Middlebury College assistant women’s hockey coach Emily McNamara has died, months after being involved in a major car accident near the school’s Vermont campus. She was 42.
A Middlebury alum, McNamara returned to her alma mater in 2023 to help coach the team she once played for. She previously served as head coach at Hamilton College. Her cause of death has not been revealed.
“With deep sadness, we share the news that Assistant Women’s Ice Hockey Coach Emily McNamara ’07 died on Friday, September 11,” Middlebury President Ian Baucom said in a statement shared via Instagram on Sunday, September 13. “As many of you know, Emily suffered serious injuries in a car accident last winter.”
The statement continued, “We have been in touch with Emily’s family to share our sorrow and our full support during this difficult time. We have also spoken with members of our women’s hockey team and Athletics staff, who are understandably heartbroken by this news. Emily’s husband Dave, all her family, her colleagues, the students on the team, and everyone who knew her are deeply in our hearts.”
McNamara was critically injured on March 20 when an ice storm caused her car to lose traction and collide with a tractor trailer driving in the opposite direction. Her life-threatening injuries included multiple fractures to her face, neck, clavicle, ribs and pelvis, as well as a traumatic brain injury, according to a GoFundMe page set up to cover her medical bills.
In the months that followed, McNamara underwent multiple surgeries and spent time on a ventilator while she was unable to breathe on her own. By late April, she was well enough to be transferred to a rehabilitation center where she continued her recovery, participating in physical and occupational therapy, as well as speech and language pathology sessions.
In July, McNamara was able to move into her family’s home in New Hampshire, where she continued to receive care through in-home nursing and therapy services.
Hamilton College also shared a statement on social media, remembering McNamara as more than just a coach.
“She was the person who answered the phone at midnight for a player going through something hard,” the statement read. “She was the coach who remembered every player’s family, every player’s story, long after they graduated. She was, to two generations of Hamilton and Middlebury hockey players, someone who believed in them before they believed in themselves.”
The statement continued, “Hamilton Athletics extends its deepest condolences to Dave, to the McNamara family, and to everyone at Middlebury College who loved and worked alongside Coach Mac. Her impact on this program, on this conference, and on the sport of women’s hockey will not be forgotten.”
