Kendall Coyne Schofield is a two-time Olympic medalist and the current captain of the US women’s national ice hockey team. Coyne Schofield also plays for the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association, and she was recently hired by the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL to serve as a player development coach. She spoke with JWS about her new job and what comes next for both Team USA and the PWHPA.  

You were recently hired by the Blackhawks as player development coach. You’re the first woman in Blackhawks history to be named to the role. Can you talk a little bit about the job and what your responsibilities will be? 

For sure. So my role as a player development coach will be focusing on the developmental aspects of each role, which is extremely exciting. I love to build and grow the game, and as the player development coach standpoint, I’ll be working alongside our prospects. I will be watching the games that they’re currently playing in, breaking down the film with them and for them. I will be trying to teach them things that eventually we hope to see them doing as a future Blackhawk. A lot of the principles and characteristics that we see in our Blackhawks every single day, we are trying to teach our prospects those and help develop those characteristics so that when they get here, they are NHL ready and they can make that jump.

In addition to that, I’ll be on the ice in Rockford when the players return and the league returns as much as I can be. So working with those players as well, I’m really excited to get on the ice. That’s where I strive the most.

I’m really excited to develop the relationship with the players and the trust with the players that what I’m coaching them to do is going to help them accomplish their dream of making it to the NHL. Because ultimately, I know what that feels like. I know what it feels like to fail. I know what it feels like to succeed. And I know what it feels like to win at the pinnacle of the sport. And so I hope I can take the experiences that I’ve had throughout the team and implement it with them through our relationship as a player development coach.

“What interests me is being able to help this organization win a Stanley Cup... To be in a role to help develop those next generation of players who are going to want to raise the cup is phenomenal."

–@KendallCoyne Player Development Coach & Youth Hockey Growth Specialist pic.twitter.com/1oBA11Oclt

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 23, 2020

How will you balance this with your role as the captain of the US team?

That’s a great question. And I’ve answered this question a bit, but speaking with you, I think you’ll understand this when I say that if there’s one group of people that know how to manage and multitask, it’s women’s hockey players. From the time we graduate college, we are multitasking. We are doing many things because we can’t make a living from this game.

So our mindset from the time we go through the recruiting process to the time we walk across that stage is, what’s next? I need to be doing something other than playing because I can’t make a living playing. And so my mindset has always been on things other than playing. I’ve done broadcasting, I’ve done many other things. This relationship with the Blackhawks has evolved over the last six, seven years. I interned with them between my sophomore and my junior year of college. And it was because I had that mindset, unfortunately, that I can’t make a living playing the game. And so while I’m extremely excited and honored that I can wear many hats and that the Blackhawks are accepting of me continuing and pursuing my career as a player, while being a player development coach and a youth hockey pro specialist, I hope this game gets to a point where a young girl growing up knows she doesn’t have to wear many hats in order to make a living being in this game.

But again, I’ve been very fortunate that I’m able to do multiple things at once and have the blessing of the organization to do that because it is a lot. One of my focuses is with the women’s national team. That’s my focus. And my focus can’t only be on the Blackhawks and the prospects. And they are 100% on board with that. So to have their support means a lot to me.

I love how honest that answer is. Not everyone realizes just how much professional female athletes have to struggle with balancing their athletic careers with another job to make ends meet. And the only way to change that is if athletes talk about the struggles and fight for change.

And I hope this position also opens the eyes to so many young boys and girls to see what’s possible. To see that there’s so many other areas within the game of hockey that you can be involved in, that you can make a career out of. And I think hopefully I’ve proven that along the way that you can do many things within this game as I’ve done a lot besides playing. So I think that’s also an equally exciting part about this role.

You are paving the way. And the Blackhawks now have three women working in their hockey operations department. Can you put into perspective what that means for the sport at this point in history?

It’s extremely important. We need to continue to have women in the positions of making decisions when it comes to players, when it comes to helping a team win a championship, when it comes to the business aspect of the organization. We need to make sure the table is as diverse as possible. And there are different viewpoints coming from across all aspects of the game. And then to be a part of an organization that has three women in that position just speaks volumes to the inclusivity of the Blackhawks and the vision that they have for the organization.

And I think we want to have more, we want to be able to make sure there’s not only three. And I think I’m sure you saw Meghan Hunter was promoted as an amateur scout, which was another huge win for women in hockey. But I think it’s just as important for boys and girls to grow up and see women in the position of power alongside men, to know that both men and women are making important decisions as it pertains to sports. And so I think that’s what is also exciting about this role. I think we have a ways to go. The Blackhawks are leading the way as you can see, but there are 31 clubs. And so there’s a lot more room for growth. I’m the first here, the first player development coach, and I think what’s so exciting about it is knowing that someone’s going to be next. There’ll be someone who will come after me. And I hope through the efforts that I put forth, it’ll make the decision of hiring them that much easier.

Like you mentioned, you’re still playing hockey with the US team and the PWHPA.  Do you think being an active player will help you in your new role with the Blackhawks?

Yes, I really do. I think that’s the one unique aspect that I bring to the table is that I am still playing. And I’m sure this might be the first time that a lot of these players have a woman as a coach. I’m sure it’s the first time a lot of them have a coach that’s still actively playing at the highest level. Those are two distinct things that separate me from the other player development coaches they may have.

But I think what I’m excited for, and I know there’s going to be some smack talking I’m sure, is when I’m coaching a player up on something, and he’s watching me play with the women’s national team, and I’m doing the same thing I’m telling him not to do. It’s going to happen. And I’ve already thought about it, and I know I’m going to laugh about it. And I’m looking forward to that because that just shows the trust in the relationship that is being built between the players and myself. All of the best coaches that I’ve had throughout my career are the ones that care about me as a person. And so I want to make sure I have that relationship with the players that I will be working with. And because I’m still playing,I think I have a certain level of empathy for the players and what they’re going through because I’m still going through it myself.

For sure. In my experience playing sports in college, I always loved when our coaches would jump in and run drills with us.

Totally. And it means I have no excuse for a bad pass at practice.

You have mentioned before that being an NHL general manager would be a dream for you. How do you think this job fits into that trajectory?

I think it fits in very well. I think I’m able to see the organization from the business side of things. And I haven’t seen it from that side. I think I have the ability to learn and grow from some of the best in the business within the Chicago Blackhawks organization. And I plan on being a sponge. I plan on learning a ton along the way. I know I’m going to make mistakes, and that’s part of the process. But in order to get to the top, there’s a process to get there. And this is only the beginning for me.

How it started vs. How it’s going...

Thank you everyone for all of the love and support. A team I grew up wanting to be on, I’m on. It’s an honor to be the first female player development coach in @NHLBlackhawks history and I know I won’t be the last. pic.twitter.com/UwIUMZ3p6Q

— Kendall Coyne Schofield (@KendallCoyne) November 25, 2020

You are originally from Illinois. How special is it to be part of your home team’s organization? 

This is the team I grew up wanting to be on ever since I was three years old. And I’ve made it. I’m on it. I’m here. I grew up 22 miles southwest of the United Center. My family and I would go to Blackhawks games when I was a kid. I played in the junior Blackhawks games when I was playing house league here in Illinois. And it was the highlight of my youth career being able to play at United Center. This was the first hockey team I ever wanted to be on. And I’m on it. And to be able to make decisions to work every single day to help an organization that was the one that I wanted to be on, that I idolized as a kid, is really special. And I think in order to be elite or the best in anything you do, you have to be passionate about it. And there’s no doubt that I’m extremely passionate about this organization.

What’s your schedule look like over the next year in terms of Team USA, PWHPA, and Blackhawks commitments?

With some of those things, your guess is as good as mine due to the pandemic. But we were able to get together with the women’s national team in October, which was awesome. We went in with 53 players healthy. We came out with 53 players healthy. That was the first sign of it being a successful camp. And then second was that everyone was in shape. It was incredible. I think it just shows how committed this team is.

We’re supposed to have a rivalry series in February. If that takes place, I’m not sure, it’s usually against Canada. It just depends on the border being open, the numbers, everything. And then I think the big thing to keep an eye out for is the women’s world championship in April in Halifax. They were supposed to be in Russia, but Halifax got canceled last year, so they just bumped it to Halifax for this year. So that would be in terms of the women’s national team.

PWHPA, we’re hoping to get off the ground and running in January 2021. Again, a lot of it’s TBD. We hope to have events, one, in the United States and events in Canada.

And then from a Blackhawks standpoint, I am currently off the ground and running right as we speak. It’s been an overwhelming couple weeks just getting my feet wet and learning the software and everyone who I’m reporting to and meeting the prospects. And so it feels overwhelming at first, but it’s exciting because I have so much to learn, and learning is the best part of it all.

No. 7 USC took down No. 4 UConn on Saturday, winning 72-70 in a battle between two bonafide NCAA basketball championship contenders still figuring out a consistent flow of play.

USC led by as many as 18 in the first half. However UConn came storming back, briefly pulling ahead in the fourth quarter before the Trojans outlasted the Huskies to secure the narrow victory.

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JuJu holds on to secure USC win

With UConn superstar Paige Bueckers tight on her heels, USC standout JuJu Watkins registered a game-leading 25 points, alongside six rebounds, five assists, and three blocks.

Bueckers and Huskies freshman Sarah Strong split scoring duties for UConn, notching 22 points each with Strong adding 11 rebounds.

After opening the season at No. 2, this highly touted UConn squad has dropped pivotal games against Notre Dame and now USC to go 0-2 in Top 10 matchups. It's a pattern legendary coach Auriemma will hope to correct before the Huskies face their next ranked opponent in early February.

"I thought the execution part in the first half was just as bad as I've seen in a few years here in Connecticut," Huskies boss Geno Auriemma said after the loss.

"This is a really significant win, and it's a really significant win because of the stature of UConn's program and what Geno Auriemma has done for our sport," commented USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb.

Weekend upsets shake top-ranked NCAA basketball teams

Elsewhere, upsets dominated the NCAA basketball conversation this weekend, with Top 25 contenders falling short as this season's undefeated list continues to shrink.

No. 15 Michigan State saw their first loss on Friday, falling to unranked Alabama 82-67 in a low scoring matchup. Afterwards, No. 9 Duke suffered their own unranked loss on Saturday, ceding a tough defensive battle to USF 65-56.

Seventeenth-ranked Georgia Tech remains undefeated with Saturday's ranked win over No. 23 Nebraska, while No. 14 West Virginia lost to unranked Colorado later that day.

Parity is the name of the game this season, with conference realignment, the transfer portal, and other recent shifts impacting a number of programs across the NCAA. And with conference play looming, teams will rely on regional rivalries and schedule strength to prepare them for heightened competition in the new year.

Penn State won the 2024 NCAA Volleyball Championship on Sunday, rising above Louisville's hometown advantage and a monster second set by the Cardinals to claim the program's eighth all-time title and first in 10 years.

In the victory, Penn State head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley became the first woman head coach in NCAA tournament history to win the championship — all while battling breast cancer.

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Penn State tops Louisville in a back-and-forth matchup

Sunday's championship game drew a sell-out crowd of 21,860 to the KFC Yum Center in downtown Louisville, setting a new NCAA volleyball championship record. It was Louisville's second-ever title match, after finishing second to Texas in 2022.

After suffering an ankle injury in​ Thursday's semifinal upset against Pitt, however, Louisville entered the match without senior outside hitter Anna DeBeer. The absence ultimately proved too great to overcome.

The Nittany Lions won the first set 25-23, before Louisville saved 10 set points to dramatically take the second set 34-32.

But the Nittany Lions roared back, overwhelming the Cardinals to win the third set 25-20 before closing out the deciding set 25-17.

A moving win for Penn State's women's volleyball coach

Penn State coach Schumacher-Cawley, who was diagnosed with cancer last fall, stayed with her team throughout the 2024 season.

"I'm very happy for Katie, and it's a big deal for this sport," Louisville head coach Dani Busboom Kelly said. "I'm thankful… that we can move on and that more women will be in this position in the future."

As for Schumacher-Cawley, she remained ever humble.

"I'm inspired by the young kids that are sick," she said after the win. "If I can be an inspiration, then I take that. But I feel good. I'm fortunate to be surrounded by so many great people."

The new-look New York Sirens continue to impress in the early stages of the 2024/25 PWHL season, most recently notching a big 4-2 win over Toronto in the the team home opener on Wednesday.

All four of New York's goals came in the second period — the most in a single period all season — and all were the first goals of the season by each scorer.

Finland international Noora Tulus opened the game's scoring with her first PWHL goal, with teammates Emmy Fecteau, Micah Zandee-Hart, and Jaime Bourbonnais following suit. Both Fecteau's goal and team captain Zandee-Hart's were the first of their PWHL careers.

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Sirens rookie Sarah Fillier and teammate Alex Carpenter both assisted on Tulus's game-opening goal, with each booking a point in their fourth straight contest. Fillier remains in the PWHL's lead with two goals and five assists for a total of seven points, while Carpenter is just behind with six points — though her three goals make her the league's scoring leader.

As for the Sceptres, forwards Hannah Miller and former Siren Emma Woods each made a dent in the scoresheet with goals of their own in the third period, but it wasn't quite enough as Toronto failed to complete the comeback.

Last-place Toronto has now allowed their opponents to breach the scoresheet first in each of their 2024/25 matchups, ultimately losing their last three games in regulation.

New York Sirens to face Minnesota Frost in top matchup

New York's shifting fortune highlights the second-season league's rapidly growing parity. With only one loss through their first four games, the Sirens sit in second place to stake an early season claim on "most improved" after finishing last in the PWHL's inaugural season.

Just above New York on the league's table are the Minnesota Frost. The reigning Walter Cup champions are holding strong as the team to beat, but New York has already proved that it's possible after handing Minnesota an overtime 4-3 season-opening loss on December 1st.

The Sirens' will officially take aim at the top of the PWHL table on Sunday, when New York will try to gift Minnesota a second season loss in the league's pre-Christmas closer. This time, the Sirens will have the crowd on their side as the Frost visit New York's home ice.

How to watch New York Sirens vs. Minnesota Frost in PWHL action

The puck is set to drop on New York vs. Minnesota at 12 PM ET on Sunday, with live streaming coverage on YouTube.

Despite being populated by all four No. 1 seeds, Thursday's 2024 NCAA volleyball semifinals served up the bracket's biggest upsets, as heavily favored Nebraska and overall top seed Pitt were sent packing by their conference foes.

In front of 21,726 fans — a new record for college volleyball's postseason — Louisville shocked Pitt with a 3-1 victory before Penn State ousted Nebraska in a five-set instant classic.

Louisville books second national championship ticket

After dropping their first set to Pitt on Thursday night, it seemed the deck was stacked against the Cards, who had already lost twice to the Panthers in the regular season.

However, buoyed by their raucous home crowd, Louisville surged back, sweeping the next three sets to book their first trip to the national championship match since 2022, when they became the first and only ACC team to ever compete in the collegiate final.

As for Pitt, Thursday's loss was just their second all season, and not even 2024 AVCA Player of the Year Olivia Babcock's astounding 33 kills could extend their title chase. Notably, their national semifinal curse continues, with the Panthers now falling in the NCAA tournament's penultimate round for four straight years.

On the other hand, Louisville's victory was a true team effort, with three senior outside hitters — Anna DeBeer, Charitie Luper, and Sofia Maldonado Diaz — leading the offensive charge with 14 kills each.

The Cardinals' roster was also required to step up in unexpected ways. Just two points into the fourth set, Louisville star DeBeer crumbled to the court with an ankle injury and did not return to the match. The visibly shocked Cards looked to freshman Payton Petersen, who made a massive statement by recording two kills and four clutch digs to help seal the win.

"I wanted to do this for her," Petersen said of DeBeer. "She's meant so much to me."

Penn State roars back to top Nebraska

In Thursday's battle between two Big Ten titans, the message was clear: Never count out the Nittany Lions.

After falling behind the Cornhuskers 2-0 in what increasingly looked like an inevitable Nebraska victory, Penn State emerged from the brink of defeat to pull off the first reverse sweep of the Huskers in the NCAA tournament since 1982.

Following a 5-0 run that helped the Nittany Lions stay alive with a third set win, they flipped a 22-16 deficit into a match-point battle that ended the fourth set 28-26 in Penn State's favor. With the match now equalized, Penn State took control in the fifth, holding off Nebraska 15-13 to clinch their first championship trip since winning their seventh title in 2014.

Star Jess Mruzik led the Nittany Lions' charge with a 26-kill, 12-dig double-double, putting together what Nebraska head coach John Cook called "one of the best performances [he's] ever seen by an outside hitter." 

Like Louisville's Petersen, freshmen also stepped up for Penn State, with Izzy Starck recording six key blocks and redshirt freshman Caroline Jurevicius hammering 20 kills against her former team, having transferred from Nebraska in December 2023.

As for the Huskers, their stacked roster showed out, with outside hitter Harper Murray leading the charge with a 20-kill, 15-dig double-double, plus three aces — the most by any player in either match on Thursday. Middle blocker Andi Jackson also had a standout night, putting together a near-errorless performance to finish with 19 kills.

Four-time All-American libero Lexi Rodriguez added program history to Thursday's mix, closing out her NCAA career as the Huskers' all-time digs leader with 1,896.

Sunday's court will make NCAA history

Louisville and Penn State's semifinal victories have guaranteed that Sunday's 44th NCAA volleyball championship match will go down in the history books.

With Dani Busboom Kelly leading the Cardinals and Katie Schumacher-Cawley coaching the Nittany Lions, a woman head coach will lift the national championship trophy for the first time.

Only two women have ever coached their teams into the college volleyball final, with Florida's Mary Wise doing so in 2003 and 2017 before Busboom Kelly followed in 2022.

For context, the last seven Division I basketball trophies came under women head coaches.

The fact that this glass ceiling still exists is partially due to volleyball having less women in head coaching positions than other NCAA sports. Less than half of Division I's 334 teams are led by a woman, while basketball boasts nearly 68% female leadership and softball claims almost 74%.

Busboom Kelly's ACC exceeds that 50% stat, but the Schumacher-Cawley remains one of only six women leading the Big Ten's 18 teams.

Both of Sunday's sideline leaders know what it takes to win the national championship, with Schumacher-Cawley taking the 1999 title while playing for Penn State and Busboom Kelly doing the same with Nebraska in 2006.

Even so, in some ways, this year's title will mean even more, as the coaches pave the way for future generations of volleyball leaders.

"[There’s] just honestly no better feeling than being led by a female because that could be me someday, that could be one of my teammates someday," Mruzik noted. 

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How to watch the 2024 NCAA volleyball championship match

Sunday's final won't just make women's coaching history, it could see Louisville earn the ACC's first-ever NCAA volleyball title. But to do so, the Cardinals, who fell to Penn State 3-0 in early September, will have to deny the Nittany Lions an eighth national championship.

NCAA volleyball will crown its Division I champion in Sunday's 3 PM ET match, with live coverage on ABC.