Brian Idalski spent last season coaching in the PWHL with the Vancouver Goldeneyes. Now the former PWHL bench boss and current head coach for Czechia's women's national team is taking over as the new head coach at Syracuse.
Brian Idalski didn't stay out of the women's hockey coaching circle for long after parting ways with the Vancouver Goldeneyes shortly after the 2025-26 PWHL season concluded.
The former PWHL bench boss was quickly hired as Czechia's next national team head coach, and now becomes the new head coach for Syracuse at the NCAA Division 1 level.
I am honored to join Syracuse University and the Orange family," Idalski said. "I'm excited to work with our student-athletes and help them grow as players, leaders, and individuals. Syracuse Women's Hockey has tremendous potential, and I look forward to building strong relationships and a culture of accountability, development, and relentless competitiveness. Together, we will work to make the Orange a program everyone is proud of."
Prior to the PWHL, Idalski brought decades of head coaching experience at the NCAA Division 1 level with St. Cloud State and North Dakota, and also coached overseas, including at the Olympic Games as China's head coach. He was also named the 2022-23 NCAA National Coach of the Year.
"Brian Idalski is one of the most accomplished and respected coaches in the sport, and we are thrilled to welcome him, his wife Nicole and their boys to Syracuse," said Director of Athletics Bryan B. Blair.
"His track record speaks for itself — a proven program-builder who wins at every level, from the NCAA to the Olympics. Just as important, he has a track record of developing complete student-athletes who succeed in the classroom and beyond. This is an exciting moment for the future of Syracuse Women's Ice Hockey."
Idalski succeeds Britni Smith, who stepped down after the season. Smith was also an assistant coach for Team Canada at the 2026 Olympics.
There are currently four former Syracuse players competing in the PWHL including Allie Munroe, Jessica DiGirolamo, Shiann Darkangelo, and Mae Batherson. None were drafted from the program. Munroe and DiGirolamo were both former captains who played their entirety of their NCAA careers with Syracuse before playing professionally in other leagues predating the PWHL. That number could grow as Rhea Hicks nd Sarah Marchand will attend PWHL training camps this year as a free agent invites.
Idalski and his staff will have work to do to begin recruiting stronger talent in the coming seasons to help Syracuse climb into contention among top teams in the Atlantic Hockey America conference.
