Hobart and William Smith Colleges Athletics

Cunningham was named the head coach for the William Smith ice hockey team in August of 2021. Cunningham is the third coach in program history.
 
In two seasons behind the bench, Cunningham has guided the Herons to a 22-28-2 overall record. The Herons have reached the NEHC tournament semifinals twice during his tenure, securing two first round upsets. Cunningham has mentored two All-NEHC picks and 43 NEHC All-Academic selecions.
 
Cunningham comes to William Smith after spending the last two years as an assistant coach at Dartmouth. With the Big Green, he assisted with practice planning, game management and coordinated skill development and team concepts with video review. At Dartmouth, Cunningham mentored nine AHCA All-American Scholars and 33 ECAC Hockey All-Academic selections.
 
Prior to his stint in Hanover, New Hampshire, Cunningham spent two years in California working with the Anaheim Jr. Ducks and the Jr. Reign Youth Hockey Association. With the Ducks, he was an assistant coach with the 14U, 15U and 16U AAA boys' teams. Cunningham guided individual skill development and game strategy for teams competing in the Tier One Elite League. He also advised families regarding long-term athlete development process and assisted junior and college teams with player evaluations. In the 2017-18 season, Cunningham served as the program director for the Jr. Reign. He helped guide team-building, off-ice training and long-term athlete development guidelines. 
 
Cunningham worked at USA Hockey's National Office in Colorado Springs from 2009 to 2017. While there, he helped drive coach education initiatives and player development best practices. While based in California in recent years, he continued to support USA Hockey as a regional scout for the National Team Development Program. Cunningham also continued to support girls' hockey as a lead scout at various district player development camps and as an on-ice director and skills coach at USA Hockey's National Player Development Camps.
 
Cunningham is a certified yoga instructor and an integrative nutrition health coach.
 
A native of Phoenix, Cunningham graduated Minnesota State University, Mankato in 2000 with a bachelor's degree in communications. He was a three-year member of the Maverick's hockey team, playing in 47 games as a defenseman. His last two seasons were Minnesota State's first two in Division I. Cunningham played two seasons of professional hockey in the WPHL and the CHL with the Lubbock Cotton Kings and the Amarillo Rattlers, respectively. He returned to his alma mater to receive his master's degree in sports management in 2009.