Don "Toot" Cahoon enters his 11th season at the helm of the University of Massachusetts hockey program, and his 24th overall. Under his guidance, UMass achieved its best season in school history in 2006-07 capped by a berth to the NCAA Tournament and the Minutemen's first NCAA win - a 1-0 overtime victory over Clarkson in the tournament's first round. Perhaps the most impressive statistic in Cahoon's eight years, however, have been the 73 Hockey East Academic All-Conference performers that have played under him, including five Distinguished Scholars and six Academic All-Star Team Members. He has also coached members of the University's prestigious Commonwealth College.

As head coach of the Minutemen, Cahoon has taken the program to new levels nationally and in Hockey East. In 2007-08, UMass earned its highest national ranking ever, No. 5, after a terrific start to the season and wins over Notre Dame and Colorado College for the Lightning College Hockey Classic Championship. It was the second time under Cahoon that the Minutemen had been ranked among the top seven teams in the country (the previous high ranking was No. 7 in 2003). Along with that, the Marblehead, Mass., native took UMass to its first ever NCAA Tournament in 2006-07 where the Mass Attack defeated Clarkson in the first round.

Part of the success that Cahoon has brought to UMass is in part to several All-American players during his tenure. Four of the seven All-Americans in program history have come during Cahoon's 10 years in Amherst: Thomas Pock (2004), Jon Quick (2007), James Marcou (2009) and Justin Braun (2010). Additionally, Pock and Quick also represented the program as participants in the Winter Olympics. Pock played for Austria in 2002, while Quick earned a spot on Team USA in 2010.

The 2006-07 campaign was one for the record books under Cahoon that fans will never forget. UMass posted it's highest win total ever for a season (21) as part of the NCAA Tournament run. All told, 10 of those wins were against ranked teams. Cahoon guided the Minutemen to the Hockey East Tournament and to the program's second-ever berth to the HEA Semifinals. Another highlight of the unforgettable season was goaltender Jon Quick becoming just the fifth-ever All-American player (second in the modern era) for UMass when he was named to the RBK Division I Second-Team. With the team's success came a special honor for Cahoon as well as he was named the Coach of the Year by the New England Hockey Writers Association - his second such honor.

The 2008-09 campaign started with a 5-2-1 record including wins over No. 5 North Dakota and No. 1 and eventual National Champion Boston University, but the Minutemen struggled to find consistency throughout the year. The Mass Attack finished with a 6-6 mark against teams ranked in the nation's top-5 proving the Minutemen could play against the nation's elite. Sophomore James Marcou became just the sixth player in program history to earn All-America honors after he led the league in scoring - the first time a UMass player has led Hockey East in points.

The 2005-06 Minutemen gave fans some of the most memorable wins over ranked opponents in the program's history. UMass defeated then-No. 3 Boston College, No. 3 Colorado College, No. 5 Vermont, No. 9 New Hampshire, No. 13 Vermont and No. 14 Boston University. Marvin Degon also became one of the most prolific defensemen in the nation, heading to the AHL after the season concluded.

In the three seasons prior, the Minutemen registered a 41-52-9 overall record and they were ranked for most of the 2003-04 season and reached the Hockey East title game, falling in an epic three-overtime battle against Maine. The 2002-03 squad advanced to the Hockey East Semifinals for the first time in school history and recorded the highest Hockey East finish in school history. For his efforts, Cahoon was named Hockey East Coach of the Year and New England Coach of the Year.

The 2001-02 edition of the UMass hockey team was a young squad that earned eight wins throughout the season. However, the Minutemen were extremely competitive, appearing in 13 one-goal games. The 2001-02 team also captured Hockey East's prestigious Charles E. Holt Team Sportsmanship Award for the first time in school history.

In his first year with the Minutemen, he guided UMass to an 8-22-4 record, including seven Hockey East wins, which was the second-most league wins in school history.

Cahoon came to UMass from Princeton, where he rebuilt the Tigers struggling hockey program. He led the Tigers to their first-ever ECAC Tournament title, as well as the school's first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1998, and produced five seasons of 18-plus wins over the last nine years.

Cahoon made an immediate impact when he took over the coaching reins at Princeton in 1991. During his first season as the head coach, he led the Tigers to a 12-14-1 overall record and the ECAC quarterfinals. In 1994-95, Cahoon's Tigers beat then-top-ranked and unbeaten Maine in Orono in the Dexter Classic championship game en route to their first winning season in over a quarter century. It also marked the first time in school history that Princeton advanced to the ECAC finals. Following the season, Cahoon was named a finalist for American Hockey Coaches Association Division I Coach of the Year honors. In 1997-98, Cahoon guided Princeton to its first-ever ECAC title and first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament. His teams have also enjoyed success in regular season tournaments. While at Princeton, the Tigers won the Dexter Classic (1994), the Capital District Christmas Classic in Ottawa (1995) and the Mariucci Classic (1998).

Prior to his head coaching position at Princeton, Cahoon served as an assistant under Jack Parker at Boston University, helping guide the Terriers to the 1990-91 NCAA national championship game, which they eventually lost in three overtimes. The 1990-91 season at Boston University marked Cahoon's third stint as an assistant with the Terriers. He was also an assistant there from 1974-79 and during the 1987-88 season. Cahoon was primarily responsible for recruiting the players on the 1977-78 team that won the NCAA championship.

He began his coaching career as the head coach at Lehigh University (1973-74) where he guided the Engineers to the Mid-Atlantic Conference title with a 10-5-2 record before moving on to Boston University.

Cahoon then became the head coach at Norwich University from 1979-82, where he compiled a 48-35-2 record while leading Norwich to the ECAC Division II playoffs in each of his three seasons. In 1982, Cahoon went overseas to serve as the director of hockey operations and head coach of the Vienna Ice Club in the Austrian Ice Hockey Federation where he led the team to a 23-12-2 record. He returned to the United States the following season as an assistant at the University of Lowell, where he stayed until 1986.

Cahoon has scouted for the then-Minnesota North Stars of the National Hockey League and the 1984 U.S. Olympic Team. He also served as head coach of the 1990 U.S. Select 16 Team. Cahoon has coached two U.S. Olympic Festival teams in 1982 and 1990 and was an assistant for the U.S. Junior National Team in 1991 and 1995.

A 1972 graduate of Boston University with a B.S. in education, Cahoon played left wing for the Terriers, earning two national championship rings as an instrumental part of both the 1971 and 1972 NCAA championship teams. Following his career with the Terriers, Cahoon represented the United States at the 1972 World Championships, helping the national team to capture the silver medal in Bucharest, Romania. He then signed a contract with the New England Whalers of the World Hockey Association after graduation.

Cahoon was born April 13, 1949, in Lynn, Mass. He graduated from Marblehead High School before attending Kimball Union Academy in Meriden, N.H.

He and his wife, Cindy, have two children, Christopher (31) and Heidi (30), and three grandkids, Jason (14), Makayla (11) and Shaun (6). The Cahoons reside in Amherst.

Former Niagara and UMass Lowell head coach Blaise MacDonald was named assistant coach for the University of Massachusetts men's ice hockey team as announced on Tuesday, July 19, 2011 by head coach Don "Toot" Cahoon. MacDonald replaces Red Gendron who was named the associate head coach at Yale.

"Blaise was unquestionably the best candidate for the position and for our needs. He comes with a great deal experience, a great deal of enthusiasm and a great positive feel. He is the most dynamic of all the people who were out there," said Cahoon.

"I am really happy to be working with him again; the familiar relationship that we have played a big role in making this an easy decision. I'm really fortunate that I've been able to find another capable and well-schooled assistant. I've had a whole series of them from Bill Gilligan to Mark Dennehy to Red Gendron to Len Quesnelle; that now continues with Blaise. I've been blessed to have had so many great and knowledgeable assistants throughout my coaching career."

The addition of MacDonald makes UMass the only program in Hockey East where both assistant coaches have NCAA Division I head coaching experience. Returning assistant coach Len Quesnelle, former head coach at Princeton, enters his eighth season behind the bench for the Minutemen.

"It is certainly an honor and privilege to have the opportunity for me to work with Coach Cahoon and Len Quesnelle. I have a long history with both coaches and I respect them both a great deal," said MacDonald. "Certainly the opportunity to become a part of the UMass program is very exciting to me and my family. I look forward to helping build upon the success that the previous players have laid with their foundation of hard work."

The Billerica, Mass., native joins UMass after spending 10 seasons leading UMass Lowell - a span which included three 20-win seasons and a 19-win showing in 2009-10. The River Hawks advanced to the Hockey East Tournament semifinals twice (2002, 2009) in his tenure including and appearance in the championship game in 2009 - just the second-ever appearance in the league title game for UMass Lowell.

He finished his stint in Lowell with an overall record of 150-178-44 which included a mark of 93-126-33 in Hockey East play.

In his first season at UML, MacDonald guided the River Hawks to a 22-13-3 record - their best performance since 1995-96 and a fourth-place finish in Hockey East.

In 2004-05, MacDonald guided the River Hawks to a 20-12-4 record, their best since his first year at the helm. UML was ranked as high as seventh in the national polls, had one of the best power-play units in the nation and enjoyed a 14-game unbeaten streak from November 23 to January 28.

The River Hawks continued their development in 2008-09, winning 20 games for the third time under MacDonald, and reached the Hockey East championship game for the second time in program history. The River Hawks finished the 2008-09 season as one of the hottest teams in the country, going 12-5-2 over their last 19 games.

In 2009-10, MacDonald followed with the program's first back-to-back winning seasons since 2002. UMass Lowell finished with a 19-16-4 overall record, tied for third place in the Hockey East conference and were ranked as high as third in the national polls. The season marked the River Hawks' highest finish in Hockey East since 1995-96.

MacDonald came to Lowell after a five-year head coaching stint at Niagara University where he founded the ice hockey program and brought the Purple Eagles to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinal in only four seasons. He compiled an all-time record of 91-58-17 in five seasons with the Purple Eagles (.548), highlighted by a 30-8-4 overall clip and a 15-0-2 finish in College Hockey America in 1999-00.

In the first round of the 2000 NCAA Tournament, Niagara stunned 1998- 99 NCAA finalist New Hampshire (4-1) before falling to eventual national champion North Dakota (4-1). MacDonald was voted runner-up for the Spencer Penrose Award as National Coach of the Year.

MacDonald started the Niagara program in 1996 with all freshmen and guided the Purple Eagles to a 16-9-2 record as a member of the Division III ECAC West. He was voted the ECAC West Co-Coach of the Year by his peers.

Prior to Niagara, MacDonald served as an assistant coach and later recruiting coordinator and associate head coach at Boston University (1990-96) as well as an assistant at Princeton (1987-88) and Dartmouth (1985-87).

While at Boston University, MacDonald helped the Terriers to a 144-42-11 record including five appearances in the NCAA Frozen Four and the 1995 national championship. The Terriers also captured three Hockey East tournament and regular season championships and two Beanpot crowns.

During the past 17 years, MacDonald has recruited and coached many players who have moved on to careers in the NHL. He played a key role in the development of players such as Adrian Aucoin, Rich Brennan, Greg Gardner, Mike Grier, Scott Lachance, Tom Poti and former River Hawk All-American goalie Dwayne Roloson. MacDonald has also coached NHL all-stars Tony Amonte, Keith Tkachuk, and 1998-99 NHL Rookie of the Year Chris Drury, who helped Colorado to the 2001 Stanley Cup title.

A 1985 graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology, MacDonald was an All-American defenseman in his senior season. He led the Tigers to the NCAA Division II championship in 1983 and 1985. He helped RIT defeat UMass Lowell, 5-1, in the 1983 Tournament semifinal at Tully Forum. During his career, MacDonald set former RIT records for career assists (106) and points (119) by a defenseman. He was inducted into the RIT Hall of Fame in 1991.

MacDonald served on the American Hockey Coaches Association Board of Governors and was honored by Business First for his career achievements and community involvement as part of its 2000 "40 Under Forty" program.

An avid runner, MacDonald has competed in six Boston Marathons, recording his best time of 3:08:00 in 1992.

MacDonald holds dual citizenship with Canada as his parents hail from Nova Scotia. He and his wife, Carol, are the parents of four children - sons Cameron, Joseph, and Jacob, and daughter Carly.

Len Quesnelle is in his seventh season as an assistant coach of the Minutemen after serving as the head coach at Princeton for four seasons.

During Quesnelle's four years at Princeton, he holds the distinction of being the only coach in school history to lead the Tigers to consecutive winning seasons in the Eastern College Athletic Conference. Princeton posted a 9-9-4 conference record in 2000-01 and played to a 10-10-2 mark in 2001-02.

Quesnelle spent 12 years as an assistant coach at Princeton before being named the program's 14th head coach in the spring of 2000. He spent the previous nine years as the senior assistant coach on Don Cahoon's staff.

In Quesnelle's second season as head coach, the Tigers put together a late-season run to finish in a three-way tie with Brown and Colgate for sixth place in the conference standings. Princeton earned the sixth seed going into the playoffs, bettering the predictions of both the preseason coaches and media polls. The coaches had the Tigers pegged to finish 11th, while the media picked them to finish seventh.

In his inaugural season as head coach, Quesnelle led the Tigers to a 10-16-5 overall record, including a 9-9-4 ECAC mark. It was only the sixth time since 1961-62 that the Tigers finished with a .500-or-better ECAC record.

Following his graduation from Princeton in 1988, Quesnelle remained with the Tigers as an assistant coach on Jim Higgins' staff while pursuing a business career with a consulting firm in Princeton.

In 1991 his familiarity with team personnel and the recruiting process at Princeton helped to ease the transition into the Cahoon era.

A native of Bramalea, Ontario, Quesnelle was a standout defenseman at Princeton, appearing in 106 games and earning All-Ivy League honors as well as the Class of 1941 Championship Award for winning spirit. He played junior hockey for the Bramalea Blues from 1982-84.

Quesnelle has served as director of the Princeton University Hockey Camp and is a frequent speaker and instructor at camps throughout North America. He and his wife Jennifer have two daughters, Rémi and Georgia.

Mike Buckley enters his fourth season at UMass working with the team's goaltenders.

Born in Boston, Buckley is also president of Goaltending Development Services Inc., where he trains National Hockey League, American Hockey League and college goaltenders throughout the season and summer months.

Buckley played college hockey at the University of Massachusetts before playing professionally for five seasons including time with the Atlanta Thrashers minor league affiliate Gwinnett Gladiators, Mississippi Seawolves in the ECHL, UHL and CHL.

He currently resides in Bradford with wife his Renee.