Robert Morris has announced that the school has signed men’s hockey coach Derek Schooley to a five-year contract.
The only head coach the program has ever known, Schooley is now signed through the 2026-27 season.
“I would like to thank vice president and athletic director Chris King and the entire Robert Morris community for their continued faith in me to lead the relaunch of Colonial hockey,” Schooley said in a statement. “I am very thankful for the support of our donors, season ticket holders, hockey community, and alumni, but we need to continue our positive momentum as we move towards October of 2023. We can’t help but be very excited about the next chapter of our program. Our goals will continue to be one of the top teams in our conference and a top 20 nationally ranked program. I can’t wait to get going.”
Schooley, 51, was named to lead the RMU men’s program August 21, 2003 and has guided the Colonials to six conference tournament championship games and a lifetime winning percentage of .556. he most recently guided the Colonials to a 2020-21 Atlantic Hockey West Division championship and helped RMU earn its first NCAA tournament berth in 2014.
A two-time Atlantic Hockey Coach of the Year, he led the Colonials to back-to-back Atlantic Hockey regular-season titles in 2014-15 and 2015-16 and a postseason AHA title/NCAA tournament berth in 2013-14. In the seven-season span from 2012-19, Schooley’s Colonials averaged 20 wins per season and consistently placed 20-plus student-athletes on the AHA All-Academic team.
The Colonials will officially apply for reinstatement to both Atlantic Hockey for the men and College Hockey America for the women and will provide an update on conference affiliation once a determination has been made.
