Amherst College has named Jim Plumer as the new head coach of its women’s hockey program.
He replaces Kay Cowperthwait, who, after six seasons as head coach, stepped down but remains at the school as senior women’s administrator and assistant women’s golf coach.
Plumer comes to Amherst after three seasons as an assistant at one of the top Division III women’s hockey programs in the nation, NESCAC rival Bowdoin, where he helped coach the Polar Bears to a 62-12-7 record, a pair of NCAA fourth-place finishes, the 2002-03 regular season conference title and the 2001-02 NESCAC tournament championship.
During the three years that Plumer assisted 2002-03 AHCA Division III coach of the year Michele Amidon, Bowdoin produced five First-Team All-Americans.
“This is an extraordinary opportunity, taking over a program that is starting to mature at a college that values success in the classroom and on the playing field,” said Plumer.
“I’m excited to work with a committed group of student-athletes and am confident that with my NESCAC background, we can become a significant player in women’s hockey over the next several years.”
“We are delighted to have Jim Plumer join us,” said Amherst athletic director Peter Gooding. “He has established an excellent reputation as a women’s hockey coach and enjoys great respect from his peer coaches.”
Plumer, a Master Level coach within USA Hockey, has worked and continues to coach at a variety of high-level camps and showcases, including the Elite Hockey Camps at [nl]Dartmouth, the North American Women’s Hockey Showcase in Burlington, Vt. and the USA Hockey Select Festival in Phoenix, Ariz. He has been active in youth hockey as well, serving on the board of directors and working as a director of girls’ programs and assistant coaching director for the Casco Bay Hockey Association in Portland, [nl]Maine.
Plumer is a 1983 graduate of Colby College, where he also gained his first coaching experience as a student-assistant. He went on to coach girls’ hockey and co-ed track at North Yarmouth Academy in [nl]Maine before assisting at Bowdoin.
