Army West Point head hockey coach Brian Riley has announced that the upcoming 2024-25 season will be his final following 21 years at the helm of the program.
Associate head coach Zach McKelvie will take the reins as head coach in 2025-26 as Riley passes the torch to an Army Hockey legend both on and off the ice. McKelvie now enters his 11th season on staff with the Black Knights and ninth as associate head coach.
This upcoming season will mark the 75th consecutive campaign with the Riley family leading the program, with Brian’s father Jack taking over in 1951 before passing the torch to Brian’s brother Rob from 1986 to 2004. The trio has combined for 1041 wins during the span, accounting for over 83% of the program’s victories.
“I would like to thank our athletic director Mike Buddie and our deputy athletic director Dan McCarthy for their guidance during this process,” said Riley in a statement. “The opportunity to grow up at West Point, raise our children here, and be a coach here at West Point has been both rewarding and humbling. West Point has provided not only me but the Riley family with so many great memories and we are all so grateful. Growing up at West Point, I always wondered why my dad stayed here as long as he did but having sat where he sat, I now know why he stayed. The chance to be around all the amazing people, Cadets and others makes this the best coaching opportunity in all of sports. Saying all of this, the staff is excited about preparing our cadet-athletes for the upcoming season.”
Riley has amassed 242 wins across his 20 seasons, currently ranking fifth on Atlantic Hockey America’s all-time wins list and 20th among active college hockey coaches. He has collected Atlantic Hockey coach of the year a record four times during his tenure including three straight from 2006 to 2008 before receiving the honor again in 2021. He has led 21 cadet-athletes to receive all-conference recognition along with Atlantic Hockey’s first-ever two-time All-American in Colin Bilek.
McKelvie first arrived at West Point as a plebe in 2005 before going on to have one of the most successful playing careers in Army Hockey history. A native of New Brighton, Minn., McKelvie was a two-time Atlantic Hockey first team selection for the Black Knights on the blue line. He was a team captain as a senior and an alternate captain as a junior. He finished his career with 56 points on 14 goals and 42 assists.
McKelvie was honored in 2008 as the league’s defenseman of the year along with receiving the AAA Award from the Army West Point Athletic Association, the most recent winner of the prestigious award from the program. Following the season, he also received team MVP honors along with another significant off-ice award from the academy – the Mike Krzyzewski Teaching Character Through Sport Award. The award is presented annually to “West Point athletes and coaches for their outstanding commitment to the development of noble character through athletic participation and leadership.”
“I am honored to be named the next head coach of this historic program,” said McKelvie. “As a former player and a grad, West Point holds a special place in my heart. I want to thank LTG Gilland, Mike Buddie, and Dan McCarthy for their support and trust in me. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Coach Riley and his family for their unwavering commitment to this school and the Army hockey program. His belief in me has been a cornerstone of my journey, and for that, I will be forever grateful. I am excited to embark on this next chapter and am confident we have a program capable of winning at the highest level and continuing to produce leaders of character ready to serve our nation. Go Army.”
McKelvie was originally signed by the Boston Bruins organization after his senior season in 2009. He then served two years of active duty as an infantry officer before officially starting his professional career in the Calgary Flames organization in 2011. McKelvie went on to appear in over 100 games in the AHL between the Providence Bruins and Abbotsford Heat. He was honored as a member of the AHA 10th Anniversary Team, which was announced in 2013. McKelvie eventually returned to West Point in 2014 to join Riley’s staff as an assistant coach and was promoted to associate head coach in 2016.
In 2022, McKelvie was inducted into the Atlantic Hockey Hall of Fame as part of its inaugural class and is one of two Black Knights along with Bilek to receive the honor.
“This is an exciting time for the Army hockey program knowing that Zach McKelvie will be the next head coach,” Riley said. “Zach has given so much to this program both as a player and a coach. I will be forever grateful to Zach for all that he’s done for me and the Army hockey program. There’s nobody better suited than Zach to take over this program. He’s one of the finest young coaches in the country and I have no doubt that he’s going to do a great job leading this program in the coming years.”
McKelvie will become the 21st head coach in program history and just the fourth since 1956. He will join sprint football’s Mark West and golf’s Chad Bagley as current head coaches at Army to have graduated from the academy.
“It is with mixed emotions that I celebrate what Brian Riley, and the entire Riley family, has meant to Army hockey for decades,” said Buddie. “I am thrilled for Brian to embark on his next chapter, but I also know that his presence in our department will be missed on many levels. It is extremely heartening to have someone of Zach McKelvie’s experience, expertise and character waiting in the wings to continue to build on what the Riley’s have devoted their careers to establishing.”
The Riley family legacy began at West Point in 1951 with eventual USA and International Hockey Hall of Famer Jack Riley taking the reins. He went on to guide Army to 29 winning seasons and earned a pair of NCAA coach of the year awards in both 1957 and 1960. Riley served as head coach of the United States Olympic team in 1960 and directed the squad to its first gold medal. His 542 wins ranks second in Army athletics history for a head coach and was second in NCAA hockey history at the time of his retirement, with the mark currently standing 19th all-time.
With Rob and Brian succeeding their father’s head coaching position for the last 39 seasons and the upcoming 40th, the Riley family will continue to have its fingerprints on the program with current assistant coach Jack Riley entering his third campaign with the program and second on the bench.
