MacDonald named new assistant at UMass

Former Niagara and Massachusetts-Lowell head coach Blaise MacDonald has been named an assistant coach for Massachusetts.

MacDonald replaces Red Gendron, who was named the associate head coach at Yale.

“Blaise was unquestionably the best candidate for the position and for our needs,” said UMass head coach Don “Toot” Cahoon in a press release. “He comes with a great deal experience, a great deal of enthusiasm and a great positive feel. He is the most dynamic of all the people who were out there.”

The addition of MacDonald makes UMass the only program in Hockey East where both assistant coaches have Division I head coaching experience. Returning assistant coach Len Quesnelle, former head coach at Princeton, enters his eighth season behind the bench for the Minutemen.