Post has announced the hire of Gretchen Silverman as the school’s new head women’s hockey coach.
Silverman was part of the United States women’s hockey team that won the 1998 gold medal in the Nagano Winter Olympics. In the gold medal game, she scored the first goal against Canada in the team’s 3-1 win.
For her accomplishments with the United States national team, Silverman – along with the rest of the team – was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009, and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame in 2019.
“What interested me about taking the Post position is that I see tremendous potential in the women’s hockey program,” Silverman said in a statement. “I met with some very willing and eager athletes who are craving the type of structure and coaching that I feel I can provide to get the most out of this team and to help move this program forward. The success of many other Post University sports teams is highly encouraging and indicates a robust athletics department who supports their programs.”
Prior to her time with the national team, Silverman was a standout performer at Dartmouth, twice winning Ivy League player of the year accolades. Silverman holds several school records still to this day, including most goals in a game (8), most goals in a season (49), most goals in school history (189), and most career points (312).
Most recently, Silverman was the head coach of the girls hockey team at the Taft School since 2013. She has amassed 65 wins during her tenure, including a 17-7 record in 2017-18. Silverman was also a dorm head, admissions officer and algebra teacher at Taft.
Silverman is the founder and director of the CT Futures Cup, a camp that promotes girls’ hockey, and enhances players’ individual and team skills and coached teams for the Watertown Youth Hockey Association from 2010 to 2015. She has served as a motivational speaker for the U.S. Women’s National Player Development Program, and has coached at many U15 district camps.
“My years playing with the national and Olympic teams have given me significant experience in successful team structure, strength and conditioning, and sports psychology,” said Silverman. “I approach my players as athletes first and hockey players second. Developing a strong body, mental drive and focus is key to tapping into the potential of our athletes. I am excited about the many ways that I will be able to help these players grow as individuals and, more importantly, to come together as a team.”
Silverman is a graduate of Dartmouth with a degree in history modified with economics and has a master of education in elementary education from Lesley College. A Connecticut native, Silverman graduated from The Loomis Chaffee School in 1990.
