Robert Morris cuts men's, women's ice hockey teams

May 26—When Derek Schooley was called into a meeting Wednesday with Robert Morris athletic director Chris King, the last thing he expected was what he heard:

The Colonials' men's and women's Division I ice hockey programs were being eliminated.

"I was in shock. I don't know any other way to put it," said Schooley, who's been the men's coach at Robert Morris since the program's inception in 2004-2005. "These last four hours have been a blur."

Schooley, the second-longest tenured coach at the school, said he was informed of the decision two hours before Robert Morris officials made the announcement.

"I had no inclination that it was coming," he said shortly after his face-to-face meeting with King. "I'm saddened for our players, staff, incoming players and alumni who have put so much into our program.

"If we would have known, I would have been able to work with our alums and see if there was a way to try and save the program."

Schooley has compiled a 277-275-68 record at Robert Morris, including Atlantic Hockey championships during the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 seasons.

"We've had a tremendous amount of outpouring on social media," he said. "I think everybody is in a state of shock right now."

Schooley, who's been a college hockey coach for 24 years, said he wants to continue in the profession. "The only thing I've done is coach," he said.

But he wasn't thinking about his future Wednesday afternoon.

"My immediate goal is to help my players find a way to continue their Division I dreams," he said. "I'm trying to figure out what the next step is for later (Wednesday), let alone the future."

Robert Morris said in a news release the moves are part of a series of "strategic initiatives intended to position the university to be amongst the most agile and professionally focused schools in the nation as it prepares for its upcoming 100th anniversary."

Robert Morris said it will honor all current scholarships, including those awarded to student-athletes who signed national letters of intent this year. It also will assist those student-athletes who wish to transfer. Athletes who transfer will be immediately eligible at their new school.

Robert Morris started its women's program in 2005-2006. Paul Colontino has been its coach since 2011-2012, with a 182-112-41 record.

The teams played at the 1,000-seat, university-owned Island Sports Center on Neville Island. It will continue to be open to the public and will be used by club teams. Pre-covid attendance averaged between 650 and 750 per men's game.

King acknowledged the "difficult day" for his RMU athletics.

"The decision to discontinue the men's and women's hockey programs was not made lightly by the university," he said in a statement. "It doesn't detract from the history of our hockey programs, which found success on the ice and in the classroom. We are thankful for the impact our student-athletes, coaches and support staff have made to the department, university and local community.

"Today's announcement weighs heavily on all of us. We are saddened for the student-athletes who are impacted by this decision, and we will make all of our support systems available to help them navigate this difficult time."

RMU President Chris Howard called the decision to eliminate the two sports "the best course of action to leverage our strategic assets and position us for future growth."

In a link on its website, the university explained how it determined to eliminate ice hockey.

"The decision to discontinue the men's and women's ice hockey programs was made based on an analysis which included scholarships and operating costs, and the necessary investments to maintain and improve the current facility (Island Sports Center)," officials wrote. "The university also wanted to align our athletic offerings more closely with other similar nationally ranked universities of our size."

Robert Morris acknowledged the "negative impact" covid-19 had on its finances, but it stated "(covid-19) was not the primary factor influencing our decision."

Robert Morris will continue to compete in 15 Division I sports.

Other cost-saving initiatives at the school include ending sponsorship of the Pittsburgh Speakers Series and replacing it with more on-campus events. Also, the university said it has added and deleted some academic programs while restructuring its administrative workforce.

Jerry DiPaola is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jerry by email at jdipaola@triblive.com or via Twitter .