Natalie Darwitz, three-time Olympic medalist and one of the best known names in women's hockey, has agreed to become the head women's hockey coach at Hamline University.
 
"Characteristics such as drive, passion, and work ethic that ultimately made Natalie one of the best women's hockey players in the world, are the same characteristics Natalie has as coach," Hamline University Athletics Director Jason Verdugo said. "We are so fortunate to have someone of her caliber as our new head coach. I envision her making a significant impact on Hamline University well beyond athletics."
 
Darwitz first burst on the Minnesota scene as seventh grader leading Eagan High School to the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) Girls' State Hockey Tournament. She went on to score 487 points in 102 games there and still holds four tournament records.
 
She was a three-time All-American at the University of Minnesota and is the school's all-time leader in points scored with 246. She also has had considerable success on the world stage, representing the United States in three Olympics, eight World Tournaments, and ten 4 Nations Cup events. She has been a captain of several of those teams, a member of five gold-medal winning teams and, in 2005, was named Woman Player of the year by USA Hockey.
 
She entered the coaching world as an assistant to her father Scott at her prep alma mater. She went on to be an assistant at the University of Minnesota for two seasons before taking the head job at Lakeville South four years ago. This year, she guided the Cougars to a 24-6-1 record and a first-ever berth in the MSHSL Class AA Girls' Hockey Tournament.
 
"I am extremely excited and honored for the opportunity to join Hamline University," Darwitz said. "I look forward to working with the student-athletes and helping the women's hockey program grow and excel on and off the ice."
 
Creativity and innovation in teaching and learning are the hallmark of Hamline University—home to more than 4,500 undergraduate, graduate, and law students. At Hamline, students collaborate with professors invested in their success. They are challenged in and out of the classroom to create and apply knowledge in local and global contexts, while cultivating an ethic of civic responsibility, social justice, and inclusive leadership and service.
 
Hamline is the top-ranked private university of its class in Minnesota, according to U.S. News & World Report. Founded in 1854, Hamline also is Minnesota's first university and among the first coeducational institutions in the nation.