Logan Bittle was named head coach of the RMU women's hockey program March 3, 2022. No stranger to RMU hockey, however, as both a former student-athlete and coach, Bittle will be in his fourth season leading the Colonials in 2026-27.
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Bittle, a native of Peoria, Ill., returned to RMU after spending the 2021-22 season as head coach of the Pens Elite 19U Girls Prep and 16U Girls teams. Prior to joining Pens Elite, Bittle spent 10 years at RMU, the first four as an assistant coach and the last six as associate head coach.
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During his first stint with the Colonials, Bittle was instrumental in turning RMU into a national power in women's hockey. Over his final five seasons as associate head coach from 2016 to 2021, the Colonials compiled an overall record of 97-47-21 (.651), including a 66-22-11 (.722) mark in College Hockey America (CHA). RMU claimed three consecutive CHA regular-season championships (2017, 2018, 2019) and appeared in a pair of NCAA Tournaments (2017, 2021). The Colonials also claimed their first CHA Tournament crown in 2012, Bittle's second season as an assistant coach with the program.
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Twice during Bittle's previous tenure at RMU, the Colonials established a school record for victories with 24, which came during the 2013-14 and 2016-17 seasons. In 2013-14, RMU posted an overall record of 24-8-3 (.729), including a mark of 13-5-2 (.700) in the CHA. The Colonials spent 13 consecutive weeks ranked in the top 10 that season according to both the United States College Hockey Online (USCHO) and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls. During the 2016-17 campaign, RMU tied the program record for wins by finishing 24-5-6 (.771), including 15-3-2 (.800) in the CHA, en route to the program's first automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
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Instrumental in the recruitment and development of numerous student-athletes at RMU, Bittle tutored former Colonials Jaycee Gebhard (2016-21) and Brittany Howard (2013-18), the top two scorers in program history. Howard concluded her career with 181 points thanks to 79 goals and 102 assists, with Gebhard surpassing the mark of her former teammate in 2021 and wrapping up her career with 198 points on 74 goals and 124 assists. Gebhard was named to the 2019-20 CoSIDA Academic All-America® At-Large Second Team after compiling a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.94 in earning a Bachelor of Science in business administration degree in marketing. Both Gebhard and Howard were draft picks of the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL).
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Bittle is a 2008 graduate of RMU, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in sport management. He was a student-athlete for the first team in hockey history for the Colonials in 2004-05 and owns the distinction of recording an assist in the program's first-ever game-winning goal. RMU earned a 3-1 victory at Canisius (10/22/04) in the first hockey game in school history. He assisted on a Jeff Gilbert goal at 7:08 in the third period to snap a 1-1 tie with the Golden Griffins. Bittle appeared in 126 games during the course of his four-year career with the Colonials, scoring 52 points on 20 goals and 32 helpers.
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Upon completion of his collegiate career at RMU, Bittle played professionally for the Dayton Bombers of the ECHL and the New Jersey Rockhoppers of the Eastern Professional Hockey League (EPHL) before turning his attention to coaching.
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Bittle and former RMU netminder Brianne McLaughlin, the first goalie in the history of the women's program for the Colonials, were married in July of 2013. McLaughlin is a two-time Olympic medalist, and the couple have two children, Carter and Baker. Â
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WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT LOGAN BITTLE
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Derek Schooley, Head Coach, RMU Men's Hockey
"I'm very excited for Logan. First as a player and now as a head coach, he has been a true Colonial through and through. Logan has a tremendous passion for Robert Morris and will be an outstanding leader for the relaunch of the women's hockey program. He's the absolute perfect culture builder the program will need to return the Colonials to the top of their conference and NCAA Division I hockey. As a former student-athlete that we recruited for the first hockey team at RMU, I'm very proud of Logan and know he'll do a great job leading the women's program."
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Chelsea Walkland, Colgate Assistant Coach (Former RMU Assistant Coach & Student-Athlete)
"Robert Morris is extremely lucky to have Logan lead its women's program into this new and exciting chapter. Logan has been a part of the RMU hockey family since day one and has been instrumental in the success of the program as well as the restoration of both programs. I had the pleasure of working with Logan for five years and saw firsthand his passion for RMU hockey as well as the care and support he shows both his student-athletes and co-workers alike. Logan is beloved by former players, and I know that the entire alumni community will be thrilled. I could be happier for Logan, Brianne and their family with this new opportunity."
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Ryan "Bugsy" Malone, Former Member of Pittsburgh Penguins
"The RMU programs need a foundation to grow and become an elite national contender. It starts with character, and Logan, along with Derek for the men's program, have that WE mentality that can bring home a national championship for the city of Pittsburgh. RMU is lucky to have two great leaders to jump start RMU Hockey 2.0."
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Kirsten Welsh, Former RMU Student-Athlete and First Female Official in the OHL
"Hearing the news that Logan was named head coach really made me happy for the future of the program and what lies ahead. He's someone that has been involved since the beginning and knows what it takes to develop a program into a top competitor in the NCAA. Logan is someone that goes the extra mile for his players. He invests time into getting to know each player individually and what motivates them to play to the best of their ability. He's one of my favorite coaches to play for, and he not only helped with hockey but also developing me as a person, as well. Logan's a big part of why a lot of student-athletes find success at RMU. Future Colonials are very fortunate to have him as a head coach. I wish Logan nothing but the best with rebuilding the program and look forward to supporting his journey."
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