MANKATO, Minn. – Following the recently completed series at Bemidji State Minnesota State women's head hockey John Harrington shared with the team that he would temporarily step away from his role to undergo hip surgery. The procedure will be performed on Monday, November 20. Accordingly, Director of Athletics, Kevin Buisman, announced Shari Dickerman has been elevated to Associate Head Coach and will also serve as Acting Head Coach, during Harrington's unspecified leave of absence from the bench.  Dickerman, joins Jeff Giesen as Associate Head Coaches for the Mavericks. 
 
Harrington was appointed to the head coaching position with the Mavericks in May 2015 and is in his eighth season at the helm. He is assisted by Dickerman, Giesen and Alli Altmann.
 
Under Harrington's leadership, Minnesota State women's hockey won its first WCHA postseason game for the first time in nearly seven years in 2021-22 and has amassed 75 wins behind the bench.
 
Former Maverick netminder Shari (Vogt) Dickerman has been a member of the Minnesota State women's hockey staff since 2009, helping the team accumulate 124 wins over her tenure. She also served as an assistant coach for the United States Women's National Team in November 2023 for the annual Rivalry Series with Team Canada. Team USA defeated Team Canada 3-1 at Mullett Arena in Tempe, Arizona on November 8, then won 5-2 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California three days later.
 
Dickerman was also on the bench for Team USA's World Championship last spring in Brampton, Ontario. Dickerman and the team won the gold medal at the 2023 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championships in April, 2023, defeating Team Canada in the final 6-3.
 
An All-American goaltender at Minnesota State, Dickerman spent one year as an assistant coach with the girls Prep 19U team at Shattuck-St. Mary's in Faribault, Minnesota before making the journey back to Mankato.
 
Her collegiate career spanned from 2000-04 and she set both program and WCHA records for career saves and earned Minnesota State's Female Athlete of the Year award in 2003-04.  She went on to win the silver medal as a member of the United States National Team at the 2006 Four Nations Cup in Kitchener, Ontario.
 
Dickerman holds a bachelor's degree in physical education (2004) and a master's in exercise science (2008) from Minnesota State. She is originally from Richmond, Minnesota, and resides in North Mankato with her husband Jon along with their children Tucker, Gigi and Cruz.
 
Minnesota State travels to Nashville, Tennessee Nov. 25-26 for the Smashville Classic, where the team will compete in games against Robert Morris University and Boston University at Ford Ice Center.