Celeste Brown Brings Experience to Alma Mater

As a former collegiate and professional hockey player, Celeste Brown brings a unique perspective to her job as head coach of the women's hockey team at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).

Brown, a former NCAA Division I and Division III college hockey player who also suited up for two seasons in the NWHL, just finished her fifth season at the helm of the Tigers.

But long before she was behind the bench, Brown was on the bench, suiting up for the Tigers in both their Division III and Division I eras. She sported the orange, black & white from 2011-2015, captaining the team her senior year and accruing 49 points in 114 games once RIT made the jump to Division I.

In 2015, she joined the inaugural New York Riveters of the NWHL, skating in 18 games and potting four assists. In doing so, she became the first player in RIT women's hockey program history to sign a professional contract.

After playing three games with the Connecticut Whale the following season, she made the step into coaching – and hasn't looked back.

"At the end of my college career, I knew I still wanted to play," Brown told The Ice Garden. "I played for a little bit after and I think the mindset was... I'm not ready to leave the game, so how do I stay involved?"

Brown's coaching career began as an assistant coach at Connecticut College, followed by a two-year stint at Penn State.

"I ended up coaching and had a great experience, and then just have continued to have good experiences," she said. "The thing is, it comes back to this: the game has done so much for me. It's provided me opportunities, friendships, memories."

In 2020, Brown returned to her alma mater to serve as head coach, a position she's held ever since.

"I knew I wanted to be a head coach really early on in my career," she said. "I don't specifically know why, but I just knew, if I'm going to do this, I have my mindset in place."

She applied for the RIT job once and didn't get it. Then, it came open again and she got the opportunity that's been a match made in heaven at what Brown calls "a special hockey school."

In addition to her three seasons with the Tigers in the Division I era, she also played for the team in its final Division III season, putting up 21 points (12-9) in 25 games. As a former athlete at two different levels, she brings a special perspective to her position that not all head coaches have.

"I think it's a huge advantage," she said. "You've walked in their shoes. You understand what it's like to be a student athlete. You understand the nuances of growing, the ups and downs, because it's not always a perfect four years."

"It gives you perspective," she added. "I feel really fortunate to have that advantage, and I lean on it every single day. I'm lucky that I'm still young enough where I feel like it wasn't that far away."

Considering her position as both a head coach and former professional athlete, she's keeping a watchful eye on the PWHL these days while fondly remembering her time in the NWHL.

"My first year was awesome," she said. "It was really special. The team was well-assembled and we had a great group. The whole year was just awesome. It wasn't perfect and all of that, but the fans were great, and in hindsight... you're playing pro. You're getting paid to play. How awesome is that?"

"It's cool that the women get paid more now, and hopefully that continues to rise, but I was happy to just make a little money and still be able to play at a high level," she added.

She said she logs onto YouTube and watches PWHL games, not just to enjoy the high-level talent but also to encourage her own players to watch comparable PWHLers.

When Brown and I spoke, the Tigers had just a few games left in the regular season, including some tough opponents. The team finished fourth in Atlantic Hockey America this season, accruing an 8-10-2 record and besting Lindenwood 4-0 in the single-game quarterfinal before falling to Penn State in the two-game semifinal.

"There's no better way, right?" Brown said of ending the regular season against challenging, high-level opponents. "You want to play the best, and perform against the best, and that's what it takes to win a championship. I feel really confident in this group. They've shown... they can play with anyone, so it's a matter of just putting it all together."

Although Brown and the Tigers ultimately weren't able to put together a championship, they'll undoubtedly take the next few months to re-evaluate and hope for a better result next season. The Tigers this season had two graduate students and 11 seniors, so next year's team could look quite a bit different when Atlantic Hockey America play returns in the fall.