University of Delaware Ice Arena

Entering his fifth season at the helm of the Blue Hens is Head Coach Josh Brandwene. In four seasons, Brandwene has led the Blue Hens to national prominence. Despite the graduation of ten seniors from the 98-99 team, Brandwene led a Blue Hen team with 16 freshmen to its fifth consecutive berth in the ACHA National Tournament, and another top ten finish. With a final record of 17-14-1, 1999-00 season included wins over national powers Penn State and Michigan-Dearborn

Previously, Coach Brandwene served as head coach at West Virginia University, guiding the program to national prominence. In his two seasons at WVU, he lead the Mountaineers to a 38 - 18 - 3 record, its first bid to the ACHA National Tournament, an in-season all time high ranking of 5th nationally, and the ECHA Regular Season Championship in the team's first season as a league member.

Prior to that, Coach B was the head coach of the Farmington High School team in Farmington, CT. His three seasons at FHS included two berths in the state tournament and a trip to the 1993 state semi-finals. He has also been the coach of gold medal winning teams at the Keystone and Nutmeg State Games.

Brandwene is a Pennsylvania native who graduated from Penn State with a degree in Sport Science. While at PSU, he enjoyed a very successful hockey career. As a standout defenseman, he set a career record for points by a defenseman, was part of the 1990 National Championship team, served as team captain, and earned honors as MVP of the International Collegiate Hockey League and 1st Team All-Tournament at ACHA Nationals. He was a recent inductee to the Penn State Ice Hockey Hall of Fame.

The Coach resides in Newark with his wife, Leona, a personal and professional coach.

Coach O'Connor begins his fifth season as a UD Hockey assistant. John's primary responsibility involves working with the Blue Hen defensive units. As a 1990 Penn State graduate, O'Connor was an integral part of the PSU hockey team's 1989 ICHL Championship and 1990 National Championship, as well as a teammate of Coach Brandwene's. Prior to that, he was a four year starter on the Malvern, PA Prep hockey team, a Flyer Cup All-Star, and team captain in his senior season. John brings an additional four years of coaching experience as an instructor at the Penn State Ice Hockey School. John's enthusiasm, work ethic, and Championship experience make him a crucial part of the Blue Hen's success. John resides in Wilmington, DE with his wife Elizabeth.

Paul makes his debut appearance with the Blue Hen coaching staff this season. He is no stranger to Blue Hen hockey though, as he holds the Blue Hen single season scoring record set in 1996-97. A former ACHA 1st Team All-American, Paul's primary role will involve working with the Blue Hen forwards and assisting with special team units.

Brooks makes his debut appearance with the Blue Hen coaching staff this season. He is no stranger to Blue Hen Hockey, though, as he was a member of the team from 1995-99. Brooks was a standout forward and winner of the team's most outstanding forward award in 1999. Brooks' primary responsibility will be coordinating the recruitment of student-athletes and assisting in the breakdown of game film.

A welcome addition to the staff is Dennis Sherwood. With a Master's degree in Sport Psychology from West Virginia University, Dennis will support the Blue Hen program by providing the players with individual help focusing on mental strategies for performance enhancement. Dennis is currently matriculating towards another master's degree in Counseling Education at the University of Delaware.