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John Burke To Lead Women’s Hockey Team
Ken Ralph, director of athletics, has named John Burke the acting head women's ice hockey coach. Burke, a former men's assistant coach, takes over the team following the sudden death of Bill Cahill, who died Oct. 5.
“I am thrilled that John has accepted the position,” Ralph said. “Bill established great momentum with our women's hockey team and John has the energy, knowledge and work ethic to continue program's progress. He is more than ready for this job and I am very happy he will continue to serve our student-athletes in this new capacity.”
A native of Newton, Mass., Burke began his coaching career as the head coach at Worcester Academy in Massachusetts. In his one season at Worcester he led the team to an 18-4-1 record and the 1993 Division II New England Prep School Championship, earning the New England Prep School Coach of the Year Award. He then spent the next two years as an assistant coach at Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y., before joining Rensselaer’s staff in 1996. Among his responsibilities with the Engineers' men's team were coaching the goaltenders, working with the defensemen, and recruiting.
A 1991 graduate of Bowling Green University in Ohio, Burke was a member of the 1988 Central Collegiate Hockey Association Championship team and helped Bowling Green qualify for three consecutive NCAA Tournaments.
The Rensselaer women's team, which won a school-record 20 games (20-7-0; 17-3-0 ECAC East) and advanced to the ECAC East Tournament Finals under Cahill last season, will play its first home game Saturday, Nov. 1, when it takes on Sacred Heart in a non-league affair at 7 p.m. at the Houston Field House.
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