In the case of former Ohio assistant coach Jonathon Sheridan, one year is all you need to make a difference.
Sheridan, who is 26 years old, will replace Dan Morris as the program’s 12th head coach after just one year as a colle giate coach. Morris stepped down in July because of the demands from juggling the head coaching position with his other position as director of Bird Arena.
Although Sheridan is rela tively new to coaching, he traces a deep lineage with the Ohio Bobcats program.
He played youth hockey under former Ohio player Steve Witt. While playing ju nior hockey, Sheridan was coached by another former Bobcat, Chad Fournier. Morris said Sheridan stood out after one year as an assistant coach because of his ability to man age players well and his will ingness to build relationships with the community.
“John played his junior hockey for another Bobcat alumni Chad Fournier and Chad played with Steve and I here and understood the phi losophy here,” Morris said. “Al though John spent a year with me he’s really spent a lifetime with the Bobcat hockey fam ily learning the same philoso phy.”
Sheridan takes over a pro gram that experienced a mul titude of success under Mor ris. During Morris’ tenure as Ohio’s head coach, he posted a career record of 344-120. He won at least 20 games in each of his 12 seasons and coached Ohio to an American Colle giate Hockey Association Na tional Championship in 2004.
However, Morris will remain as the director of Bird Arena.
“I think as my dual role at the university as both an ad ministrator and as a coach I couldn’t have a career path that was both,” Morris said. “In order for me to grow as a pro fessional I felt that the admin istrative side of the university offered me the opportunities I was wanting versus the coach ing side of it.”
Sheridan played collegiate hockey at Lawrence University in Wisconsin. He was named team captain during his senior year and during the course of 76 career games, he tallied six goals and 16 assists. After Lawrence, he signed a tryout agreement with the Knoxville Ice Bears of the Southern Pro fessional Hockey League.
Sheridan said, despite his youth and lack of coaching ex perience for an extended time, he has had great mentors that have prepared him for this step.
“I think that what I bring to the table is that I have a lot of experience,” Sheridan said. “I’ve been a part of this game since I was 3 years old, the coaches I’ve had, I’ve been very fortunate with, they’ve been able to teach me a lot.”
Sheridan said he is cog nizant of the work he has to accomplish to uphold Ohio’s hockey tradition. Ohio has posted 26 consecutive winning seasons and this season the Bobcats return a core group to the ice after winning the Cen tral States Collegiate Hockey League tournament last year before advancing to the ACHA National Semi-Finals.
“There is pressure because (coach Morris) did perform at such a high level and did produce so there is that pres sure but I like that pressure,” Sheridan said. “I like where you’re in a position where you have to succeed and I think that helps you out a lot because it makes you care a lot more, so I feel the pres sure but I accept the pressure at the same time.”
