Title: | Head Men's Ice Hockey Coach |
Phone: | 260.665.4259 |
Email: | todda@trine.edu |
Alex Todd was named head coach of the Trine men's NCAA DIII hockey team in May of 2016, with the team beginning competition in the fall of 2017.
In the team's inaugural season, Todd led the team through a grueling schedule featuring seven contests against teams that would finish the season nationally-ranked. Despite the losing record, the Thunder showed promise for the future seasons.
His second season would unfold in much the same way, as the team faced off with team's that ended the season nationally-ranked five times. The Thunder improved this season by taking a point from visiting Wisconsin-Stevens Point, one of just two ties that the Pointers would suffer on their way to a national championship. Trine also found themselves in a fight for a Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) postseason berth until the final weeks of the regular season. The following season they would be above .500 for the first time with an overall record of 13-12-3, good for third in the NCHA South Division. In a 2020-21 seaon disrupted by the pandemic, the Thunder held a record of 5-10-1.
2021-22 and 2022-23 saw Trine take the next big step forward in the NCHA and at the national level. The team finished with records of 19-9-0 in 2021-22 and 18-9-1 in 2022-23 to place fourth in the NCHA both years. The team was nationally ranked for the first time in February of 2023.
Todd comes to Trine from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, where he served as assistant hockey coach for the men’s NCAA Division I hockey team. He also previously served as head coach at Castleton State College in Castleton, Vermont, and assistant coach at Utica College in Utica, New York. He also played professional hockey in the West Coast Hockey League and Central Hockey League.
He was named Coach of the Year at Castleton State in 2007 and was Eastern College Athletic Conference East Coach of the Year in 2011. He also was named Rookie of the Year for the Fresno Falcons in 2002.
“I am incredibly honored to be the first men's hockey coach at Trine University. Since the moment I arrived in Angola, I have been impressed with not only the campus and infrastructure, but the amazing people that truly makeup Trine University,” he said. “The work that Dr. Brooks and the staff, especially Matt Land, have put into creating the environment at Trine — an environment that is primed and ready for hockey — clearly shows their dedication to the success of the hockey program at Trine University.
“I believe that my variety of experiences in hockey as a player and a coach will be an excellent fit for Trine. I am eager to begin recruiting and introducing Trine and all it has to offer to hockey players all over North America. I am confident that through the collaborative efforts of the administration, the athletic department and myself, it is only a matter of time until Trine University is synonymous with hockey.”
“Alex brings coaching experience at all different levels of college hockey as well as experience as a professional player,” said Matt Land. “The knowledge and skill that he has will be invaluable as the Thunder look forward to hitting the ice next year, and as we look ahead to building a competitive collegiate hockey program.”
“As we look forward to launching these new programs, we are thrilled with the caliber of coaches we have to get them off the ground,” said Earl D. Brooks II, Ph.D., Trine University president. “Building quality programs starts with strong leadership, and we believe we have found capable leaders in both our new hockey coaches.”