"We didn't want to shortchange these considerations," she said.

Neither Athletic Director William J. Cleary '56, who will make the final decision based on a recommendation from the search committee, nor Senior Associate Director of Athletics Patricia Henry could be reached for comment.

According to McNeeley, the search committee is composed of different people from around the university, and probably includes athletic directors, alumni and team members.

Promising an Upbeat Tempo

During Beaney's 13 years with Middlebury, he led the Panthers to one ECAC tournament championship and five consecutive NCAA Division 3 titles.

Beaney graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 1973, captaining the ice hockey team his senior year. He has been coaching ever since.

"I try to create an atmosphere on a team where players are going to challenge each other to become the best players that they can be," Beaney said. "I'd like to give as much ownership to the program to the players. This has been the secret to my success at Middlebury."

The Lake Placid native has also coached for a number of hockey programs, including the U.S. national women's junior team, where he crossed paths with Crimson superstar A.J. Mleczko '99.