Colorado College has signed head hockey coach Scott Owens to a new five-year contract effective through the 2006-07 season. Terms of the agreement were
not disclosed, other than it supercedes Owens’ previous pact, which had one year remaining.
“I very much look forward to the next five years and continuing to build upon a great winning tradition,” said Owens. “I want to thank president [Kathryn] Mohrman, Joel Nielsen and vice president Tom Nycum for working so diligently in putting this new agreement together. It’s exciting to know that I’ll be able to continue working at a school and a program that I truly believe in.”
A 1979 graduate of CC and former goaltender, Owens recently finished his third campaign at the helm of his alma mater. He has taken the Tigers to the NCAA quarterfinals the last two years, and guided them to a home-ice berth for the first round of the WCHA playoffs in all three seasons since his arrival.
“We believe that the success of Tiger Hockey over the last three years under Scott’s leadership is an indication of things to come,” said school athletic director Joel Nielsen. “This new contract demonstrates our commitment and confidence in him for the future. He’s an exceptional coach and a great fit for Colorado College and the Colorado Springs community, and we want to make sure he knows that he has our full support.”
The Tigers won 27 games in 2000-01 and 2001-02, fourth highest single-season total in program history, and are 72-44-7 overall for a .614 winning percentage with Owens behind the bench.
“Scott has done a tremendous job of identifying and recruiting young men who are interested in a first-class educational experience while playing for national championships on the ice,” Nielsen said. “The excitement around our hockey program pervades the campus community and the City of Colorado Springs.”
Owens, who previously served as an assistant coach with the Tigers from 1991-95, spent eight seasons as a head coach in the United States Hockey League. In 1998, he won a championship with the Des Moines Buccaneers. Colorado College’s 2-0 shutout of Michigan State University at the 2002 NCAA East Regional marked his 400th victory as a head coach in the USHL and college ranks.
