Brian Idalski named head coach at Syracuse

Jul. 14—GRAND FORKS — Brian Idalski is the new head coach at Syracuse University.

The former UND women's hockey coach will take over Syracuse after spending last season as the head coach of expansion Vancouver in the Professional Women's Hockey League.

"Brian Idalski is one of the most accomplished and respected coaches in the sport, and we are thrilled to welcome him, his wife Nicole and their boys to Syracuse," athletic director Bryan Blair said. "His track record speaks for itself — a proven program-builder who wins at every level, from the NCAA to the Olympics. Just as important, he has a track record of developing complete student-athletes who succeed in the classroom and beyond. This is an exciting moment for the future of Syracuse women's ice hockey."

Syracuse went 15-18-4 last season under Britni Smith, who stepped down in April.

Syracuse plays in Atlantic Hockey with Penn State, Delaware, RIT, Mercyhurst, Lindenwood and Robert Morris. The Orange, who have been at the Division-I level since 2008, have reached the NCAA tournament twice — 2019 and 2022.

"Syracuse women's hockey has tremendous potential, and I look forward to building strong relationships and a culture of accountability, development and relentless competitiveness," Idalski said. "Together, we will work to make the Orange a program everyone is proud of."

Idalski spent 10 seasons at UND from 2007-17, turning the program into a national contender.

He recruited Olympic gold medalists Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson, Monique Lamoureux-Morando and Kristen Campbell to UND as well as Finnish stars Michelle Karvinen and Susanna Tapani.

The Lamoureux twins are in UND's Hall of Fame. Karvinen will be inducted this fall.

UND cut its program in 2017.

Since then, Idalski has made stops at the prep level (Culver Academy), NCAA level (St. Cloud State), professional level (KRS Vanke Rays, Vancouver) and international level (China, Czechia).