Vermont hires Koizumi as associate head coach

Vermont has hired former Ohio State and Yale assistant Jess Koizumi as its associate head coach.

Koizumi, a two-year captain at Minnesota Duluth in a collegiate playing career that stretched from 2003 to 2007, was the associate head coach at Ohio State last season.

“I am really excited to welcome Jess to UVM and to our women’s hockey family,” Vermont coach Jim Plumer said in a news release. “She brings extensive coaching experience and as a former national team player, she is a rising star in the coaching world. Jess is particularly passionate about helping student-athletes reach their potential and I know that she is going to be a great fit for our players, our staff, and the UVM community.”

In the 2016-17 season, Koizumi was the Buckeyes’ recruiting coordinator and coached the team’s defensemen.

Before the year at Ohio State, she spent six seasons on the staff at Yale.

Koizumi replaces Kelly Nash on the Vermont staff.