Bill Switaj
Biographical details
Born (1960-09-12) September 12, 1960
Bay Village, Ohio, USA
Alma materBoston College
Playing career
1979–1983Boston College
Position(s)Goaltender
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1983–1984Rensselaer (Goaltending)
1986–1988Army (Assistant)
1988–1994Kent State
Head coaching record
Overall63–100–13 (.395)

Bill Switaj is an American ice hockey former player and head coach and current director of the Kent State University Ice Arena.[1]

Career

Switaj began attending Boston College in the fall of 1979 and eventually worked his way onto the team as a walk-on. After graduating in 1983 he made his way into the coaching ranks, finding a position at Rensselaer as a goalie coach before landing in West Point as an assistant under Rob Riley. Two years later he accepted the head coaching position at Kent State[2] but his first season was quickly torpedoed when the university's president cancelled the season due to a hazing incident.[3]

After the lost season was finished Switaj began putting the program back on the right footing. The Golden Flashes remained an independent program for three more years, posting double-digit wins every season, before they were accepted into the CCHA for the 1992–93 season. Though their first two years in the conference resulted in less than stellar records there was hope for the team but that hope was extinguished when the board of trustees voted to cancel the ice hockey program in 1994. Though Switaj received further coaching offers he elected to remain in Kent as the rink manager, a position he still holds as of 2016.

Head coaching record

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Kent State Golden Flashes (Independent) (1989–1992)
1989–90 Kent State 14–16–3
1990–91 Kent State 10–22–3
1991–92 Kent State 15–14–2
Kent State: 39–52–8
Kent State Golden Flashes (CCHA) (1992–1994)
1992–93 Kent State 13–22–310–19–18thCCHA First Round
1993–94 Kent State 11–26–26–22–211thCCHA First Round
Kent State: 24–48–516–41–3
Total:63–100–13

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References

  1. ↑ "At Kent, NCAA hockey is in rear-view mirror but the game still thrives". USCHO.com. 2016-08-28. Retrieved 2016-08-29.
  2. ↑ "New head hockey coach hired from West Point". Daily Kent Stater. 1988-06-22. Retrieved 2016-09-12.
  3. ↑ "Hockey cancellation 'outrageous, unfair'". Daily Kent Stater. 1988-09-27. Retrieved 2016-08-29.
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