Courtney Kessel, the current coach of the Boston Fleet in the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL), is reportedly in the final stages of discussions to become the next women's hockey coach at Princeton University. According to sources familiar with the talks, the hiring process is not yet complete and could take several weeks to finalize. These sources spoke to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.

If the deal is finalized, this move would mark a return to Princeton for Kessel, who previously served as an assistant coach for the Tigers under Cara Gardner Morey. Gardner Morey departed Princeton in May to take on the general manager position for the PWHL's expansion team in Vancouver. Kessel's prior experience at Princeton is considered a significant factor in her decision to pursue this coaching opportunity.

The decision to potentially leave the PWHL was reportedly a difficult one for the 35-year-old Kessel. She is said to value the relationships she has built with the staff and players of the Boston Fleet during the team's inaugural season. Under Kessel's leadership, the Fleet achieved a 27-19-8 record. In their first season, Boston reached the Walter Cup finals but lost to Minnesota in a decisive Game 5. This past season, the Fleet narrowly missed the playoffs.

Kessel's hockey background includes a standout playing career. Before transitioning to coaching, she played at the University of New Hampshire, where she was a finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award in 2010, which recognizes the most outstanding player in women's college hockey. She also represented Canada on the international stage, winning a gold medal at the 2012 IIHF World Championship.

Prior to her role with the Boston Fleet, Kessel served as an associate head coach at Boston University during the 2023-24 season. She also spent four years as an assistant coach at Princeton. Her coaching experience extends to the international level, as she was the head coach of Canada's gold-medal-winning team at the 2023 IIHF U18 Women's World Championship. She also served as an assistant coach for the gold-medal-winning Canadian U18 Team in 2018-19. In addition to her collegiate and international experience, Kessel also coached the Toronto Furies of the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL), leading them to the semifinals of the 2018-19 Clarkson Cup.

The Boston Fleet have been undergoing significant changes this offseason. Star forward Hilary Knight recently signed with the PWHL's expansion team in Seattle, and the team is also searching for a new assistant general manager following Meghan Turner's move to become the GM in Seattle. The PWHL now has three coaching vacancies, with Seattle and Vancouver still needing to fill their head coaching positions.

During Gardner Morey's eight seasons as head coach, Princeton's women's hockey program experienced considerable success. The Tigers secured their first ECAC Hockey tournament title and achieved a program-record 26 wins during her tenure. Kessel was an assistant coach during that time, so she is familiar with the program and its players.