Colgate assistant Sciba takes Union women’s head coaching gig

Colgate women’s assistant coach Josh Sciba has been named the new women’s head coach at Union.

Sciba had been at Colgate since 2012 and inherits a Union team that went 0-28-6 during the 2015-16 season.

In his playing days, Sciba skated for Notre Dame from 2003 to 2007 after two seasons with the U.S. National Team Development Program.

“Josh Sciba’s experience as a student-athlete at Notre Dame and a coach at Colgate provide an excellent blend of academic, athletic and coaching attributes that will benefit us from our next head women’s ice hockey coach,” said Union director of athletics Jim McLaughlin in a statement. “He impressed the committee with his interest and due diligence in what he will do for our program. We have excellent student-athletes in our women’s ice hockey program and we believe Josh is a perfect fit and the right person to build Union Women’s ice hockey into prominence in ECAC Hockey and nationally.”

Sciba becomes the fourth head coach in the history of Union women’s hockey. He replaces Claudia Asano Barcomb, who was not retained after last year.

“First off, I want to thank Jim McLaughlin and the entire Union College staff for giving me this opportunity,” added Sciba. “Being a head coach has always been a goal throughout my entire career and I couldn’t be more excited to be the new leader of this hockey program. This is going to be a fun process that we’re going to take a day at a time. Our staff is going to inject some new life, a new attitude, and create an environment that is full of passion and energy. We’re going to get to work right away.”

Prior to Colgate, Sciba spent one season as the head women’s coach at Niagara after serving as the assistant coach for three years.