Former Harvard assistant coach Nate Leaman is the Dutchmen's new head men's hockey coach.
Director of Athletics Val Belmonte said the search committee wanted the candidate to be an 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,” Belmonte said. “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.”
As Harvard's recruiting coordinator, Leaman 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 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, N. Y.
Before 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 (N.Y.), 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 master's degree in biological sciences.
He succeeds Kevin Sneddon, now the head coach at the University of Vermont.