Don Cahoon

Don Cahoon
Name	Don Cahoon
Birth date	1946
Birth place	Worcester, Massachusetts
Alma mater	Norwich University (BA), University of Massachusetts Amherst (MS)
Player years	1966–1970
Player team	Norwich Cadets
Coach years	1971–2012
Coach teams	Norwich, Army Black Knights (assistant), UMass Lowell River Hawks (assistant), UMass Minutemen (head), Princeton Tigers (head)
Overall record	247–249–54 (college)

Don Cahoon (born 1946) is an American ice hockey coach and former player best known for leading Division I programs in the NCAA including UMass and Princeton. Over a coaching career spanning four decades he worked at military academies, established recruiting networks in the New England and NESCAC regions, and guided teams to postseason appearances and program turnarounds. Cahoon's career intersects with prominent figures and institutions in collegiate hockey such as Ralph Backstrom, Jack Parker, Hockey East programs, and ECAC Hockey rivals.

Early life and playing career

Cahoon was born in Worcester, Massachusetts and grew up amid a Massachusetts hockey culture that included nearby programs like Boston University and Boston College. He played forward for the Norwich program while attending Norwich University, where he was coached within a system influenced by Army and West Point coaching traditions. After graduating he completed graduate work at University of Massachusetts Amherst and briefly continued involvement in amateur circuits connected to the ECAC and regional tournaments such as the Boston Garden holiday classics.

Coaching career

Cahoon began his coaching career as an assistant at Norwich before moving to staff positions that included a stint with the Army Black Knights, where he absorbed disciplinarian approaches shared with programs like RPI and Colgate. He served as an assistant under established coaches at UMass Lowell River Hawks (then Lowell) during the rise of Hockey East teams and developed recruiting pipelines into New England prep schools such as Shattuck-Saint Mary's and Northwood School.

Cahoon returned to Norwich as head coach, steering the program through the competitive landscape of NCAA Division III and regional rivalries with programs like Middlebury and Williams. In 1994 he was appointed head coach at UMass, succeeding coaches who had worked within conferences shaped by Hockey East and the ECAC. At UMass Cahoon revitalized recruiting, scheduling, and player development against opponents including Maine, Boston University, and Providence.

In 2002 Cahoon left UMass to accept the head coaching position at Princeton, an Ivy League institution competing in ECAC Hockey. At Princeton he guided the Tigers to competitive finishes versus perennial ECAC opponents such as Cornell, Harvard, and Yale. His tenure included recruiting student-athletes who balanced Ivy academics with Division I competition, navigating NCAA rules and Ivy League policies while scheduling nonconference games against teams like Michigan and Boston College.

Cahoon announced his retirement from coaching after the 2011–12 season, handing the program to successors influenced by contemporary trends in college hockey coaching, analytics, and specialized player development exemplified by staffs across Hockey East and ECAC Hockey.

Head coaching record

Cahoon's collegiate head coaching record reflects seasons at both NCAA Division I and NCAA Division III levels. Across his Division I tenures at UMass and Princeton he compiled an overall record near .500, competing in conference play against teams from Hockey East and ECAC Hockey and appearing in postseason conference tournaments. His seasons included signature wins over regional powers and close contests in league tournaments versus programs such as Boston University, Cornell, Merrimack, and Union.

Coaching style and legacy

Cahoon's coaching blended disciplined systems characteristic of Army-influenced approaches with an emphasis on skating, positional play, and two-way forwards akin to strategies used by coaches like Jack Parker and Mike Jarvis in nearby New England programs. He prioritized recruiting student-athletes from New England prep schools and Canadian junior programs such as the OHL and the QMJHL, while also attracting academically focused players suited to Ivy League standards. Cahoon contributed to a coaching tree that includes assistants and former players who moved into staff roles at institutions like UMass Lowell River Hawks, Union College and Ivy programs. His legacy is evident in program infrastructure improvements, enhanced recruiting networks, and the steadying of programs transitioning between coaching eras.

Personal life and honors

Cahoon is married and has family ties in the New England region. He received recognition from collegiate hockey circles and alumni associations tied to Norwich University and University of Massachusetts Amherst for contributions to their athletic programs. Honors during and after his career included coaching awards within regional associations and invitations to speak at coaching clinics alongside figures from programs such as Boston University, Boston College, Harvard, and Cornell. He remains connected to hockey through alumni events, mentorship with prep school programs, and informal advisory roles with college staffs.

Category:American ice hockey coaches Category:College ice hockey coaches in the United States Category:People from Worcester, Massachusetts