University of Regina Director of Sport, Community Engagement & Athlete Development Lisa Robertson announced Monday that the institution and women's hockey head coach Sarah Hodges have mutually agreed to part ways.

Hodges has been the only head coach in the history of the program, which started up prior to the 1998-99 season. 

"We owe Sarah a debt of gratitude for the passion, engagement, and hard work she invested in her student-athletes and the team over the years," Robertson said. "Sarah was instrumental in growing this program from its infancy and quickly becoming a national championship contender. Our very best wishes to Sarah as she moves onto the next phase of her career, wherever that may take her."

Canada West's all-time leader with 588 regular season games coached in her career, Hodges guided the Cougars to their first conference championship in 2001, made three appearances in the national tournament, and qualified for the postseason in 21 of her 25 seasons as head coach. She was named Canada West's Coach of the Year following the 2015-16 season.

"I would like to thank Dick White and Dr. Ralph Nilson for taking a chance on me to lead this program as a young coach, and then giving me the trust and support to do it well and build a successful career at the University of Regina," Hodges said. "Thanks also to the many head coaches, past and present, who I've had the pleasure to work and grow with. I am grateful for every assistant coach who has given me their time and energy for very little reward, and the support staff on campus who have served me and the student-athletes. I am extremely proud of the women who have come through this program to date and feel privileged to have had the opportunity to coach them all. I wish the best to the current players and can't wait to watch this year's batch of recruits develop over the next five years."

The Cougars have named program alumna and University of Regina Sports Hall of Fame inductee Brandy West-McMaster as interim head coach. One of the most prolific student-athletes in school history, West-McMaster was inducted into the University of Regina Sports Hall of Fame in 2011 and has been a longtime professor at the U of R in the Faculty of Kinesiology & Health Studies.