DUDLEY, Mass. – Nichols College men's ice hockey head coach Kevin Swallow, who led the Bison to a pair of Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Northeast Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances in three seasons, announced his resignation today and was named head coach at the University of New England.  

Swallow – who was named ECAC Northeast Coach of the Year in 2012-13 and again in 2014-15 – guided the Bison to a mark of 55-20-7 in three seasons behind the bench at Nichols. He was introduced as head coach of the Nor'easters young program today and Nichols Director of Athletics Chris Colvin stated a search for a new head coach is already underway.

"Nichols College has become a destination for some of the top men's ice hockey student-athletes in Division III and we will seek the best coach to continue to guide our program," said Colvin. "I want to thank Kevin for his tireless efforts in helping put Bison hockey back on the map. He made a tremendous impact on the lives of our student-athletes both on and off the ice and we wish Kevin and his family nothing but the best at UNE."

Swallow inherited a program coming off back-to-back sub-.500 seasons and helped them post a 16-9-1 mark in his first season in 2012-13. The following season, the Bison went 18-7-3 and captured the ECAC Northeast Championship for the first time since 2009. Last year, NC won 21 games and again captured the conference crown, led by ECAC Northeast Player of the Year Kyle Shapiro and Goaltender of the Year Alex Larson. The Bison finished No. 14 in both the USCHO Men's Division III Poll and the D3hockey.com Men's Top 15.

"It is a very bittersweet time for me and my family," said Swallow, who played his final two seasons of college hockey at nearby University of Maine. "I am excited to take the next step in my career and for the challenge that is in front of me. However, it is very difficult for me to say goodbye to Nichols. It has been an amazing three years and I am truly going to miss the team, the staff and this community. I am very confident the Nichols hockey program will continue to move in the right direction and garner national recognition. The team will not miss a beat next season."

Nichols received high academic distinction during Swallow's tenure as his program earned a total of 44 ECAC Northeast All-Academic Team selections. Shapiro was a three-time Academic All-Conference honoree under Swallow who went on to sign an Amateur Tryout Agreement (ATO) with the Evansville IceMen of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) following the 2014-15 campaign. Larson, meanwhile, was a Capital One Academic All-District At-Large Division District 1 First Team pick after leading the nation in save percentage (.952) and finishing second in shutouts (five).

Swallow came to Dudley following one year as a full-time assistant coach at Neumann College (2011-12), where he helped the Knights to a 15-8-3 mark and a No. 15 ranking in the final USCHO poll. Seventeen Neumann student-athletes were named to the ECAC West All-Academic Team in 2011-12 while two players - Matt Tendler and Will Lacasse - signed an ATO. Tendler signed with the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL) while Lacasse inked a deal with the Reading Royals of the ECHL.

A 2010 graduate of the University of Maine, Swallow began his playing career at Dartmouth College, where he helped the Big Green capture the 2006 ECAC Regular Season Championship and the 2007 Ivy League Championship. Upon transferring to Maine, he received the team's Unsung Hero Award in 2010 after helping the Black Bears reach the Hockey East Championship at the TD Garden in Boston, Mass. Swallow was a Hockey East Academic First Team All-Star as a senior and finished his collegiate career with 45 points (14-31-45) in 121 games.

Swallow graduated Maine with a Bachelor of Science in business management. A Dean's List student, he spent two seasons as a member of Team USA at the Under-18 World Championship team in 2004, which captured a Silver Medal in Belarus. He enrolled at Dartmouth following one season with the Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League (USHL) in 2004-05, where he tallied 41 points (20-21-41) in 60 games.