Derek Schooley named coach, director of operations for RMU hockey programs

Derek Schooley, the only head coach the Robert Morris men’s hockey team has ever known, will remain at the forefront of efforts to reinstate the school’s men’s and women’s programs.

The school announced Tuesday that Schooley has been named coach and director of men’s and women’s hockey operations.

Prominent RMU women’s hockey alumna Brianne McLaughlin-Bittle has been named special assistant for hockey operations.

A search for a coach for the women’s team will be conducted if the programs are reinstated, the school said.

Schooley has been with Robert Morris since 2003.

“This is another big step in the process of reinstatement of the RMU hockey teams,” Schooley said in a press release. “I look forward to working with hockey alumni, the RMU administration, donors, corporations and the Pittsburgh College Hockey Foundation toward returning Robert Morris hockey to the pinnacle of their respective conferences.”

Robert Morris is in the process of raising money for the potential reinstatement of the hockey programs, which were dropped in May. The goal is to raise $1.4 million in contributions and $1.4 million in pledges by Dec. 15 in order to bring the programs back for the 2022-23 season.

McLaughlin-Bittle, the two-time Olympian and current U.S. women’s national team goaltending coach, has been active in the fundraising campaign.

“I’m excited to work more closely with the Robert Morris athletic department in an effort to get these teams back,” she said in the release. “They mean so much to us and the hockey community, and I’m hopeful we can get them back on the ice.”

Athletic director Chris King said keeping Schooley in the fold will provide stability as efforts to bring the programs back continue.

“Derek is synonymous with hockey at Robert Morris and is well-respected in the Pittsburgh hockey community and beyond,” King said in the release. “Having him in charge of both programs this fall is crucial as we strive for viable solutions and a sustainable financial model to support both programs.”