Moon Township, Pa. – RMU head men's hockey coach Derek Schooley announced Tuesday that Matt Nicholson has been named Associate Head Coach for the Colonials. Nicholson, who spent the 2021-22 season as assistant coach at Mercyhurst, is in his second stint at RMU, having spent six years as both an assistant coach and associate head coach for the Colonials from 2009 to 2015.

"I'm thrilled that Matt Nicholson has agreed to return to RMU," Schooley said. "Matt was instrumental in recruiting some of the all-time greats in program history, and he has an outstanding eye for talent. That's an aspect that will be very important as we embark on the recruiting trail. Matt was part of a special era of RMU hockey, and we're looking forward to working together to relaunch the program."

During the 2021-22 season at Mercyhurst, Nicholson helped the Lakers double their win total from the previous year while tutoring the forwards and power play. The Lakers ranked 19th in NCAA Division I in power play percentage (22.2%), while the forwards finished 21st in total goals.

Prior to his stint at Mercyhurst, Nicholson, a native of London, Ontario, served three seasons as the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at Niagara from 2017-2020. He oversaw a recruiting class in 2018-19 that led the nation in scoring by a rookie class, a total that ranked third in the previous decade in Atlantic Hockey. Nicholson also directed the power play, which ranked 14th in the country in percentage at 21.9 percent. Also during his time with the Purple Eagles, Nicholson coached the defensemen, which during the 2018-19 campaign led Atlantic Hockey in defensive scoring with 95 points.

In his first stretch with the Colonials, Nicholson helped RMU post a record of 108-88-30 (.544) during his six years behind the bench. The Colonials earned their first automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in 2014 thanks to winning the Atlantic Hockey Tournament with a 7-4 victory over Canisius in the championship game, while RMU finished 24-8-5 (.716) the following year to claim the 2015 Atlantic Hockey regular-season crown.

Nicholson joined the RMU coaching staff after serving as an assistant coach for two seasons at NCAA Division III Adrian College. The Bulldogs started their program in 2007-08, and in two seasons with Nicholson a member of the staff, Adrian recorded an overall record of 55-4-1 (.925) in claiming a pair of Midwest College Hockey Association (MCHA) regular season and tournament championships.

Earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in education from Colgate in 2004, Nicholson was a four-year letterwinner for the Raiders. In his senior campaign, Colgate finished with an overall record of 22-12-5 (.628). Nicholson also owns a Master of Science in instructional leadership, which he earned at RMU in 2011.

In addition to his experience at the collegiate level, Nicholson has also coached in the junior ranks, serving two seasons as head coach and director of hockey operations with the Amarillo Bulls of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) from 2015 to 2017. During his time with Amarillo, the Bulls sent 24 players to NCAA Division I programs and also earned the 2016 and 2017 NAHL South Division Community Service Award.

RMU is led by Schooley, who signed a five-year contract extension with the Colonials in February and owns an overall record of 275-275-68 (.500) in his tenure. He has guided RMU to a pair of Atlantic Hockey regular-season championships (2015, 2016), the 2021 Atlantic Hockey Western Pod title as well as the 2014 Atlantic Hockey Tournament crown. In April, the Atlantic Hockey Board of Directors voted to reinstate the men's hockey program back into the conference.

Fans interested in season tickets for either the men's or women's hockey programs can reserve tickets for the 2023-24 season by submitting a season ticket interest form. Clearview Arena at the RMU Island Sports Center is near sellout for the 2023-24 season based on previously submitted pledges, and availability is determined on a first come, first serve basis.

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