Middlebury’s Bill Mandigo Honored With Fourth CCM/AHCA Division III Women’s Coach of the Year Award

For leading his team to a record of 25-0 and the top ranking among NCAA Women’s Division III programs, Bill Mandigo of Middlebury College has been chosen by his peers as the 2022 CCM/AHCA Women’s Division III Coach of the Year. It is the fourth time that Mandigo has been so honored and the first since 2005.

Middlebury’s perfect season to date has been the product of a stingy defense that leads the NCAA with just 0.64 goals allowed per game. That defense was on display in the 4-0 win over Endicott College on March 12 in the NCAA Quarterfinals that advanced Middlebury to this week’s championships, hosted by Middlebury. Next up: a Friday night semifinal game vs. Elmira. The two teams met on November 27 with Middlebury taking a 2-1 victory.

Mandigo joined the athletics staff in 1988 as the head women’s ice hockey coach and has won more games (623) than any other coach in the history of the game. Mandigo led the team to American Women’s Hockey Coaches Association (AWHCA) National Titles in 2000 and 2001 before taking three-consecutive NCAA Championships (2004-06). His teams have also captured three-straight NESCAC Championships (2016-18) and 11 overall, producing 19 or more wins in 23 of the last 26 seasons.

Mandigo was named the ECAC Coach of the Year in 1996 and 2001, and has been named the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) National Coach of the Year three other times (2001, 2004 and 2005). He has also been tabbed the NESCAC Coach of the Year on five different occasions (2004, 2011, 2016, 2018 and 2022). In 2020, Mandigo was named the New England Hockey Writers Association Division III Women’s Coach of the Year.

A 1983 graduate of Wesleyan, Mandigo began his coaching career at his alma mater as the assistant hockey coach for the men’s hockey team, serving in that role for two years after his graduation. Mandigo moved on to The Hill School, where he was the boys’ head hockey coach from 1985 to 1987. After one year at Burrillville High School in Rhode Island, he came to Middlebury in the fall of 1988 as the head women’s hockey coach and as an assistant coach for both the football and baseball teams.

Mandigo is an active member of the AWHCA and is also a member of the NCAA Ice Hockey Rules Committee. After 20 years as an assistant coach with the football team, Mandigo joined the women’s golf coaching staff in the fall of 2008 and currently serves as the team’s head coach.

Mandigo was assisted this year by Ashley Salerno. The runner-up for this year's award was Chris Baudo of Nazareth College.

The CCM AHCA COACH of the YEAR AWARDS are sponsored by CCM HOCKEY and chosen by members of the AMERICAN HOCKEY COACHES ASSOCIATION. CCM is the legendary hockey brand dedicated to the endless pursuit of performance by delivering game-changing, head-to-toe innovative hockey equipment to players worldwide.

Winners of the CCM/AHCA Women’s Division III Coach of the Year Award
2000	Ted Wisner, Colgate
2001	Bill Mandigo, Middlebury
2002	Jamie Wood, Elmira
2003	Michele Amidon, Bowdoin
2004	Bill Mandigo, Middlebury
2005	Bill Mandigo, Middlebury
2006	Kevin Houle, Plattsburgh State
2007	Kevin Houle, Plattsburgh State
2008	Kevin Houle, Plattsburgh State
2009	Jim Plumer. Amherst College
2010	Mark Bolding, Norwich
2011	Mark Bolding, Norwich
2012	Mark Bolding, Norwich
2013	Kevin Houle, Plattsburgh State
2014	Kevin Houle, Plattsburgh State
2015	Dean Jackson, Elmira
2016	Kevin Houle, Plattsburgh State
2017	Chad Davis, Adrian College
2018	Mark Bolding, Norwich
2019	Tom Palkowski, St. Thomas
2020	Kevin Houle, Plattsburgh State
2021	Not Awarded
2022	Bill Mandigo, Middlebury