Emily McNamara, Middlebury Women's Hockey Assistant Coach, Dies Following March Car Crash
CORNWALL, VT — Emily McNamara, the women's hockey assistant coach at Middlebury College, passed away on Friday, according to Middlebury Athletics.
McNamara, a Middlebury alumna and former head coach at Hamilton College, had been critically injured in a car crash in March when her SUV collided with a construction truck on Route 74 amid snowy conditions, Vermont State Police reported.
President Ian Baucom expressed condolences on behalf of the community, stating, “We have been in touch with Emily's family to share our sorrow and our full support during this difficult time.” He emphasized the impact of McNamara's loss on her family, friends, and the women's hockey team.
Tributes have streamed in from across the women's college hockey community. Hamilton College's women's hockey team honored McNamara as a mentor, stating, “Coach Mac's legacy lives on in every player she coached and every life she touched along the way.”
During her tenure at Hamilton, McNamara was recognized as a Division III Coach of the Year for the 2022-23 season by the American Hockey Coaches Association and US College Hockey Online. Previously, as a Middlebury assistant coach, she contributed to two conference championships and national semifinal appearances in 2009 and 2011. As a player, McNamara helped lead the team to three consecutive national titles.
The circumstances surrounding the crash and McNamara's subsequent injuries remain under investigation.