Dec 20, 2021
Derek Schooley has been the head men's hockey coach at Robert
Morris University since 2004. The last eight months have been
unlike any that most college coaches experience. RMU was the host
institution for the Frozen Four in Pittsburgh in April with a
number of restrictions in place due to the pandemic. Then on May
26, the university announced it was cutting its men's and women's
hockey programs. The university allowed a fundraising campaign to
save the program and on Dec. 17, it announced that the sport was
being reinstated. Schooley discusses all of this, his career in
hockey and more with The Rink Live's Mick Hatten and Jess
Myers.
Time stamps:
1:20 The 205 days from when they dropped to reinstated the
program
3:20 Fundraising, beginning Sept. 1, for $1.4 million in cash,
$1.4 million in donations
5:09 Pittsburgh College Hockey Foundation, legal
mediation
6:45 Ryan Malone helping
8:03 Pittsburgh names helping the cause
9:43 Consider leaving RMU?
11:40 Playing junior hockey for Frank Serratore in Omaha
13:42 Story of playing for Frank Serratore
15:06 Playing at Western Michigan
16:35 Working for Frank Serratore at Air Force
17:58 Becoming head coach at Robert Morris in 2004
19:35 The next steps for RMU
20:55 Watching players he's coached playing college hockey
this season
22:30 Former RMU player Aidan Spellacy playing for SCSU
24:00 Hockey in Western Pennsylvania
25:30 Facilities for RMU, unique rink manager
www.therinklive.com