BC names King coach
Assistant promoted to succeed Mutch
Boston College, which conducted a national search to locate a new women's hockey coach, found her inside its own rink, promoting assistant Katie King to the head job yesterday.
"It was very obvious that the most qualified person for the job is already here," said athletic director Gene DeFilippo in naming the three-time Olympic medalist to replace Tom Mutch, who stepped down last month in the wake of allegations of improper behavior with one of his players.
King, a Salem, N.H., native, who hung up her playing skates just last year, was an understudy at The Heights for four seasons, when the Eagles stopped a skid of 10 straight losing campaigns and became a national power almost overnight.
"It was very exciting to get word that they wanted me to stay on," she said.
After Mutch's sudden and controversial departure, freshman forward Anna McDonald said she was leaving for another school, and Michigan recruit Geena Prough announced that she would attend Mercyhurst instead. BC needed to name a successor relatively quickly to avoid losing more freshmen and having additional veterans transfer.
"You want to find the right person, that's the most important thing," said DeFilippo. "If you can find the right person in a timely fashion, that's even better."
King said she wasn't concerned about a continuing exodus.
"The kids were pretty comfortable and knew where they stood," said King, who received congratulatory calls from several players yesterday.
"I knew they loved BC and wanted to stay for the school itself and for the hockey program. All of them want to be here, so I wasn't too, too worried about that. I guess you get worried if it drags on too long, but I didn't think that would be the case."
By naming King, BC not only kept the uncertainty from seeping into the summer but also guaranteed continuity with an energetic coach who is deeply knowledgeable about both the school and the program.
"Katie is absolutely the right person at the right time to lead this hockey program," said DeFilippo.
Familiarity clearly was a critical factor.
"I do think that helped," said King. "They know me and what I'm looking for. I know our style and I know how these kids play. I know all of our kids coming in and those even further down the line who are interested in BC."
King takes over an Eagle varsity that is on the wing after posting its best-ever record (24-10-2) and reaching the Frozen Four, coming within a double-overtime goal of playing Wisconsin for the title.
"We have tremendous confidence going forward," said King, who doesn't expect to change what has been working well. "The players know what it's like to play in a national arena. We now have six or seven from each class who have been able to experience that."
The biggest question, following Mutch's resignation a few weeks after the season, was who would lead them.
Two-thirds of the Division 1 head coaches in women's hockey are men and only three of Hockey East's are female.
But King was in the advance guard of the first generation of women's college players who are now old enough to have the experience required to head a top program.
"I'm thrilled about Katie" said Ben Smith, who coached King on all three Olympic teams. "It's not that often that a great player goes into coaching. She's dedicated, she's passionate, she knows what it takes to be a great player, and she knows what the makeup of a great team needs."
Besides her coaching apprenticeship at The Heights and as an assistant on the US Under-22 team, King has a five-ringed résumé as a player, competing in the Winter Olympics in 1998, 2002, and 2006, and winning gold, silver, and bronze medals.
"As far as I'm concerned, Katie's the best female left wing of all time," said Smith. "And she proved it on the ice right until the final game."
When she retired after last year's Games, King was the all-time US leader in Olympic scoring and second in international play, with 265 points in 210 games. At Brown, where she set the career scoring record, King was named Ivy League Player of the Year three times and ECAC Player of the Year once.
John Powers can be reached at jpowers@globe.com 