For leading her team to a record of 22-5-2 and into the semifinals of the NCAA Division III championships, Emily McNamara of Hamilton has been chosen by her peers as the 2023 CCM/AHCA Women’s Division III Coach of the Year.
It is the first time that McNamara has been so honored and the first Hamilton coach to win the award. McNamara is also just the second woman to be the recipient of this award and first in 20 years.
Hamilton plays NESCAC rival Amherst, the tournament host, at 7 p.m. ET on Friday evening. The schools played three times during the regular season, splitting a pair of games on opening weekend back on Nov. 18-19, and more recently in the NESCAC title game, won by Amherst 5-0.
McNamara was voted the NESCAC coach of the year as she has guided nationally ranked No. 6 Hamilton to a landmark season. The Continentals have won a team-record 22 games (previous record was 16), recorded their highest finish in the NESCAC standings at second place, and advanced to the conference championship final for the first time. Hamilton received an at-large bid to its first NCAA championship and responded by defeating Nazareth 3-1 in the first round and shutting out Adrian 2-0 on the road in the quarterfinals.
McNamara joined Hamilton as the head women’s hockey coach in September 2012 and has a career record of 135-94-23. The 2022-23 season marked the seventh year in a row that she has guided Hamilton to a winning record.
McNamara was an assistant coach at Middlebury from 2007 to 2011. She helped guide the team to an overall record of 78-20-11, including 50-7-7 in the NESCAC. The Panthers captured NESCAC titles in 2009 and 2011 and made three NCAA Division III championship appearances. The team advanced to the national semifinals in 2009 and 2011 with McNamara’s assistance.
McNamara also enjoyed an outstanding playing career for the Panthers from 2003 to 2007. She played in all 116 games on defense, posted 66 points on 22 goals and 44 assists and helped lead the team to an overall record of 100-13-3. McNamara made the NESCAC all-conference first team in 2005 and the second team in 2006. Middlebury won three straight national titles from 2004 to 2006 and McNamara was placed on the 2005 NCAA all-tournament team. She helped the Panthers to NESCAC crowns in 2005 and 2006.
As a senior, McNamara served as a team captain and was the 2007 winner of the Captain John Owen Memorial Award for dedication and support of the Middlebury women’s hockey team. She graduated with a degree in English.
McNamara was assisted this year by Kayte Holtz and Chris Cobb.
The runner-up for this year’s award was Amherst’s Jeff Matthews.
