Under head coaches Brian Bourque and Shaun Reagan, the Waterloo Warriors men's and women's hockey teams have become perennial contenders in the OUA. Now, the pair are loading up behind the bench to take their programs to the next level.

The Warriors announced three additions to their coaching staffs on Tuesday, headlined by the groundbreaking hires of the first two full-time associate coaches in program history – Waterloo native Laura McIntosh has been named associate coach of the women's team, while former CIS player and Jr. A. coach Nathan Hewitt has been hired as an associate coach with the men's team. In addition, the men's team has also hired former Kitchener Rangers captain Ben Fanelli as an assistant coach, and the Warriors hockey camp coordinator.

With Bourque continuing in his dual role of men's head coach and Associate Athletic Director, the addition of Hewitt can help fortify and advance one of the top hockey programs in the country.

"This entire opportunity starts at the top," said Director of Athletics and Recreation Roly Webster. "Having leadership in house in Brian Bourque has provided us with an opportunity to have, what I believe, is a top Associate Director to lead our Interuniversity program. In this new structure, it also allows us to hire a full-time assistant in Nathan that will not only support Brian, but his work-ethic and experience should elevate our program within a very competitive OUA men's hockey conference."

Webster is also acutely aware of how impactful McIntosh and Fanelli can be to their respective programs as well – both have extensive experience in Kitchener-Waterloo hockey circles, and their presence will help the Warriors both on the ice and in the community.

"I don't think that there are two bigger names in men's and women's hockey in this region," said Webster. "I am excited that they are now Warriors, and will be role models for both our student-athletes and youth in our community, while providing coaching leadership that will take our respective programs to the next level."

Hewitt hired as full-time associate coach

The addition of Hewitt could be a game changer for the Warriors men's team.

In a first for the program, Hewitt has been named the Warriors' Associate coach, becoming one of only a handful of full-time assistants in the entire CIS. Hewitt comes to Waterloo fresh off of a two-year stint as a head coach for the Jr. A Elliot Lake Wildcats of the NOJHL, and the chance to jump to the CIS level – a league in which he played – was too good to pass up.

"I've always had my eye on coaching in this league," said Hewitt, who played for Nipissing from 2006-10. "Our players do have a lot going on, between hockey and school. I get it; I know what they're trying to accomplish both on the ice and in school. There's so much that goes into running a program in junior A, and you have to take that opportunity at the next level when it's presented to you. I'm a very detail-oriented coach, especially when it comes to systems and skill development. I am hoping I can add great value to our program by being there full-time."

For Bourque, who is entering his first full year as Associate Athletic Director, the addition of Hewitt means that his club will benefit from the continuity and dedication of two full-time coaches. And, as Bourque is quick to point out, Hewitt's work ethic should pay immediate dividends for the Warriors.

"We spent some time mapping out our ideal candidate, and extreme work ethic and determination was non-negotiable," said Bourque. "Nathan is an extremely committed, hard-working person. And when we did our hockey-specific questions in the interview, you could tell he had been a head coach. And he's played at the CIS level, he has a degree, and we thought that was very important at this institution."
  McIntosh joins women's program as full-time associate coach

Simply put, McIntosh is a legend in local hockey circles. She was part of Team Canada's national program for four seasons, and she attended Ohio St. University, where she graduated as the Buckeyes' all-time leading scorer. She also founded her own women's hockey development clinic, and served as an assistant coach for the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks for the past three seasons. Now, she'll be crossing University avenue and working alongside Reagan as a full-time associate coach, to help elevate the Warriors to the upper echelon of CIS hockey.

"When I first spoke with Shaun, I was excited about the opportunity with the Warriors because I believe, as a coach, I could learn a lot from him," said McIntosh. "When we talked about the program and the process, I felt that, right away, this was the place I wanted to be. It really seems to be a great atmosphere and I am excited to be a part of it."

It's not lost on Reagan that the addition of McIntosh can serve a dual purpose – her acumen behind the bench is of great value, but Reagan also knows that his new colleague can serve as a role model as well.

"It's great to have an experienced female coach joining our program," said Reagan. "As a former hockey Canada player, she brings that work ethic that helped her become an elite level player. Her knowledge of the game is excellent and Laura wants to continue to improve as a coach. And it's great to have a female role model on our staff. Many young female hockey players aspire to be a success in the women's game, especially in our region."


Fanelli in as men's assistant, camp coordinator

Fanelli has been making local headlines since he joined the Kitchener Rangers as a 16-year-old in 2009. After suffering a catastrophic head injury in just his seventh OHL game, he missed nearly two full seasons before returning to the Rangers in 2011. The defenceman ended up captaining Kitchener in his final OHL season, all while doing advocacy work for concussion awareness. Now, after assisting with Reagan's women's program last season, Fanelli is looking forward to his new role with the Warriors as a men's assistant coach and hockey camp coordinator.

"I met Brian through working with the women's team last year, and it's a great culture here at UW," said Fanelli, who is also a founding director of the EMPWR foundation for concussion awareness and recovery. "I am all about involving myself with hard-working people. The chance to work with such focused and respectable players that are similar in age seemed like an exciting opportunity to learn and develop my interpersonal and leadership skills, while still being involved in sport."

"Ben will do a great job with the camps, and that's a huge part of our program," added Bourque. "He has extensive experience running those types of on-ice skills sessions, and he's done a lot of development work with kids in the area. On the bench, I think Ben sees the game well, and he'll help with in-game adjustments."

The new Warriors coaches will join their teams for training camps in September. Fanelli and Hewitt will make their debuts with Waterloo on October 5 against Guelph, while McIntosh will make her debut behind the Warriors bench on October 14 against Toronto.