University of New Hampshire Athletics
UNH Hockey Head Coaches Mike Souza, Hilary Witt Sign 3-Year Contract Extensions
3/19/2024 3:20:00 PM | General, Men's Ice Hockey, Women's Ice Hockey
Head Coaches to Continue Leading Respective Programs through 2026-27 Season
DURHAM, N.H. – UNH Director of Athletics Allison Rich announced Tuesday that men's hockey head coach Mike Souza and women's hockey head coach Hilary Witt have each signed a three-year contract extension through the 2026-27 season.
The 2023-24 season is the sixth for Souza and the 10th for Witt.
"The excitement surrounding our Wildcat ice hockey programs has reached a new level this season, and it stems from our amazing and hard-working student-athletes who have developed through the culture of success fostered by our dedicated head coaches, Mike Souza and Hilary Witt," Rich said. "Building on that momentum and their leadership, we expect to compete for the best recruits and vie for conference championships while proudly celebrating UNH Hockey's tradition of academic excellence and athletic greatness."
On Monday, Souza was named a finalist for the Bob Kullen Award, presented by Bauer to the Hockey East Association Coach of the Year. The No. 18 UNH men's hockey team, which has been nationally ranked for 21 straight weeks, registered its first 20-win season in a decade and its 20-15-1 final record represented its best winning percentage (.569) in 11 years. The Wildcats posted a 14-4-1 record in the Whittemore Center at Key Auto Group Complex, their best home record since 2007-08. Nearly 104,000 fans attended games in the Whitt this season, which included five sellouts and an average of 5,464 fans per game (ranked 12th nationally).
"UNH Hockey has been at the forefront of every positive aspect of my life; I met my wife and made lifetime friends here, played for an NCAA championship and realized my dream of playing hockey professionally around the world," Souza said. "But nothing has compared to the privilege of serving as the head coach of my alma mater. I look forward to coaching this group and building on all the steps the team has taken. The success of UNH hockey is an institutional endeavor. I'm grateful for the support of Allison and her commitment to returning our program to national prominence."
Witt was the runner-up for this year's Hockey East Coach of the Year award. The Wildcat women's hockey program rattled off four straight wins to conclude the regular season with 14 conference victories, their most since 2008-09, and the No. 3 seed in the Hockey East playoffs, their highest seeding since 2010. UNH parlayed that momentum to a first-round bye followed by a 3-0 shutout victory over Vermont in its first home quarterfinal game since 2013. In the semifinal at Northeastern, the Wildcats kept the game tied 1-1 until the Huskies netted a power-play goal with 1:45 left in regulation before tacking on two empty-net goals for a 4-1 decision.
"It has been an honor to be the head coach of the UNH Women's Hockey program for 10 years, and my coaching staff and I are excited at the opportunity to continue leading these tremendous young women who proudly represent the University on and off the ice," Witt said. "We are encouraged by the steps we took this season and are galvanized by the potential of what is to come in the years ahead. It is our unwavering commitment to develop student-athletes who compete for championships on their way to becoming pillars of their community as graduates and lifelong Wildcats."
About UNHWildcats.com/BuildTheRoar
UNH Athletics is embarking on a $16+ million renovation to all team spaces at the Whittemore Center at Key Auto Group Complex, including locker rooms, sports medicine area, video room, nutrition/study room and other support areas. Funded through state support and private philanthropy, the project will include a new state-of-the-art strength and conditioning center and new locker rooms for men's ice hockey, women's ice hockey, and field hockey while also adding a fully accessible locker room for Northeast Passage sled hockey's use. The hockey arena project is a generational investment in the Whittemore Center Arena at the Key Auto Group Complex that will create an exceptional student-athlete experience for Wildcats to thrive in their athletic and academic pursuits. Attracting exceptional students from the region and around the globe requires philanthropic support for elite facilities that will benefit the entire UNH community and engage the state of New Hampshire with its flagship University.
The 2023-24 season is the sixth for Souza and the 10th for Witt.
"The excitement surrounding our Wildcat ice hockey programs has reached a new level this season, and it stems from our amazing and hard-working student-athletes who have developed through the culture of success fostered by our dedicated head coaches, Mike Souza and Hilary Witt," Rich said. "Building on that momentum and their leadership, we expect to compete for the best recruits and vie for conference championships while proudly celebrating UNH Hockey's tradition of academic excellence and athletic greatness."
On Monday, Souza was named a finalist for the Bob Kullen Award, presented by Bauer to the Hockey East Association Coach of the Year. The No. 18 UNH men's hockey team, which has been nationally ranked for 21 straight weeks, registered its first 20-win season in a decade and its 20-15-1 final record represented its best winning percentage (.569) in 11 years. The Wildcats posted a 14-4-1 record in the Whittemore Center at Key Auto Group Complex, their best home record since 2007-08. Nearly 104,000 fans attended games in the Whitt this season, which included five sellouts and an average of 5,464 fans per game (ranked 12th nationally).
"UNH Hockey has been at the forefront of every positive aspect of my life; I met my wife and made lifetime friends here, played for an NCAA championship and realized my dream of playing hockey professionally around the world," Souza said. "But nothing has compared to the privilege of serving as the head coach of my alma mater. I look forward to coaching this group and building on all the steps the team has taken. The success of UNH hockey is an institutional endeavor. I'm grateful for the support of Allison and her commitment to returning our program to national prominence."
Witt was the runner-up for this year's Hockey East Coach of the Year award. The Wildcat women's hockey program rattled off four straight wins to conclude the regular season with 14 conference victories, their most since 2008-09, and the No. 3 seed in the Hockey East playoffs, their highest seeding since 2010. UNH parlayed that momentum to a first-round bye followed by a 3-0 shutout victory over Vermont in its first home quarterfinal game since 2013. In the semifinal at Northeastern, the Wildcats kept the game tied 1-1 until the Huskies netted a power-play goal with 1:45 left in regulation before tacking on two empty-net goals for a 4-1 decision.
"It has been an honor to be the head coach of the UNH Women's Hockey program for 10 years, and my coaching staff and I are excited at the opportunity to continue leading these tremendous young women who proudly represent the University on and off the ice," Witt said. "We are encouraged by the steps we took this season and are galvanized by the potential of what is to come in the years ahead. It is our unwavering commitment to develop student-athletes who compete for championships on their way to becoming pillars of their community as graduates and lifelong Wildcats."
About UNHWildcats.com/BuildTheRoar
UNH Athletics is embarking on a $16+ million renovation to all team spaces at the Whittemore Center at Key Auto Group Complex, including locker rooms, sports medicine area, video room, nutrition/study room and other support areas. Funded through state support and private philanthropy, the project will include a new state-of-the-art strength and conditioning center and new locker rooms for men's ice hockey, women's ice hockey, and field hockey while also adding a fully accessible locker room for Northeast Passage sled hockey's use. The hockey arena project is a generational investment in the Whittemore Center Arena at the Key Auto Group Complex that will create an exceptional student-athlete experience for Wildcats to thrive in their athletic and academic pursuits. Attracting exceptional students from the region and around the globe requires philanthropic support for elite facilities that will benefit the entire UNH community and engage the state of New Hampshire with its flagship University.
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