UConn women's hockey coach Chris MacKenzie signs contract extension
Following the most successful season in program history, the Huskies lock up MacKenzie for another six years.
UConn women’s hockey coach Chris MacKenzie signed a six-year contract extension, the school announced on Thursday. The specifics of the new deal were not released.
"We are excited to announce that Coach Mackenzie will be leading our women's hockey program for the foreseeable future," UConn athletic director David Benedict said in a release. "Coach Mackenzie has built UConn women's hockey into a national name, with three Hockey East Championship appearances in five seasons, and continuously seeing his teams featured in the national polls. As the new on-campus Toscano Family Ice Forum comes online, this contract reaffirms our investment into the program, and of our intention to compete for championships. Mackenzie has UConn women's hockey set up for continued success, and I am excited for what's to come."
Now in his 10th season with the Huskies, MacKenzie has reached the Hockey East championship game three times in the last five seasons, though they’ve fallen to Northeastern each time. Last year, UConn went 24-9-4 — the most wins and best record in program history. The team climbed as high as 10th in the USCHO Poll and just missed out on the NCAA Tournament.
"I'd like to thank David Benedict, Chairman Toscano, and the leadership at the University of Connecticut for their continued support of our hockey program," Mackenzie said in a release. "I'm excited to continue to work with our staff and current student athletes. We are proud of our history and excited for the future of this program! The commitment and hard work of so many has put our program in a great position. Our goal is to continue to strive for excellence in everything we do, and one day hang a Championship banner in our new home."
Despite heavy losses due to graduation, the Huskies went into the winter break ranked No. 15 with a 12-8-2 record this season. They’ll return on Dec. 31 at Brown and will open Toscano Family Ice Forum on Jan. 13 against Merrimack.