Rhea Coad enters her second season as assistant coach in 2024-25.
Under the guidance of Coad in 2023-24, the Lions saw immediate success, winning a program record 11 games, with seven of those victories coming at Centene Community Ice Center. Morgan Neitzke and Sarah Davies earned All-Conference honors with Neitzke garnering a first team selection. During the 2023-24 campaign, Neitzke broke seven program records and was first in the CHA in goals (24) and second in the conference in points (46). Overall, the Lions ranked second in the conference in goals per game (3.00), while topping the CHA in shorthanded goals (7) during the season.
Coad most recently completed her second season at the helm of the Buffalo Beauts, a professional women's ice hockey team based in Buffalo, N.Y. which competes in the Premier Hockey Federation. Coad began her tenure with the Beauts in 2019-20 as an assistant coach before being elevated to associate head coach in 2020-21.
Coad spent three years as an assistant coach at Nazareth College and was a part of the staff during the teams inaugural year in 2018-19. During her time in Rochester, N.Y., the Golden Flyers compiled a record of 45-12-5. Coad worked with four all-conference selections during her tenure while the staff earned United Collegiate Hockey Conference Coaching Staff of the Year in 2019.
A four-year member of the women's hockey program at Canton and was team captain for the 2016-17 season, which ended with a 14-11-2 overall record for the Kangaroos. She was the 2017 recipient of the SUNY Canton Pillars of Character Award. Coad also played softball and golf at the collegiate level.
Coad graduated from SUNY Canton in 2018 with a degree in Health and Fitness Promotion. She went on to obtain her Masters in Higher Education Student Affairs and Administrative Degree from Nazareth College in 2021.
