LIU Hockey

HOCKEY

CHAMPIONS AT THE HELM MEET THE COACHES

KELLY NASH | WOMEN’S HOCKEY HEAD COACH

Kelly Nash is the 2024 and 2025 NEWHA Coach of the Year. Nash has guided the Sharks to the conference’s regular-season title each of her first three seasons as LIU’s coach as well as to the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament berth in her inaugural season in 2022-23.

A two-time national champion during her collegiate playing career, and with extensive experience coaching at the pro and college levels, Nash joined LIU Athletics as women’s ice hockey head coach in June 2022. She spent a combined six seasons as an assistant coach at the collegiate level. Her focus at Vermont (2013-17) and Princeton (2017-19) centered on player development, recruiting, practice planning, and video analysis and scouting.

Learn more about Coach Nash by scanning the QR code at left

BRENDAN RILEY | MEN’S ICE HOCKEY HEAD COACH

Brendan joins LIU after four seasons at American International College, where he began as Director of Hockey Operations in 2021 before being promoted to assistant coach. During his time at AIC, the team won both the Atlantic Hockey regular season and tournament titles in 2022.

Riley played college hockey at Mercyhurst University from 2016 to 2020, serving as an alternate captain his senior year and appearing in 91 games. He comes from a family with deep hockey roots—his grandfather, Jack Riley, coached Army West Point for 36 years and led the U.S. to Olympic gold in 1960; his father, Brian, is Army’s current head coach.

Watch Brendan’s statement: https://liu.edu/brendan-riley, or scan QR code at right