MORRISVILLE, N.Y. – SUNY Morrisville Director of Athletics, Matt Grawrock, has announced the appointment of John Briggs as head coach of the women's ice hockey program.
 
Briggs comes to Morrisville from SUNY Cortland where he spent two seasons on the bench with the Red Dragons as assistant coach.
 
"I am extremely excited and privileged to be here at Morrisville and build a women's ice hockey program which can compete at the highest level," Briggs said. "The campus and athletic set up is superb and our goal is for the team to match such an outstanding facility and the family environment here at Morrisville."
 
During his time with Cortland, Briggs played a role in guiding the team to back-to-back appearances in the Northeast Women's Hockey League (NEWHL) championship finals, registering 12 or more conference wins each season, including a 20-7 overall record and 14-4 conference slate in 2022-23.
 
Cortland ranked second overall within the league in several categories throughout the 2022-23 season, including goals scored, assists, goals per game, power play goals, power play percentage, penalty kill percentage, goals against average and led the league in save percentage.
 
In the two seasons Briggs was part of the program, the Red Dragons compiled an overall record of 38 wins, 13 losses and one tie, while registering a 26-9-1 record in league play.
 
At the conclusion of the 2021-22 season, Cortland was recognized by the NEWHL as the Coaching Staff of the Year.
 
Briggs is Level I USA Hockey Certified and was a 2022 National Camp Coach invitee.
 
"I'm incredibly excited by this hire," Grawrock said.
 
"The energy that John brings is infectious and we're looking forward to that energy with our team. He has had tremendous success helping Cortland for the past few seasons, and it was easy to see the vision he has for the program, and how it will influence each of our student-athletes."
 
"I want to thank the search committee for the hard work they put into getting us to the point where we had great candidates to choose from. John rose to the top with his preparation, excitement for Morrisville, and the passion he has for hockey. I feel confident we have hired a very talented coach who will help us become a player in the SUNYAC for years to come."
 
Prior to joining the staff at Cortland, Briggs served as assistant coach for the Richland Rockies Women's Hockey team from 2019-21 as well as the 16U Tier 2 Boys' Valley Eagles and 18U Tier 2 Boys' Skyland Kings.
 
Briggs played junior hockey in New Jersey and junior and semi-pro hockey in Scotland. He received his bachelor's degree in coaching from Cortland in 2022. He also attended Abertay University in Dundee, Scotland where he studied sports coaching and development.
 
Aside from his coaching position, Briggs is also an Assistant Golf Professional at the Skaneateles Country Club.
 
SUNY Morrisville's curricula are enriched with applied learning and pave the way for opportunity at both the Morrisville and Norwich campuses. An action-oriented, interactive learning lab, the college is a national leader in technology and has been lauded for its exemplary, innovative and effective community service programs.
 
The college was ranked among the Best Regional Colleges in the North by U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges 2022 issue and was among the top 10 performers for social mobility, and was also recognized in the Top Public Schools, Regional Colleges North in the 2022 Best Colleges rankings. For more information about SUNY Morrisville, visit www.morrisville.edu.