Syracuse Bets on a Proven Program-Builder: Brian Idalski Takes Over Women's Hockey

Fresh off a rocky expansion season in the PWHL, longtime North Dakota and St. Cloud State coach Brian Idalski has a new address at Syracuse. Here's why the hire is a big deal for the women's hockey coaching carousel and what it means heading into 2026-27.

From an Expansion Bench to the Tennity Rink

Syracuse Athletics made it official on July 14, announcing Brian Idalski as the program's new head coach. The move fills a chair that opened up after Britni Smith stepped down from the role back in April, leaving the Orange searching for someone who could hit the ground running with a roster already locked in for the fall.

Athletic Director Bryan Blair leaned hard into Idalski's track record in making the announcement, framing him as a coach who builds winning programs wherever he lands. It's a fair read of the resume: Idalski has spent the better part of a quarter-century stacking up wins, awards and turnarounds at nearly every level women's hockey offers.

For a Syracuse program looking to climb back toward relevance, hiring a coach with this much institutional credibility is as clear a statement of intent as an athletic department can make in late July.

A Resume Built on Turnarounds

Idalski's first head coaching stop came at Wisconsin-Stevens Point, where he went 108-21-11 over five seasons, picked up NCHA Coach of the Year honors twice and pushed the Pointers all the way to the 2004 NCAA Division III championship game.

From there he spent a decade at North Dakota, from 2007 to 2017, helping turn the Fighting Hawks into a national contender before the university cut the program in 2017 for budget reasons that had nothing to do with the results on the ice. He later rebuilt at St. Cloud State, where his first season alone produced a nine-win improvement and a USCHO National Coach of the Year award for 2022-23. Combined, his North Dakota and St. Cloud State tenures added up to a 219-206-48 record.

Beyond the college game, Idalski has coached internationally, including a stint leading China's women's national team at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, giving him a breadth of experience that few coaching candidates in this sport can match.

The PWHL Chapter That Didn't Work Out

Idalski's most recent stop was behind the bench of the PWHL's expansion Vancouver Goldeneyes for the league's newest franchise in its first season. The team finished 9-3-4-14, good for sixth of eight clubs, and Idalski was let go on June 1, just weeks before Syracuse came calling.

A short, difficult expansion season in a brand-new pro league is a very different animal than the multi-year program builds that made his name in the NCAA ranks, and Syracuse is clearly betting that his college-level track record is the truer indicator of what comes next.

What It Means for Atlantic Hockey America

Syracuse now competes in Atlantic Hockey America, the conference formed when College Hockey America merged with the Atlantic Hockey Association after the 2023-24 season. The Orange play home games at the Tennity Ice Skating Pavilion, and a coach with Idalski's national-title-game and Coach of the Year pedigree instantly raises expectations for how competitive Syracuse can be in this newly reshaped league.

It also adds another marquee name to a busy offseason coaching carousel across women's college hockey, one that already includes fresh head coaching hires at programs like Maine. Whether Idalski can replicate his North Dakota and St. Cloud State magic in central New York is the story to watch all season.

And if you want to see the college game's best up close without leaving the Strip, the Ice Vegas Invitational has you covered. Grab tickets, get to the rink, and catch a game while the sport's coaching carousel keeps spinning all season long.

6 Things to Know About Syracuse's New Coach

Brian Idalski's resume spans three decades and two countries. Here's the quick scouting report on the man now running the Orange bench.

1. The Wisconsin-Stevens Point launch: His first head job produced a 108-21-11 record and a trip to the 2004 D-III title game.
2. A decade at North Dakota: From 2007-2017 he built the Fighting Hawks into a national contender before the program was cut for budget reasons.
3. The St. Cloud State rebuild: A nine-win improvement in year one earned him USCHO National Coach of the Year for 2022-23.
4. An Olympic head coaching gig: He led China's women's national team at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
5. A tough PWHL debut: The expansion Vancouver Goldeneyes went 9-3-4-14 in his only season before his June 1 dismissal.
6. Replacing Britni Smith: Idalski steps in after Smith stepped down from the Syracuse job in April.

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