Matt Kelly begins his sixth season as the Golden Knights assistant coach.
Golden Knights
TAD JOHNSON •
MATT KELLY • ASSISTANT COACH
B
STRENGTH & CONDITIONING COACH
eginning his sixth year as an assistant coach with the Golden Knights, Matt Kelly has played a prominent role in helping establish the women’s hockey program at Clarkson has one of the best in the country. Through his first five years with the Golden Knights, Kelly has been very instrumental in the success of Clarkson's Women's Hockey. Since the 2008-09 campaign the Green and Gold have skated to a 10363-22 record, including a 6730-13 mark in ECAC Hockey play, five consecutive appearances in the league playoffs, including three home-ice berths, two conference tournament championship showings and a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances (2010, 2013). Kelly has also helped to bring to Clarkson some of the finest student-athletes in the country. Numerous Golden Knights have earned all-star recognition along with excelling in the classroom and playing a prominent role in community service. His responsibilities included designing and implementing a comprehensive goaltending practice as well as providing one-on-one goalie specific training. He is also responsible for all aspects of video breakdown and analysis as well as maintaining academic support for the team. He joined the Clarkson staff after spending the 2007-08 campaign on the women’s hockey coaching staff at Quinnipiac University. Prior to that, he started his coaching career at Wayne State University in Detroit where he was the volunteer assistant coach during the 2006-2007 season. Kelly was a four-year member of the Wayne State men's hockey team as a goaltender, serving as a captain during his senior campaign in 2005-06, and earning team MVP and CHA All-Star honors. He played three years of Junior A hockey in the United States Hockey League prior to his collegiate career, splitting time between the Cedar Rapids Roughriders (1999-00 and 2000-01) and the Topeka Scarecrows (2001-02). A native of Hull, Massachusetts, Kelly graduated from Wayne State in 2007 with a BS in media arts and studies. Kelly and his wife, Brooke, make their home in the Potsdam area with their young son, Colton, and baby daughter, Makenzie.
C
larkson added a key member to the staff with the announcement of Tad Johnson as the new Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Green and Gold's hockey programs. "Clarkson is very fortunate to have someone of Tad's caliber joining our staff," stated Athletic Director Steve Yianoukos. "He brings excellent credentials and great passion. We are looking forward to Tad working with our student-athletes. I am sure he will do an outstanding job." Johnson comes to Clarkson from the University of Minnesota where he served as an assistant strength and conditioning coach since January 2012. While with the Gophers he worked with numerous athletic teams, including men's and women's hockey, implementing strength and conditioning programs along with performing and managing all athlete testing and tracking "We are very excited to have someone with Tad's credentials and experience working with the hockey programs at Clarkson," said Shannon Desrosiers. "He comes from a very successful program at the University of Minnesota and knows what it takes to win at this level. His knowledge and passion for strength and conditioning as well as nutrition will surely be a great asset to our student-athletes." In 2012-13 Johnson played a key role in helping the University of Minnesota's Women's Hockey team build the endurance and strength to complete a 41-0 season with the 2013 national championship. Johnson has also worked with former Gopher professional athletes in hockey, swimming and basketball. "Joining the Clarkson Hockey programs is a very exciting opportunity for me", stated Johnson. "It is an exciting time to be a Golden Knight. The passion of the University and the town for Golden Knight hockey is outstanding. Coaches and administrators dedicated to helping the athletes reach their individual and team goals is what every strength coach is looking for, and I have found that at Clarkson." Johnson holds a Bachelor's of Science degree in Human Performance and Fitness from Northern State University (August 2010) and a Master's of Education degree in Applied Kinesiology (May, 2012) from the University of Minnesota. Johnson and his wife, Alycia, make their home in Potsdam with their young son, Jacory.
12
www.clarksonathletics.com