Dominick Dawes ’04 enters his second season at the helm of the Norwich University men's ice hockey program in 2026–27, after becoming just the 12th head coach in the team's 116-year history in 2025-26.
Dawes orchestrated a return to the NCAA Tournament in his first season with Norwich, spearheading the Cadets to their first-ever Little East Conference Championship in the league's inaugural campaign. Norwich defeated Salve Regina University, 6-1, in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, before falling to eventual national champions Hamilton College in overtime in the NCAA Quarterfinals. In his first season, Dawes saw goaltender Sami Molu earn LEC Goalie of the Year honors, while Cooper Bertrand was named an AHCA Second Team All-American.
Dawes returns to his alma mater with 240 career wins and a .617 winning percentage as a collegiate head coach, highlighted by a 2009 NCAA Division III National Championship with Neumann University and a 2024 NCAA Tournament appearance with Stevenson University.
Over nine seasons, Dawes built Stevenson from the ground up as the Mustangs’ first-ever head coach. He led the program to five Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) championships and helped the Mustangs crack the national rankings early in their existence. In 2024, he guided Stevenson to its first NCAA Tournament berth. His tenure saw two Sid Watson Award finalists, three AHCA All-Americans, and numerous MAC and UCHC major award winners.
Prior to Stevenson, Dawes served as the head coach at Neumann from 2008–2015, where he compiled 107 wins and became the AHCA National Division III Coach of the Year after guiding the Knights to the 2009 national title. His success in building competitive, disciplined teams has made him one of the most respected coaches in Division III hockey.
As a player at Norwich, Dawes was a reliable two-way forward, appearing in 101 career games and tallying 47 points. He helped the Cadets reach the NCAA Frozen Four three times and scored one of the most iconic goals in program history — the game-winner in the 2003 NCAA Quarterfinals against Trinity, capping a four-goal third period that launched the Cadets toward their second national title.
A native of Utica, N.Y., Dawes graduated from Norwich in 2004. He and his wife have returned to Northfield with their children to begin the next chapter of their Norwich journey.
