3/7/97 ABCMHk (47) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HANOVER, N.H. ¯ Dartmouth men's hockey coach Roger Demment has accepted a reassignment in the athletic department to interim associate director of physical education, fitness and recreation, according to an announcement by Athletic Director Dick Jaeger.
Jaeger said there is no specific start date as Demment phases out of the position of men's hockey coach and into the new one. He will oversee a comprehensive program that includes physical education, health and fitness courses for undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, staff and the community; a vast intramural program involving more than 3,000 undergraduates; and club sports.
The announcement comes after the conclusion of the men's hockey season in which the Big Green finished 10-17-2 overall and 5-15-2 in the ECAC. Dartmouth was involved in the battle for the 10th and final ECAC playoff spot during the last weekend of the regular season, but ended up 11th in the conference standings.
"Simply, it was time for a change," said Jaeger. "However, I'm delighted that Roger has decided to fill the associate director's position. He brings excellent qualifications and a strong knowledge of the department to the job."
In six years under Demment's tenure, the Big Green qualified for the post-season playoffs twice, in 1992-93 (when Dartmouth hosted Colgate, dropping a 4-3 decision in double overtime) and last year (when the Big Green forced Rensselaer to overtime before slipping, 5-4).
Demment was voted ECAC Coach of the Year in 1993, after directing the Big Green to the playoffs for the first time since 1980. With 11 wins during 1992-93, Dartmouth won more games than any Big Green hockey team since the NCAA teams of 1979 and 1980 both reached 19 victories.
The record in 1992-93 was even more impressive in light of the 1-24-3 record that Dartmouth posted in 1990-91, the year before Demment took over the helm.
Last year, in Ivy League play which is held concurrently with the ECAC, Dartmouth finished second to Cornell with a 5-4-1 record. It was the Big Green's best Ivy finish since the 1980-81 team which was tied for second at 6-4.
Demment's record in six years was 45-111-10 overall, 34-89-9 in the ECAC.
Said Demment, "The program made many positive strides under my direction, and obviously, I'm disappointed not to have the opportunity to continue to foster that progress. But ultimately, it's a question of wins and losses."
After one season as Dartmouth's top assistant coach in 1990-91, Demment was promoted to the top job in June, 1991. Prior to joining the Big Green, he was the varsity hockey coach at St. Mark's School (Southboro, Mass.) where he led that program to five league championships in five years.
A 1972 graduate of Yale and former captain of the freshman and varsity hockey teams, Demment was a head coach and player in the French National League from 1972-75 and 1977-81. In 1975, he was presented the Medaille d'Honneur de la Ville for exceptional work in youth sports in Briancon, France.
He earned a master's degree in exercise physiology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1986. Demment is the author of several articles that have been published in sports medicine and fitness journals.
