Potsdam assistant Callan pegged as first coach of Chatham men’s program

Chatham announced on Monday that Michael Callan has been hired as the team’s first head coach as the program prepares to begin Division III play in the 2017-18 academic year.

Callan most recently served as an assistant coach at Potsdam the past two years (2014-15, 2015-16).

“We are going to be able to gain momentum quickly, and we will be competitive on the ice from the start,” said Callan in a statement. “Our men’s hockey players will be high achievers in the classroom, and leaders in our community. This is an incredibly attractive university in a friendly city, and I am very excited about introducing NCAA Division III men’s ice hockey to not only the city of Pittsburgh, but also the USA Hockey Mid-Am District.”

Prior to his time at SUNY Potsdam, Callan served as a full-time assistant with Ohio University’s ACHA Division I team. Before arriving at Ohio, Callan worked with the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from January 2012 until July 2012 as the U.S. director of scouting for the league’s Central Scouting and Recruitment Department. From November 2010 until January 2012, Callan served as an assistant coach/recruiting coordinator with the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs of the Eastern Junior Hockey League.

Callan’s coaching career began during his undergraduate years at Clarkson where he was the team’s video coordinator and director of hockey operations during his time at Clarkson.

A native of Sylvania, Ohio, Callan has been active in volunteering for the evaluation of player selection efforts for the USA Hockey Mid-Am District from 2010-2015. This summer, Callan will work as a coach at the USA Hockey Boys Select 16 Player Development Camp in Amherst, N.Y.