Wood Named Assistant Coach for Minnesota Women's Hockey Team
June 6, 2008
University of Minnesota women's hockey head coach Brad Frost has announced that Jamie Wood has been hired as an assistant coach for the Golden Gopher program. Wood replaces Tom Osiecki, who left the Gopher program for a coaching position with the United States Women's National Team. Wood, who comes to the University from Maritime Hockey Academy, will primarily coach the defensemen and assist with recruiting, scouting, game-planning and video breakdown.
"Jamie has been very successful in the past and comes to the University with an incredible track record," Frost said. "He is an exceptional coach who has experience in recruiting tremendous student-athletes. Jamie's philosophy falls right in line with the rest of the staff and he shares the values and vision of our program and the University of Minnesota. I am extremely excited to have Jamie join the Gopher women's hockey family."
Wood's most notable coaching experience came at Elmira College where he started the Division III women's program from scratch. At the helm of Elmira, he led the Soaring Eagles to national championships in their first two years of existence in 2002 and 2003. In his short stint at Elmira, Wood held an impressive overall record of 49-5-3 as the Soaring Eagles won two ECAC West titles both seasons. During his tenure, Wood coached three individuals to five All-America honors and the Soaring Eagles went on a 51-game unbeaten streak against Division III teams. He was later named the 2002 Division III National Coach of the Year as well as being a finalist again in 2003. Wood was also the ECAC Coach of the Year in 2002 and 2003.
Following his time at Elmira, Wood was the head coach and director of operations at the Warner Hockey School in Warner, Alberta from 2003-07. Wood was responsible for on and off-ice training for the girls team and went on to win two Alberta Major Midget Female Hockey League (AMMFHL) championships in 2005 and 2006. In his last season at Warner, he established a record of 41-5-4 and nine of his 12 senior athletes went on to become Division I athletes. During his time at Warner, Wood placed over 50 athletes in college or a university hockey programs. In 2007, Wood took similar role at Maritime Hockey Academy, where he was responsible for all aspects of starting a Hockey Canada Skills Academy for boys and girls between the fifth and ninth grade.
Wood played college hockey at Middlebury College from 1990-94 and was a team captain during his senior season in 1993-94. As a member of the Panthers, Wood was a part of the ECAC championship team as a freshman when the team went 22-3-1 overall. A forward, Wood accumulated 74 points during his career with the Panthers.
He graduated from Middlebury in 1994 and went on to earn a law degree at the University of New Brunswick in 1999 and specialized in labor and employment law while coaching the University of New Brunswick in 1999-2000.
Wood and his wife, Carie, have two children, Matthew and Maggie and are expecting their third child in September.
"I am extremely pleased to be joining the Gopher women's hockey program, Coach Frost and his tremendous staff," Wood said. "I am grateful to the Warner Hockey School and Maritime Hockey Academy for being committed to the development of student athletes at the grassroots level. I am proud of what has been accomplished in the past five years, and I am continually impressed with the growth of the women's game. I am very excited to be returning to college hockey at the University of Minnesota. The passion, commitment and excitement of the Gopher women's program is well known throughout the hockey world and I am looking forward to joining the Gopher team."
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