the University Division Coach of the Year was Shannon Miller, head coach of the NCAA champions from Minnesota-Duluth.
Mandigo led Middlebury College to its second consecutive AWHCA Division III National Championship, compiling a 25-3-3 record this season, including a 6-0 shutout of Gustavus Adolphus in the title game.
Mandigo became the first Division III women’s coach to reach the 200-win plateau earlier this season when Middlebury defeated RIT, 3-1, on January 19. The win was also the 100th consecutive victory for the Panthers in ECAC Division III play.
A 1983 graduate of Wesleyan University, Mandigo came to Middlebury in 1988 as head women’s hockey coach and assistant in football and baseball. Through 13 seasons, he has compiled a record of 216-73-7 (.742).
The runners-up in the College Division Coach of the Year balloting were Joe Milan of Williams and Mike Carroll of Gustavus Adolphus.
The winners were chosen by members of the AHCA. They will receive their awards at the annual AHCA Coach of the Year Banquet, held in conjunction with the AHCA Convention in Naples, Fla., on Saturday, April 28.
