American International has announced the promotion of Matthew Woodard to the position of associate head coach.
“[Matt Woodard] has been an incredible addition to our staff,” AIC head coach Eric Lang said in a statement. “Matt is thorough, organized, and a meticulous recruiter. Our student-athletes are better because Matt is involved in their lives. An AIC grad, Matt is a true Yellow Jacket.”
Woodard expressed gratitude for Lang’s decision to promote him.
“I’m extremely grateful for Eric Lang’s decision to promote me to the associate position,” said Woodard. “The support from him and the rest of this staff has no doubt helped bring the best out of me. I love this group and being surrounded by unbelievable people.
“I’d also like to thank our administration for their continued support and helping this decision come to fruition. Lastly, I’d like to thank my wife Rhonwen for her love and support. There are a lot of hours spent away from each other during the grind of a season, and she is always there to support and push me to be the best version of myself.”
Woodard recently completed his third season as an assistant coach, having helped lead his alma mater to the team’s fifth consecutive winning season. Woodard has run AIC’s defense and penalty kill, and in 2022-23, the Yellow Jackets led Atlantic Hockey in goals allowed with just 99 across 39 games, a 2.54 goals-against average. Additionally, he has helped to lead the recruiting process for the Yellow Jackets.
Beyond his time at AIC, Woodard previously coached women’s ice hockey at Dartmouth, Yale, and the Rochester Institute of Technology. With RIT, he helped lead the Tigers to two College Hockey America titles.
Woodard, who graduated from AIC with degrees in Criminal Justice and Psychology, competed in 133 games for the Yellow Jackets, notching six goals and 23 assists for 29 points from the blueline from 2005 top 2009, including playing for Lang when he was the graduate assistant coach from 2006 to 2008. In 2006-07, Woodard had his best season statistically, with four goals and seven assists for 11 points, all career highs.
