WILLIAMSTOWN, MA — Williams College athletic directorHarry Sheehy announced today that Marissa O’Neil, formerly anassistant coach for national champion Amherst College, has beennamed the head coach of the women’s hockey program.
O’Neil replaces Shannon Bryant, who resigned this month.Bryant spent three years at Williams and compiled a record of21-46-7.
“Marissa brings a wonderful playing and coaching backgroundto Williams,” Sheehy said. “The committee was veryimpressed with her potential and passion — we all believe thewomen’s hockey program is in capable hands movingforward.”
O’Neil graduated from Bowdoin College in 2005 and spent thelast two years as an assistant ice hockey and field hockey coach atAmherst. Over the past two seasons, the Lord Jeff ice hockey teamfinished 44-9-4, won one NESCAC title (2008) and one NCAAChampionship (2009).
“I feel very fortunate to be working at Williams, thiscollege has a rich tradition of academic and athletic excellenceand as a first-year head coach this opportunity is incrediblyhumbling,” O’Neil said. “My experiences atBowdoin and Amherst have been invaluable in my development as aperson and coach. These institutions have instilled in me thenecessary skill set to be successful in this career and for that Iam extremely grateful.”
O’Neil was a two-sport standout at Bowdoin. In 2005, shereceived the Dana Shulman Award, given to Bowdoin’s mostoutstanding female athlete. In field hockey, she was the NESCACRookie of the Year in 2001, the NESCAC Player of the Year in 2003,a three-time First Team All-NESCAC selection and a First TeamAll-American.
Following her graduation, O’Neil spent one year as anassistant ice and field hockey coach at Saint Anselm’sCollege. Her following year was spent as an assistant athleticdirector at Middlesex School.
It was then she was reunited with Jim Plumer, who was an assistantcoach at Bowdoin for two of O’Neil’s four years at thatinstitution. Now the head coach at Amherst, Plumer askedO’Neil to join his staff in 2007.
Some of O’Neil’s duties at Amherst included playerperformance, recruitment, evaluation of potential student-athletes,video analysis, travel accommodations, fundraising efforts andbudget development.
With six years experience in the NESCAC, O’Neil feels shehas a grasp on what the student-athlete experience at Williamsdemands.
“Williams' student-athletes know how to compete and workhard to achieve their goals both in the classroom and on the ice; Ifeel honored to coach the dedicated players in the women’shockey program,” O’Neill said. “By promoting aculture of hard work, confidence and fun, it is my aim for theprogram to once again be a front-runner in the conference andchallenge our nationally ranked opponents.”
O’Neil is currently working towards a master’s degreein sports management at UMass-Amherst. She was earned abacherlor’s degree in sociology from Bowdoin with a minor ineducation.
