Jamie Rice has been named the new head coach of the Babson College men’s hockey program.
Rice, a 1990 graduate of Babson, takes over a program that went 17-10-1 and came within one goal of defeating nationally-ranked Norwich in the ECAC East Championship game in the 2003-04 season. He succeeds fellow alumnus Paul Donato, who retired after 11 seasons as head coach.
Rice returns to his alma mater after spending 14 years as an assistant coach at Colby, Dartmouth, Brown, and most recently, Northeastern. During his five-year tenure at Brown, he helped guide the Bears to a 1993 NCAA Tournament appearance and a 1995 Ivy League Championship.
“We are extremely excited about Jamie’s return to Babson,” said Athletic Director Frank Millerick. “He was a tremendous talent as a player, and has continued to excel as a coach since his graduation. With his incredible passion, work ethic, and experience, I am confident that he will lead our program to great heights in the years to come.”
A native of Newton, Mass., Rice played four seasons at forward for Babson from 1986 to 1990. He recorded 24 goals and 55 assists in 116 career games, including a career-high 32 points in the 1988-89 season.
In addition to the college ranks, Rice has coached in the USA Hockey/Massachusetts Satellite Program, most recently as head coach of the Massachusetts Select 16 Team. He has also served as a coach and on-ice director at numerous camps and clinics throughout the area, and is a lecturer for USA Hockey’s Coaching Education Program.
Rice earned his Master’s Degree in Education from Boston University in 1998. He currently resides in Reading, Mass., with his wife, Stephanie, and two-year-old son, Mark.
