After eight successful seasons as an assistant coach at Colorado College, Norm Bazin is moving on.

Bazin, who has helped Scott Owens and the Tigers claim three WCHA championships since joining the CC staff in 2000, has been named head coach at Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y.

One of the oldest collegiate hockey programs in the nation, competing since 1918, Hamilton is a member of the Division III New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC). Bazin succeeds Phil Grady, who retired earlier this year after 25 seasons at the Continentals helm.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for Norm to lead his own program in the most competitive Division III hockey league in the country,” said Ken Ralph, director of athletics at CC. “He's been a faithful and loyal Tiger for more than eight years and his contributions to the hockey program and the athletic department have been nothing short of outstanding. While we will miss him here, he has certainly earned this opportunity.”

A national search for Bazin's replacement already is under way.

"It is with mixed emotions that I leave Colorado College, which has given my family and me so many favorable memories," Bazin said. "We will miss the friendships we've made on campus and in the wonderful community of Colorado Springs. I'd like to thank Colorado College and especially head coach Scott Owens for allowing me to be a part of those championship teams. Although the timing of this departure isn't ideal, I certainly believe CC will be able to find a quality replacement with the type of program that Scott and Ken operate.

"Looking into the future, I'm thrilled to have been given the opportunity to lead a program with as rich a tradition as Hamilton's. I look forward to this new challenge."

In addition to the three WCHA titles, Bazin was instrumental in guiding Colorado College to six NCAA tournament appearances and more than 200 victories overall during the course of his career with the team. He was involved in all facets of the program including recruiting, video analysis and game preparation. His main on-ice focus the last few seasons was with the forwards and goaltenders.

A native of Notre Dame de Lourdes, Manitoba, Bazin played for the Notre Dame Hounds of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League before enrolling at UMass-Lowell in 1990.  As a senior in 1993-94, he finished as one of the team's offensive leaders as the Riverhawks earned an NCAA playoff bid. He went on to play minor-league hockey for the Birmingham Bulls of the ECHL and Cincinnati Cyclone of the IHL in 1994-95.