ROCHESTER, NY – Lou Spiotti Jr., RIT executive director of Intercollegiate Athletics, is pleased to announce the hiring of Chad Davis as the Bruce B. Bates Women’s Hockey Coach, effective immediately.
Davis arrives at RIT after spending the previous seven seasons at Adrian College, turning the Bulldogs into a perennial powerhouse at the Division III level. He led Adrian to three consecutive berths in the NCAA Division III Championship, including national runner-up honors in 2016-17. Adrian has won three straight Northern Collegiate Hockey Association Championships.
In seven seasons at Adrian, Davis compiled a remarkable 150-37-10 record, including a 95-14-6 mark since the start of the 2014-15 season. His .787 winning percentage was second-best among all Division III coaches during that time frame and is third best in Division III history. Davis was named the AHCA/CCM Division III Women’s Ice Hockey Coach of the Year in 2017.
“We are very pleased to be able to present Chad Davis to the RIT community as the next Bruce B. Bates Women’s Hockey Coach,” said Spiotti. “Chad comes to us with an array of talents and accomplishments, leading Adrian College to the NCAA Championship game in 2017 while being named National Coach of the Year.”
Davis arrived at Adrian in 2011-12 and led the Bulldogs to 55 wins over his first three seasons. In 2014-15, Adrian went 15-0-3 in conference play to win its first Northern Collegiate Hockey Association Regular Season Championship. The following season, Davis led the Bulldogs to 25 wins, a NCHA Championship and the school’s second-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament.
Davis and the Bulldogs enjoyed a near storybook 2016-17 season, setting 15 team and individual records, finishing with a 28-3-0 record and a perfect 18-0-0 mark in NCHA play. Adrian won its first NCAA Division III Tournament contest and advanced to the national championship game. Six Bulldogs earned AHCA/CCM All-American honors, and Kristin Lewicki was named the Laura Hurd Award winner as national player of the year.
Last season, Davis led Adrian to its third straight league championship and NCAA Tournament berth. The Bulldogs enjoyed a 13-game winning streak that closed out the regular season.
A four-time NCHA Coach of the Year, Davis has guided Adrian to a 65-2-5 mark in league play over the last four seasons, with three straight conference championships. Under Davis’ leadership, 10 Bulldogs earned AHCA All-American honors and six former student-athletes have moved on to play at the professional level.
“I would like to thank Athletic Director Lou Spiotti, Senior Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Sandy Johnson and RIT as an institution for the opportunity to lead the women’s hockey program,” said Davis. “I would also like to thank all the players, President Jeffrey Docking and Adrian College for seven great years. I look forward to meeting my new team and staff and beginning the championship process. My family and I are excited to be a part of the Rochester community.”
Prior to his stint at Adrian, Davis spent the 2010-11 season as a volunteer assistant on the men’s staff at Atlantic Hockey foe Robert Morris University. He also served as head coach at Eastern Michigan University, guiding the club program from 2008-10.
A former goaltender, Davis played in 52 games over three seasons of Division I collegiate hockey at American International College (2001-04). He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from AIC in 2004 and went on to play one season professionally with the Laredo Bucks of the Central Hockey League.
“I believe that Coach Davis is the right person for our program at this point in our history,” said Spiotti. “I am confident that he will lead us in a positive manner and in the right direction. He is highly regarded as strong leader of student-athletes and a tenacious recruiter. We look forward to welcoming him to the RIT community and working with him to re-establish our program as a premier NCAA Division I women’s hockey team.”
Davis replaces Scott McDonald, who resigned in July after spending the last 12 years as women’s hockey coach at the university. He is the 14th head coach in program history.
