Brockport head men’s hockey coach Brian Dickinson has taken a leave of absence from his coaching duties to act as the director of the Seymour College [nl]Union on campus. He will also remain as the director of the Tuttle North Ice Arena.
Assistant coach James Eccles will act as interim head coach for the 2005-06 season. Eccles, in his third season with the Golden Eagles, graduated from Kent State with a degree in Human Movements Studies and a minor in Sport Management.
Dickinson’s leave marks the third head coaching change in the SUNYAC this offseason, with all changes coming fairly late. Nick Carriere succeeded Jim Fowler at Buffalo State and Jason Lammers took the helm at Geneseo after Brian Hills left to become an assistant at RIT.
“We are happy for Brian to have an opportunity to advance his career here at Brockport,” said athletic director Lin Case. “We are also lucky to have a coach the caliber of James to take over the head coaching duties during Brian’s leave of absence. I do not foresee any interruption in the growth of the program.”
Dickinson coached the Golden Eagles hockey team for the past nine seasons and led the team to an 8-16-1 record in 2004-05 which included a 3-2 victory over Elmira College and a 4-0 SUNYAC victory over Fredonia. The shutout victory was the first since a 1-0 win over Geneseo in 1997-98, Dickinson’s second year as head coach.
In his new position, Dickinson will oversee the general day-to-day operations of the Seymour College Union as well as continuing his duties with the everyday operation of the ice arena.
Eccles has served two seasons as assistant coach under Dickinson. He was responsible for the defense and special teams as well as serving as the primary recruiting contact for the program.
Prior to coming to Brockport, he served as an instructor for three years at the Kent Hockey Schools as well as instructed Mid-Am Select Festivals (2000-2003). Eccles has taught “learn to skate and learn to play hockey” for three years in the winter months at Kent State.
Eccles played four years of British Columbia Junior Hockey, one year for the Maple Ridge Flames in the PIJHL, two years for the Comox Valley Glacier Kings, one year for the Port Alberni Bandits in the VIJHL and four seasons of club hockey for Kent State (ACHA Division I).
