The Rick Bennett era has ended at Union College.
The longtime Dutchmen head coach resigned on Friday, following an internal investigation into the Union men's hockey program. He was put on leave on Jan. 20 after an "allegation about his coaching style and practices that was substantiated through an investigation by the college." He compiled a 195-134-45 record in nine-plus seasons in charge of the Dutchmen, including six seasons of 20 or more wins. He also guided Union to eight ECAC Hockey regular-season or postseason titles in his tenure.
Assistant coach John Ronan (Maine) will guide the Dutchmen for the rest of the 2021-22 campaign as interim head coach. Union fell to visiting Long Island, 4-1, tonight in Ronan's first contest at the helm, and is now 9-13-3 overall on the season.
A native of Springfield, Mass., and a 1990 graduate of Providence College where he recorded 50 goals and 134 points in 128 outings at forward, Bennett played nine years professionally in the NHL, AHL, IHL and ECHL, and actually began his coaching career as an player-assistant coach in the ECHL in 1995-96. After four seasons he returned to the college ranks at his alma mater as an assistant coach for five seasons, before moving on to Union in 2005.
Bennett, 54, served as an assistant for two years with the Dutchmen, and then as associate coach for five more before taking the head coaching reins in 2011 after head coach Nate Leaman moved on to Providence. Bennett subsequently led Union to five NCAA tournament berths and two NCAA Frozen Fours, including Union's first national title in 2014 in Philadelphia.
In other news, Union men's hockey can now offer athletic scholarships as an NCAA Division I program at an NCAA Division III institution, as can the Rochester Institute of Technology.
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