Penn State University’s Jeff Kampersal Wins the 2026 CCM/AHCA University Division Women’s Coach of the Year Award
For leading his #3 Nittany Lions to a 33-5-0 season and into this
year’s NCAA National Collegiate Frozen Four, Jeff Kampersal of
Penn State University has been chosen CCM/AHCA Women’s
University Division Coach of the Year. It is the first such honor
for Kampersal and Penn State.
It has been a special season for Kampersal and Penn State. The 33 wins are a program best and the 33rd, a 3-0 home win over #6 seed UConn in the NCAA Regionals, was the first NCAA National Collegiate Championship win in program history. And it launched PSU into the Frozen Four for the first time, an event it hosts at Pegula Ice Arena this weekend.
The Nittany Lions will face off against #2 seed Wisconsin, the defending NCAA champions, at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday evening. In the opening semifinal, top seed Ohio State takes on Northeastern at 4:00 p.m. ET.
Kampersal won his 500th career game back on January 23 and his career record now stands at 510-351-99, with 21 years at Princeton University and the last nine at Penn State. he is the winningest coach at both universities.
Kampersal led Penn State to 31 wins years ago, a school record at that time. The Nittany Lions have now captured both the AHA regular season and tournament titles for four straight seasons.
Kampersal was named Penn State head coach on June 1, 2017. The head coach of the Princeton Tigers for 21 seasons, Kampersal garnered ECAC Hockey Coach of the Year honors three times and Ivy League Coach of the Year accolades twice. While at Penn State, he has been named conference Coach of the Year (CHA/AHA) five times, including four years in a row.
Kampersal’s experience as a coach with USA Hockey includes guiding the USA Women’s Hockey Under-18 Team to silver medals at the 2013 and 2014 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Women’s U18 Championships. He also served on the coaching staff of the USA Women’s Select Festival from 2004-06. A 1992 Princeton graduate with a degree in psychology,
Kampersal served as the men’s hockey team’s captain as a senior. An All-Ivy League and All-ECAC selection, Kampersal was awarded the 1941 Championship Trophy, given to the Princeton player who best represents the winning spirit of the 1941 championship team. From Beverly, Massachusetts, Kampersal played high school hockey at St. John’s Prep in Danvers, Massachusetts, and was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 2009.
A 10th-round selection of the National Hockey League’s New York Islanders in the 1988 entry draft, Kampersal played for the ECHL’s Richmond Renegades and the AHL’s Capital District Islanders.
Kampersal and his wife, Eileen, have a daughter, Keira, and a son, Jack.
Kampersal was assisted this season by Makenna Newkirk, Moe Bradley, and Jennifer Wakefield. The runner-up for this year’s CCM/AHCA University Division Women’s Coach of the Year Award was Katie Lachapelle from the College of Holy Cross.
The CCM AHCA COACH of the YEAR AWARDS are sponsored by CCM HOCKEY and chosen by members of the AMERICAN
HOCKEY COACHES ASSOCIATION. CCM is
the legendary hockey brand dedicated to the endless pursuit of
performance by delivering game-changing, head-to-toe innovative
hockey equipment to players worldwide.
| Winners of the CCM/AHCA Women’s Division I Coach of the Year Award | |
| 1998 | Laura Halldorson, Minnesota |
| 1999 | Katey Stone, Harvard |
| 2000 | Judy Oberting, Dartmouth |
| 2001 | Paul Flanagan, St. Lawrence |
| 2002 | Laura Halldorson, Minnesota |
| 2003 | Shannon Miller, Minnesota-Duluth |
| 2004 | Laura Halldorson, Minnesota |
| 2005 | Mike Sisti, Mercyhurst |
| 2006 | Mark Johnson, Wisconsin |
| 2007 | Mark Johnson, Wisconsin |
| 2008 | Jim Fetter, Wayne State |
| 2009 | Mark Johnson, Wisconsin |
| 2010 | Doug Derraugh, Cornell |
| 2011 | Mark Johnson, Wisconsin |
| 2012 | Chris Wells, St. Lawrence |
| 2013 | Brad Frost, Minnesota |
| 2014 | Brad Frost, Minnesota |
| 2015 | Katie King Crowley, Boston College |
| 2016 | Katie Crowley, Boston College |
| 2017 | Maura Crowell, Minnesota Duluth |
| 2018 | Greg Fargo, Colgate |
| 2019 | Doug Derraugh, Cornell |
| 2020 | Doug Derraugh, Cornell |
| 2021 | Dave Flint, Northeastern |
| 2022 | Mark Bolding, Yale |
| 2023 | Dave Flint, Northeastern |
| 2024 | Chris MacKenzie, UConn |
| 2025 | Mark Johnson, Wisconsin |
| 2026 | Jeff Kampersal, Penn State |
