Lennie Childs has been named an assistant coach with the Union men’s hockey program, head coach Josh Hauge announced this week.
“I am beyond honored and excited to be joining the men’s hockey program at Union College,” said Childs in a statement. “The people and energy surrounding the program is something special and I am thrilled to be a part of the future here. I want to thank Athletic Director Jim McLaughlin, Josh Hauge and [assistant coach] John Ronan for giving me this opportunity with this phenomenal institution.”
“We are thrilled to be adding Lennie to the Union family,” said Hauge. “Throughout the hiring process it was evident that he is an up-and-coming coach who can really help develop our players. He is first and foremost a high character individual who fits in with our philosophy of doing things the right way, both on and off the ice. He coaches with energy and has a player-first mindset. We believe Lennie is a perfect fit to complete our staff.”
Childs most recently served as an assistant coach with the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL, where he primarily led player development, the penalty kill units, and offensive zone production.
Prior to his time with the Buccaneers, Childs spent three seasons with the Janesville Jets of the NAHL, serving two years as an assistant coach before earning a promotion to associate head coach. In addition to player development and working with the defense, he was responsible for camps, recruiting, and the day-to-day operations of the team. Under his coaching, the Jets had one of the best defensive units in the NAHL, with the second-ranked penalty kill in the 2020-21 season.
During the 2017-18 season, Childs served as the head coach for the Skipjacks Hockey Club of the USPHL, where he guided the team to a 27-10-7 record.
Childs played four years of collegiate hockey at Concordia (Wisconsin), appearing in 88 games for the Falcons. He graduated from Concordia with a degree in marketing in 2016.
With his hire, Childs becomes the third active Black assistant coach in NCAA Division I men’s hockey, joining Leon Hayward (St. Thomas) and Paul Jerrard (Omaha).
Childs will make his first appearance on the Union bench on October 1, when Union hosts Rochester Institute of Technology.
