Denver Announces First Endowment of Head Coaching Position
DENVER – The University of Denver Division of Athletics and Recreation received its first head coaching endowment: a seven-figure commitment to establish the Richard and Kitzia Goodman Head Hockey Coach position for the eight-time National Champion Pioneers, the University announced Thursday.
“DU hockey is a cherished tradition for our community,” said Chancellor Rebecca Chopp. “This gift enables our athletics program to reach higher in pursuit of quality outcomes on the ice and academically. We are grateful to Richard, Kitzia and their family for their trust, vision and support of our championship hockey program.”
Vice Chancellor for Athletics, Recreation and Ritchie Center Operations Peg Bradley-Doppes also expressed her gratitude to the Goodman’s gift.
“Endowing this position is part of a strategy to continue to recruit and retain top-level coaching talent, while enhancing facilities and the support programs that our student-athletes use on a day-to-day basis,” Bradley-Doppes said. “We can’t thank Richard and Kitzia enough for assisting in making this possible at the University of Denver.”
Born, raised, and a current resident of Chicago, Richard Goodman obtained his undergraduate degree in finance (1978) and an MBA (1979) from DU’s Daniels College of Business. Richard is a partner at Henry Crown and Company, a family business and private investment group. Richard, himself, specializes in venture capital, commercial real estate, and high-tech and med-tech investments. Richard and Kitzia are lifetime Chicago Blackhawks fans, serve on several nonprofit, civic, and corporate boards, and enjoy spending time in Aspen, Colo.
“The University of Denver has been very important to our family and we are extremely excited to make this new investment in the university. I wanted to give back in a way that was meaningful to me and hockey was an important part of my DU experience,” Richard Goodman said. “Kitz and I hope that this gift will not only provide benefit in perpetuity, but also inspire other alumni and friends to support the legacy and future of DU Men’s Ice Hockey.”
During his collegiate days, Goodman played on the Denver Club Hockey team and was a treasurer for the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity. The University has graduated several members of the Goodman and Crown families, spanning generations. Richard’s son Daniel also graduated from the University of Denver with a degree in Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management, while his daughter Lily went to Brandeis University (Waltham, Mass.) and son Jordan went to Washington University (St. Louis, Miss.).
Director of Athletics Ron Grahame, who also played and coached hockey at DU stated, “To be the first endowed coaching position is very special. Richard and Kitzia Goodman are Pioneers in every sense for their leadership and willingness to start the process of endowing all head coaching positions at the University of Denver. We greatly appreciate the support the Goodman family has provided to the hockey program and Coach Montgomery.”
Montgomery became the eighth National Coach of the Year at the University of Denver in 2017, including joining Murray Armstrong (1960) and George Gwozdecky (2005) as the three hockey coaches to earn that honor. The fifth-year Pioneer bench boss reached the century mark in wins faster than any coach in DU history, leading the Denver program to the NCAA Tournament in each of his previous four seasons, reaching the quarterfinals three times, the Frozen Four twice and lifting the National Championship trophy in 2017.
“Denver Hockey cannot thank Richard and Kitzia enough for their support and vision,” Denver’s Richard and Kitzia Goodman Head Hockey Coach Jim Montgomery said. “This endowment will allow us to operate at a higher level and sustain the excellence that Denver Athletics strives for. I am honored to be the first coach in this endowed position.”
