University of Connecticut Athletics
Women's Ice Hockey
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- casey.handrahan@uconn.edu
A veteran of the hockey ranks with head coaching and professional playing experience, Casey Handrahan enters his thirteenth season as an assistant coach at UConn in 2025-26, and his fifth season as the Associate Head Coach. Handrahan oversees the goaltenders, defense, power play, recruiting, and video analysis.
Under the guidance of Handrahan, UConn has sent over 25 players on to play professional hockey around the world since arriving in Storrs in 2013.
Handrahan was recognized by the American Hockey Coaches Association in 2025 with the Assistant Women's Coach Award. The award honors an assistant coach's career body of work.
In the 2024-25 season, Handrahan helped lead the Huskies to back to back Hockey East Regular Season Championships. Handrahan coached a program record five Huskies to All-Hockey East honors. For the second consecutive season, Handrahan coached goaltenders Tia Chan and Megan Warrener to the National Goalie of the Year Watch List, and guided Chan to her first Hockey East Goaltender of the Year award. Chan became the third goaltender under Handrahan to win Hockey East Goaltender of the Year honors.
In the 2023-24 season, Handrahan helped lead the Huskies to a record breaking season recording 25 wins, the most in program history and taking home the Hockey East Regular Season and Conference Championship for the first time, earning their first ever NCAA tournament bid. The Huskies finished the season number nine in the national polls. Handrahan coached three Huskies to Hockey East All-Star honors and goaltenders Tia Chan and Megan Warrener to the Goalie of the Year Watch List. UConn finished first in the country in scoring defense (1.24) thanks in large part to Handrahan’s efforts.
In the 2022-23 season, the Huskies finished with an overall record of 18-13-4, earning national poll honors throughout the season. Handrahan coached goaltender Tia Chan to Hockey East Third Team All-Star honors, finishing as a semifinalist for the National Goalie of the Year Award.
During the 2021-22 season, the Huskies made their second consecutive trip to the Hockey East championship game, finishing with a 24-9-4 record, and earning their highest national ranking since 2008. A record setting season, the Huskies got off to their best start, beginning the campaign with a 14-4-2 record, tallying 16 wins in Hockey East. Handrahan coached Taylor Wabick to Hockey East Second Team All-Star, and New England Hockey Writers Association All-Star honors.
Handrahan was named the Associate Head Coach in September of 2021.
Handrahan helped lead the Huskies to one of their most successful seasons in program history in 2019-20. The Huskies racked up 19 wins, tying for third-most in program history. UConn advanced all the way to the Hockey East Championship with a road series win at Boston College in the Hockey East Quarterfinals, followed by a win vs. New Hampshire in the Hockey East Semi's. UConn set a program record in 2019-20 with 12 road wins.
The Huskies also tied a program-record with 13 wins in Hockey East play, matching the 2007-08 team's win total.
The Huskies reached the Hockey East championship game for the third time in program history during the 2017-18 campaign, including an upset win over No. 3 Boston College in the semifinals. Handrahan helped UConn in its late-season run, going 9-3-1 in its last 13 games.
Handrahan helped the Huskies reach the WHEA Tournament semifinals for the first time in five years in 2014-15, as UConn won a WHEA playoff series at Maine before making the trip to Hyannis for the first time since 2010. Under his guidance, the UConn power play ranked in the top-half nationally and its penalty kill came in at second in Hockey East. He also helped to mentor goaltender Elaine Chuli to her second-straight WHEA Honorable Mention All Star nod.
During his first year in Storrs in 2013-14, the Huskies posted a six-win improvement from the previous season. In addition to primary responsibilities with the UConn defensemen, Handrahan spearheaded a special teams unit that ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation in penalty kill during the season.
Handrahan came to UConn to join Chris MacKenzie's first staff after spending the prior three seasons as the head coach and assistant athletic director at Neumann University.
Handrahan compiled a 35-36-7 overall record over three years at the helm of the Neumann Knights. In his inaugural season with the Knights the team achieved its highest overall season winning percentage in program history with a 16-7-4 overall record. Under his tutelage, two student-athletes were placed on All-ECAC teams. Handrahan's teams were not only successful on the ice but also in the classroom as 25 student-athletes were placed on all-academic teams over his three years.
Prior to Neumann, Handrahan spent five seasons as a professional hockey player. In 2006, he was an integral part of the Kalamazoo K-Wings defense that won the Turner and Colonial Cup Championships in the United Hockey League. In the 2007-08 season, he was named the Defenseman of the Year with the Bloomington Prairie Thunder of the International Hockey League. In that same season, he was called-up to the American Hockey League for a stint with the Peoria Rivermen. In 2009, Handrahan went back to Kalamazoo and played his final season as a player-assistant.
A native of Niagara Falls, Ontario, Handrahan played his collegiate years at Niagara University. In 2004, he made his impact as the team won the CHA Championship and advanced to the NCAA tournament. While a Purple Eagle, Handrahan was named to the CHA All-Academic Team twice and received his bachelor's degree in business marketing.
Handrahan and his wife, Kelly, have two daughters, Madison and Ryley, and a son, Michael.
