Bob Corkum abruptly stepped down as coach of the U.S. women's hockey team with fewer than three weeks before the world championships open in Canada, ESPN.com reported.
USA Hockey's director of women's national team programs, Katie Million, did not provide a reason for Corkum's departure in announcing the move April 16.
Assistant coach Joel Johnson is now the head coach.
Corkuma former NHL player and assistant coach who coached the U.S. team to win its fifth consecutive world title in 2019reached his decision earlier in the day as he and players gathered in Maine for the start of training camp in preparation for the world championships in Halifax and Turo, Nova Scotia, on May 6-16.
According to the USA Hockey website, Team USA has won the last five International Ice Hockey Federation Women's World Championship titles and captured gold nine times (2005, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019), including eight of the last nine tournaments. The tournament was canceled last year because of the COVID pandemic.