Northwood Head of School Michael Maher is pleased to announce the appointment of Trevor Gilligan ’03 as the Head Coach of the Northwood Girls’ Hockey team. Now in its 20th season, the Northwood Girls’ program has produced Olympic and National team members as well as several Division I and Division III standouts, including five members of the current NCAA Division III Women’s Ice Hockey Championship team from SUNY Plattsburgh.
“We are pleased to have Trevor make this professional change as he returns to the role of Head Coach, this time on the girls’ side,” Maher said. “Trevor is known for his work ethic, integrity, and dedication to the game. He understands the importance of the Northwood experience, because he lived it as a student — and his success coaching winning teams, recruiting, and helping student-athletes to grow and thrive speaks for itself.”
Gilligan graduated from Northwood in 2003 and matriculated to Oswego where he won a National Championship in his senior year and graduated with a degree in Wellness Management. He returned to Northwood to teach and coach boys’ hockey and girls’ lacrosse before being hired as the Head Men’s Coach at SUNY Canton. Over his three years at Canton, Gilligan led the Roos from a partial NCAA program into a full-fledged NCAA Division III program. His love and passion for player development at the high school level drew him back to Northwood in 2016 as Head Coach of the Boys’ U16 team. The following year he joined Chadd Cassidy’s staff as Associate Head Coach and Recruiting Coordinator for the U18 Boys’ team. Gilligan’s recruiting and coaching efforts have led this year’s Huskies to the school’s first-ever birth in the U18 Nationals.
“He is a tireless recruiter and passionate coach, and his influence on our student-athletes is profound,” said Athletic Director Gino Riffle. “I am confident that Trevor, along with Assistant Coach Leigh Getz, will take our girls’ program to the next level.”
“I am truly honored to be named the Head Girls’ Hockey Coach at Northwood School,” said Gilligan. “Having been a part of Northwood since I was a student in 2000 has allowed me to gain a deep understanding of what it means to be part of the Northwood family, and I look forward to continuing to build upon this legacy in my new role. I am also very grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Chadd Cassidy for the last two years. He has taken our boys’ program to new heights and I am eager to use my experience with him to shape our girls’ program in a similar fashion. Coach Riffle and Coach Getz have laid an excellent foundation that I'm anxious to build upon — right after our Boys' National Championship run!”
Trevor will assume his duties at the conclusion of the Tier One USA Nationals at the beginning of April 2019.