McKenna Named to Olympic Coaching Staff

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Former Brown standout and longtime St. Lawrence assistant coach Jodi McKenna, who currently serves as head coach at Wesleyan University, has been named an assistant coach for the 2010 U.S. Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Team, USA Hockey today announced. McKenna, whose coaching experience includes a nine-year stint as an assistant at St. Lawrence, joins Mark Johnson, head coach at the University of Wisconsin, who was previously named the head coach for Team USA through the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.

Johnson, McKenna and Dave Flint, who also was named as an assistant, recently guided the U.S. Women's National Team to the gold medal at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Women's Championship. The trio will lead the the 2009-10 U.S. Women's National Team in its build-up to Vancouver, including during the Qwest Tour that begins in September.

"We're extremely excited to have both Dave Flint and Jodi McKenna join our coaching staff," said Michele Amidon, director of women's hockey for USA Hockey. "They bring a wealth of experience, both with Team USA and their college programs."

After the 2009-10 U.S. Women's National Team is selected in late August, Team USA will travel to Vancouver for the 2009 Hockey Canada Cup, which will serve as a test event for the Games and will run from Aug. 31-Sept. 6. From there, the 23-player squad and coaching staff will take up residency in Blaine, Minn., for the Sept. 25 start of the Qwest Tour, which features 10 games in nine cities and continues through February 2010. The team will also compete in the 2009 Four Nations Cup from Nov. 2-8 in Finland and will play three games in Canada against the Canadian National Team.

McKenna, who was also an assistant coach for the U.S. at the 2009 IIHF World Women's Championship, recently finished her second season as the head coach at Wesleyan after spending nine seasons as an assistant at St. Lawrence. In her nine seasons with St. Lawrence, she helped the Saints qualify for the NCAA tournament five times, making it to the Frozen Four on each occasion and playing in the title game in 2001.

A 1998 graduate of Brown, McKenna played four seasons for the Bears, and helped the team team capture an ECAC regular-season or tournament title three times. She has been involved with USA Hockey Player Development Camps and was an assistant coach at USA Hockey's Women's Under-22 Camp last summer and at the USA Hockey Women's Holiday Camp in December. This summer, she will serve as the on-ice direct for the USA Hockey Girls' Select 14 Player Development Camp.