Schenectady, N.Y. (July 29, 2003) – Former Harvard assistant coach Nathan Leaman has been named the Dutchmen's new head men's hockey coach, Union Director of Athletics Val Belmonte announced.
Leaman spent the last four years as a part of Crimson head coach Mark Mazzoleni's staff, helping bring Harvard back to the forefront of men's hockey both in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and nationally. With Leaman as an assistant, the Crimson earned bids to the NCAA tournament in 2002 and 2003, were ECAC champions 2002-03 for the first time in 10 years and had a 20-win season.
“I was very pleased with the outstanding pool of applicants we received for this position,” said Belmonte. “We wanted the candidate to be a excellent fit for the College and the hockey program, while wanting Union to be a ideal fit for the candidate.”
“Nate has experienced success with every program he's been a part of, making this an exciting transition with the continued growth of Union Hockey. He has distinguished himself amongst his peers with his impeccable integrity, work ethic, leadership skills, and thorough knowledge of the game. Nate is one of the up-and-coming coaches of his generation and we are thrilled to have him on staff.”
With Harvard, Leaman has worked extensively with the league-leading special teams and forwards. As one of the top recruiters in the country and Harvard's recruiting coordinator in 02-03, Leaman has had a hand in recruiting 12 NHL draftees, with the Crimson consistently being ranked near the top of college hockey in the number of players with NHL rights.
Leaman is also active in youth hockey, serving as a head coach at the USA Hockey Under-14 Festival in the last two summers. This past year, he was selected by USA Hockey to be the head coach for the Massachusetts U. S. Select Under-16 Team at the USA Hockey Festival in Rochester, New York.
Prior to coaching at Harvard, Leaman was a volunteer assistant coach with the 1999 NCAA Champions University of Maine under coach Shawn Walsh. He worked with the Black Bears' defense, video analysis, on-campus recruiting, and student-athlete academic progress. Leaman was also the associate coach for one season at Old Town High School in Maine.
Leaman is a 1997 graduate of Cortland State University (NY), where he earned a bachelor's degree in biological sciences with a concentration in Environmental Science. He graduated as one of the top scorers in Red Dragons' history, and served as team captain his junior and senior seasons. While at the University of Maine, he earned his Masters in Biological Sciences.
What others are saying about Union's new head coach…
“This is the ideal opportunity for Nate to prove himself and everything he can do as a coach. He has earned the respect of his players, is one of the best recruiters in the game, and I have nothing but admiration for him. He has been a big part of Harvard's success and will continue to bring success to Union College.”
Bill Cleary, former Director of Athletics – Harvard
“I think the world of Nate and Val hit a home run with this hire. He is a great up-and-coming coach in collegiate hockey. He impacted Harvard so positively in so many ways from the special teams to the forwards to recruiting. It is a loss for the Crimson, but a tremendous opportunity for Nate and Union couldn't be in better hands.”
Mark Mazzoleni, Head Coach – Harvard Men's Hockey
“Union has hired an outstanding young man to lead their men's hockey program. From Maine to Harvard, Nate has done an excellent job with coaching and recruiting and he will bring this to the Dutchmen as well.”
Grant Standbrook, Assistant Coach – University of Maine Men's Hockey
“Union is lucky to have Nate as a head coach. In the three years of playing for him, he has done an excellent job for Harvard and he's ready for the challenges at Union. We are all disappointed to lose him, but the entire team is happy that Nate has the opportunity to be a head coach.”
Kenny Smith, Captain – Harvard Men's Hockey
Year |
Coach |
Overall Record |
ECAC Record |
ECAC Finish |
| 2003-04 | Nate Leaman | 0-0-0 | 0-0-0 | —- |
| 2002-03 | Kevin Sneddon | 14-18-4 | 10-10-2 | Sixth** |
| 2001-02 | Kevin Sneddon | 13-13-6 | 8-11-3 | 11th |
| 2000-01 | Kevin Sneddon | 12-18-4 | 8-13-2 | 9th* |
| 1999-2000 | Kevin Sneddon | 8-24-1 | 6-14-1 | 10th* |
| 1998-99 | Kevin Sneddon | 3-26-2 | 1-19-2 | 12th |
| 1997-98 | Stan Moore | 6-22-4 | 4-15-3 | 12th |
| 1996-97 | Stan Moore | 16-13-3 | 11-8-3 | tied for 5th* |
| 1995-96 | Bruce Delventhal | 7-19-4 | 4-15-3 | 11th |
| 1994-95 | Bruce Delventhal | 9-16-4 | 6-12-4 | tied 10th* |
| 1993-94 | Bruce Delventhal | 15-11-4 | 10-9-3 | 6th* |
| 1992-93 | Bruce Delventhal | 3-22-0 | 3-19-0 | 12th |
| 1991-92 | Bruce Delventhal | 3-21-1 | 2-19-1 | 12th |
| *qualified for ECAC playoffs | **hosted first round ECAC playoff game | |||