Men's Ice Hockey
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
Ohio State men’s hockey alumnus Paul Kirtland returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach in Summer 2023. Kirtland, who skated with the Buckeyes from 2009-12, spent two years on the staff at Minnesota State before returning to Columbus.
During Kirtland’s tenure with the Mavericks, the squad made two NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the 2022 NCAA Frozen Four championship game. Minnesota State won back-to-back Central Collegiate Hockey Association regular season and tournament titles.
Kirtland's first year on the Buckeye staff (2023-24) ended on a high note as the Buckeyes reached the Big Ten Tournament semifinals. The squad carried that momentum into 2024-25, finishing third in the B1G, advancing to the Big Ten Tournament final and earning an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament, ending with a 24-14-2 record overall.
A native of Vernon, Conn., Kirtland spent the 2020-21 campaign at Yale; the team did not compete during the season because of the Covid pandemic. He was on staff at Sacred Heart for two years before making the move to Yale. During his time with the Pioneers the program produced two of the best seasons in school history, including a second-place finish in Atlantic Hockey in 2019-20. The squad was third nationally in scoring offense and second in shorthanded goals that season.
Kirtland has coaching experience in both the NAHL (Fairbanks, 2013-15) and the USHL (Dubuque, 2017-18), as well as at Division III Trinity College (2015-17). The Ice Dogs won the 2014 USA Hockey Tier II National Championship and at Trinity he helped guide the Bantams to two NESCAC Tournament titles and a runner-up finish in the 2017 NCAA Tournament.
A three-year letterwinner for the Buckeyes who skated in 49 games, Kirtland was an Academic All-Big Ten choice and an Ohio State Scholar-Athlete. He earned his degree in business administration from Ohio State in 2013. He played a year in the ECHL before beginning his coaching career.
Kirtland and his wife, Colleen, who was an All-American gymnast for the Buckeyes (2009-13), are the parents of two sons, Cian and Conor.
