Former Ohio State assistant and Niagara head coach Chris MacKenzie has been named the new head women’s coach at Connecticut.
MacKenzie has 11 years of collegiate coaching experience in both the women’s and men’s games.
“My family and I are excited to be coming to the UConn family,” said MacKenzie in a news release. “UConn is one of the top public universities in North America, branded with excellence in athletics and I’m excited to get started.
“Any change can sometimes be difficult, but I believe the team will be receptive to that change. I just want to come in with a strong work ethic and passion.”
Last season, MacKenzie served as the assistant women’s coach at Ohio State.
“Coach MacKenzie is one of our game’s best minds,” added OSU women’s head coach Nate Handrahan, also a teammate of MacKenzie’s during their playing days at Niagara. “He has all of the talents and tools to help UConn develop their program to the level they would like it to be. He has been an asset for us at Ohio State and we will miss him dearly.”
Prior to joining the Buckeyes, MacKenzie had a two-year stint as the head coach at Niagara before the program was discontinued by the university.
MacKenzie was an assistant for the Massachusetts-Lowell men’s team for eight seasons prior to his two years at Niagara.
As a player, MacKenzie was Niagara’s captain all four years from 1996-2000.
MacKenzie takes over for Heather Linstad, who resigned in March after 12 seasons with the Huskies.
