On Monday, Ohio State announced the hiring of James Wisniewski as the associate head coach of the women’s hockey program.
He was a volunteer assistant coach for the team from 2019-21 and helped lead the Buckeyes to their first-ever WCHA Final Faceoff title in program history.
“It was such an honor to be part of the Buckeye family four years ago and I’m excited to rejoin the program in this new role,” Wisniewski said. “It’s been incredible to see what (head coach Nadine Muzerall) has done to turn this program around and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to assist her, the rest of the staff and the players in continuing the Buckeyes’ dominance in women’s hockey.”
“The biggest things I look for in a staff member is loyalty and hard work and I know that James possesses both,” Muzerall said. “He’s an exemplary coach because of his knowledge of the game having played at the level he did both in the pros and for Team USA. He’s not only smart about the game, but he is creative and brings unique concepts to our program. At Ohio State we have elite standards, and James fits that standard.”
Wisniewski is a 14-year veteran in the NHL, being drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2002 and playing for them, the Anaheim Ducks, New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, Carolina Hurricanes and Columbus Blue Jackets. He finished his career as a defenseman with 274 points on 53 goals and 221 assists.
He also played on Team USA in the World Junior Championships in 2004, winning the gold medal with that team, and in the World U18 Championships in 2002. He represented the country in 2018 on the Team USA squad that competed in PyeongChang.
Now Wisniewski returns to the Ohio State women’s hockey program in a full time role
