Former Minnesota women’s hockey captain, Ohio State assistant West named director of hockey operations at Colorado College

Emily West was part of a national championship team at Minnesota (photo: Minnesota Athletics).

Colorado College has announced that Emily West has joined the program as the director of hockey operations.

West, a Colorado Springs native, returns to her hometown after serving as an assistant coach for the Ohio State women’s hockey program for three seasons. She helped lead the Buckeyes to their first NCAA Division I title in 2022.

“Emily is joining our staff with an incredible resume both as a player and a coach,” CC coach Kris Mayotte said in a statement. “She was a part of a National Championship staff at Ohio State as well as a captain at the University of Minnesota. She has a passion for development, but also has the experience of winning at the highest level. We are very open about our desire to be a championship program, and adding Emily allows to take another step toward our goal.”

Prior to joining the Ohio State staff, West served as the American Development Model manager for female hockey at USA Hockey, a position she held from 2017 to 2019. She worked with local hockey associations and programs nationwide to support age-appropriate training, competition and long-term athlete development.

West’s extensive hockey-playing background includes participation in multiple USA Hockey Women’s National Team camps while attending Minnesota, where she was a two-time captain of the Gophers women’s hockey team and a Patty Kazmaier Award top-10 finalist in 2010.

West helped the Gophers win two conference titles and a NCAA Division I national championship in 2012, finishing her playing career with 158 points (82 goals, 76 assists) in 154 games.

She graduated from Minnesota in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in biology, society and environment.