Another head coach is leaving college for a new USA Hockey venture.
Scott Paluch has stepped down at Bowling Green to be a regional manager of USA Hockey’s American Development Model. Assistant coach Dennis Williams will be the interim head coach for the 2009-10 season.
His move comes just a month after Brown’s Roger Grillo did the same.
“We’re really happy to have Scott on board,” Ken Martel, the American Development Model director, said in a news release. “He brings great experience and is passionate when he talks about the ADM and the positive effect it will have on youth hockey in our country.”
The American Development Model, an initiative supported by the NHL, is expected to provide local associations across the country to focus on age-appropriate training.
Paluch had a 84-156-23 record in seven seasons with the Falcons. His best season was 2004-05, when Bowling Green finished 16-16-4.
Last season, the Falcons were 11-24-3, including 2-15-1 away from home. They finished last in the 12-team CCHA.
“I am very excited to be joining USA Hockey and getting in on the ground floor of this new initiative,” Paluch said in a news release. “I look forward to assisting in the development of players in the United States.
“This was a tough decision, but an opportunity I could not pass up. I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to be the head coach at Bowling Green State University. I have enjoyed every minute being back heading the program that will always be a special place for my family and me.”
Paluch leaves at a time when the future of the Bowling Green program is in question.
A budget shortfall caused the school to postpone renovations to its arena, fueling speculation that the program was on its last legs.
Christopher said in March that the Falcons would play again next season, but the long-term future is unsettled.
“Scott has given everything he has to BGSU hockey and we all wish him the best,” Bowling Green athletic director Greg Christopher said in a news release. “He’ll bring a wealth of experience to USA Hockey and I know that he’ll be following the Falcons. Scott has been a first-class representative of BGSU Athletics and our hockey team reflects that as well.”
Williams, 29, and, like Paluch, a former Bowling Green player, coached Division III Neumann before spending one year as a Falcons assistant.
“A seamless transition is critical given where our program stands right now,” Christopher said. “Having a coach with the track record and experience that Dennis brings to the table helped make this move possible. Dennis has a passion for BGSU hockey and he’s proven that he can recruit and build a program. I am excited to watch our 2009-10 team with Dennis at the helm.”
