Press Release
Wednesday, May 02, 2018
Marc-André Côté named Université de Moncton Aigles Bleues women’s hockey coach
“I am excited by this new challenge to take over the head coach duties of the Aigles Bleues,” said Côté. “This is quite an honour and a privilege considering the history of this successful program. I have taken advantage of my assistant coaching duties over the last five years to gain valuable experience and knowledge under Denis Ross. I am confident by taking on the job. I know the players and I look forward to the practices in September.”
Côté was a high-level player and his experience will help him convey instructions to the Aigles Bleues players. “I want to make sure the girls arrive at the training camp in shape,” Côté added. “We need to play a full 60 minutes per game and our physical condition is important. We are aiming to attend the USPORTS Championships and we need to be better than the other Canadian teams. The rookies and veterans need to play as a team to get there. I take the opportunity to thank Marc Boudreau for his confidence in granting me the job. I look forward to get going.”
The new coach will also finalize his assistants. Preparations for next season are already ongoing.
Côté was an assistant coach with the Aigles Bleues for the last five seasons, under head coach Denis Ross, who retired at the end of the 2017-2018 seasons after 11 seasons. The new coach has a high-performance certification 1 from Hockey Québec. He has a physical education degree from Université de Moncton with a major in French Studies, and has pursued some studies in a master of school administration program. He was an assistant coach at the women’s Hockey Canada Development Camp in August of 2017 held in Calgary for USPORTS All-star team.
He is a former Aigles Bleus men’s hockey player, having played five seasons from 2006 to 2013. He was a member of Hockey Quebec elite U18 and U17 teams and played in international tournaments. He was also an assistant coach with the Mathieu-Martin Vedettes in 2012-2013. He is a former player with the Val d’Or Foreurs and the Acadie Bathurst Titans of the Québec Major Junior Hockey League.
He is currently a teacher at Moncton’s école L’Odyssée of District scolaire francophone Sud. Côté was also a tennis player and coach with Tennis Moncton and Tennis Dieppe from 2011 to 2016.
“I am very happy that Marc-André Côté is taking over our women’s hockey program of excellence,” stated athletic director, Marc Boudreau. “He has been involved closely with this team for the last five years, as an assistant. I know he will devote his time and energy to make sure the team continues to excel. I take this opportunity to thank Denis Ross for his work with the team over the last 11 years and I am happy he will remain connected as a recruiter. They will continue their association for the betterment of our team and program.”
Côté becomes the eighth head coach of the team after Denis Ross, Rhéal Bordage, Joanne Vautour, Nadine Jaillet and Ricky Babineau co-head coaches, Harold Caissy and Marc Poirier.
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