Joel Johnson named interim head coach of National Team
As the team opens their pre Worlds camp, a new coach arrives.
Late Friday night, USA Hockey announced a new interim head coach for the National Team in Joel Johnson.
Johnson is taking over for Bob Corkum, who stepped down from the role, according to the release. Corkum had been the head coach since the 2018-19 season.
Johnson is no stranger to the program - nor the players - as he was an assistant coach under Corkum. He’s also the long time associate head coach at Minnesota, where he coached six of the players and against nine other WCHA players on the roster for the upcoming World Championships. In the past four years, he’s led the U18 team to four straight gold medals at their World Championships.
Joining Johnson on the bench is previously announced assistant coach Brian Pothier and goaltending coach Alli Altmann, plus newly announced Allison Coomey. Coomey was the associate head coach at Penn State last season after spending the four previous season with the Nittany Lions as an assistant coach and six seasons before that at Boston University. She’s a scout with the U18 National Team as well.
It’s a slightly strange timing for the coaching change announcement. The roster was announced at the end of March. The team also opens their training camp in Portland, Maine today, and the start of the World Championships tournament is two and a half weeks away.
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