DUDLEY, Mass. – Nichols College Director of Athletics Eric Gobiel has announced the hiring of Michael Barrett as the eighth women's ice hockey head coach in program history.

Barrett spent the better part of the last 30 years as a member of the Quinnipiac University athletic department, most recently as the Director of Athletic and School of Communications Development (2017-21). He began his tenure in Hamden as an assistant coach with the men's ice hockey program (1985-92) and later took over the head coaching reigns of the women's ice hockey program, where he spent six seasons. Barrett took over a women's program in its second year of varsity competition and guided it to a pair of 10+ win seasons, highlight by 11 in 2003-04.

"I am thrilled and honored to be joining the Nichols family," said Barrett. "I want to thank the search committee, Director of Athletics Eric Gobiel, and President Sulmasy for this opportunity. The growth of Nichols College and the commitment to athletics are remarkable and I am very excited to get to work with the great student-athletes of the women's ice hockey program."

Barrett – who worked as a color analyst on QU women's and men's broadcasts from 2008-19 – began his collegiate coaching career at Sacred Heart in 2000 when he took over a women's team that was transitioning from Division III to Division I. He later served as Vice President (2004-06) and President (2006-08) of the American Women's Hockey Coaches Association.

"I am elated to welcome Michael to Nichols College," said Gobiel. "He was selected from an extremely talented pool of candidates and I am excited for him to begin his tenure at the helm of our women's hockey program. Michael brings extensive hockey knowledge and coaching experience from his time at Quinnipiac and I am confident he is the right person to help elevate our program to new levels of success in the years to come."

Originally from Warwick, Rhode Island, Barrett cut his teeth in coaching at the high school level, making stops at Milford (1992-94), North Haven (1994-97), and Lyman Hall (1997-2000). He holds a lifetime Level 5 coaching certification from USA Hockey.

During the summer from 2002 through 2007, Barrett was a co-coach of the USA Women's National Development Camp in Lake Placid, evaluating players and running both practices and games. Barrett also spent time coaching with the Connecticut Polar Bears women's ice hockey program (2010-16) and, in 2017, he was the head coach for the Connecticut Shoreline Sharks U-19 squad.

A four-year member of the Bobcats men's ice hockey team, Barrett served as captain in both his junior (1983-84) and senior (1984-85) seasons. He led QU with 38 points as a senior and was voted both Team MVP and the college's Most Outstanding Male Athlete. Barrett finished his career with 126 points and his 62 career goals are currently 10th all-time. He was inducted into the Quinnipiac University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990.