New Colgate women’s hockey coach Stefan Decosse has rounded out his staff for the 2024-25 season, hiring Trevor Coykendall earlier this month as an assistant coach and director of hockey operations and Alex Gettens as an assistant coach in August.
A national champion as a student-athlete at Adrian, Coykendall spent the past two years as an assistant with Adrian’s women’s program.
“We are thrilled to welcome Trevor to our coaching staff,” Decosse said in a statement. “He is a person of integrity, has an unrelenting work ethic, and is deeply committed to teaching and developing players. His passion, attention to detail, and national championship pedigree will be invaluable as we continue to strive for excellence at Colgate.”
Coykendall played four seasons with the Bulldogs from 2018 to 2022, culminating in a 2022 national championship where he was named to the all-tournament team. He logged 28 goals and 26 assists for 54 points in 91 games.
Upon graduation with a bachelor’s of science in kinesiology, Coykendall stayed with Adrian as an assistant and strength and conditioning coach with the women’s hockey team. He helped the Bulldogs win back-to-back regular season and playoff conference championships the past two years, also leading Adrian to a Frozen Four this past season.
Coykendall also spent this past summer working at the USA Hockey U15 girls development camp in Oxford, Ohio.
“I’m deeply honored and thrilled to join the Colgate family,” Coykendall said. “Stefan, (assistant coach) Breanne (Wilson-Bennett), and Alex are exceptional leaders, and I’m excited to work alongside them and the talented athletes in our locker room. I’m eager to contribute to this incredible program and community, and I look forward to helping build on the success that has made Colgate the gold standard.”
Gettens joins the squad as an assistant coach after over a decade of leadership experience, most recently serving as an associate head coach with the Vermont women’s hockey team.
“We are thrilled to be welcoming Alex aboard as our new assistant coach,” Decosse said. “Alex’s passion for development and teaching, coupled with his rich coaching experience, make him an ideal fit for our staff. He will not only be a great coach, but also an excellent mentor for our student athletes.”
Gettens spent the past seven years in Burlington, Vt., starting in 2018 as an assistant.
He also spent one season with the Maine women’s hockey team in 2017, helping the Black Bears to one of the most successful seasons in program history. The squad peaked at eighth in the national rankings and were included in the top 10 for six weeks of the season, posting 19 wins (the most-ever recorded in a single season) and winning the school’s first-ever playoff victory.
As the goaltenders coach, Gettens developed an All-League honorable mention netminder that posted a .928 save percentage.
During his collegiate career, Gettens was a student assistant at Vermont during the 2016-17 season, primarily overseeing the goalies. Gettens also spent that year at the USA Hockey U15 and U18 national development camp working as an intern coach, assisting in practice planning, camp curriculum, and daily on-ice drills.
Gettens worked two stints in hockey operations, one with Vermont’s men’s team during 2014-15 and the other on the women’s side from 2014 to 2016. He started his coaching career in 2011 with the St. Paul’s School women’s hockey team, helping the squad to a New England Prep School championship in 2015.
“I’m extremely honored and excited to be joining Stefan, Breanne and the rest of this amazing team and community here at Colgate,” Gettens said. “I look forward to working with this entire group both on and off the ice to uphold and further build on the standard of excellence this program has established.”
