The Buffalo Beauts Announce Three Coaching Staff Members for the 2021-22 NWHL Season

The Buffalo Beauts have announced that they have hired three more members to their coaching staff for the 2021-22 NWHL season. Joining the team's newly named head coach Rhea Coad will be assistant coach Mark Zarbo, special assignments coach Julia DiTondo, and video/analytics coach Chris Baudo.

"I am extremely excited to be able to work closely with such a great group of humans and coaches," said Coad. "It's exciting to see a coaching staff that is dedicated to providing a great experience for our Beauts players."

Zarbo returns to the Beauts for his second season as an assistant coach. Owner and director of Mark Zarbo Hockey, his hockey school provides year-round instruction, team, and private training, and game performance analysis. Zarbo played NCAA Division I hockey for Bentley College and for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). He also serves as a scout for the Lone Star Brahmas of the North American Hockey League (NAHL).

"Our Beauts truly benefited from Mark's tutelage this past season," said Beauts GM Nate Oliver. "Mark is incredibly skillful when it comes to the more technical aspects of the game, and he has been imperative to our team's overall player development. We're happy to have him on the bench for Season 7".

DiTondo makes her homecoming to the Beauts organization as the team's special assignments coach. She was previously a goaltender for Buffalo in 2017-18 and 2018-19. DiTondo played her NCAA hockey for the Mercyhurst Lakers from 2012-13 through 2014-15, and never posted lower than a .927 save percentage. A Buffalo native and a graduate of Nichols School, she gained coaching experience as Nichols' field hockey and lacrosse assistant coach from 2016 through 2019. DiTondo has also coached with youth hockey teams in the Buffalo Bisons program.

"We are very excited to have Julia return to the Beauts as a member of our coaching staff," said Oliver. "This is a new position that we have instituted for our team. We know that Julia's previous experiences in the NWHL and in the NCAA will help our team with player development, as well as with strategy and our tactical approach. She possesses a lot of analytical skill which will give us an advantage in practice and in games."

Baudo - the head coach for Nazareth College's women's hockey team - joins the Beauts as the team's new video and analytics coach. The original coach of the Naz Golden Flyers, Baudo has led the program to an overall record of 33-7-3 in their three seasons of existence. Coad served as Baudo's assistant in Nazareth's first three seasons. A native of Tonawanda, NY, Baudo played his NCAA hockey as a forward for Hamilton College from 1996 through 2000. Prior to Nazareth, he was a head coach for over a decade at The Gunnery preparatory high school for men's hockey. 

"Chris brings plenty of knowledge and experience to our program," said Coad. "His authenticity and genuine leadership are what separate him from many."

The Beauts intend to add at least one more member to their coaching staff for the upcoming seventh season of the NWHL.

About the Buffalo Beauts

The Buffalo Beauts are a professional women's ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York and competing in the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL). The Beauts are one of the Founding Four teams that stepped on the NWHL ice in 2015 and 2017 Isobel Cup Champions. The team is owned and operated by W Hockey Partners.
Visit beauts.nwhl.zone to learn more.

About the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL)

Established in 2015, the NWHL was the first professional women’s hockey league in North America to pay its players. The mission of the league is to fuel the continued growth of the sport and brand of pro women’s hockey. The league is made up of the Boston Pride, Buffalo Beauts, Connecticut Whale, Metropolitan Riveters, Minnesota Whitecaps, and the Toronto Six. Visit NWHL.zone and follow on Twitter and Facebook @NWHL and Instagram @NWHL.zone

Contact: For media information, please contact Nate Oliver: noliver@beautshockey.com.