Who’s Where? 2025 Offseason NCAA Coaching Coaching Carousel Updates
Mike Schafer (left), retired Cornell Head Coach with Casey Jones (right), his successor in the role and longtime assistant. | Image Credit: Cornell University
Nine coaches start new roles this season. Who are they, and where have they been?
WRITTEN BY JAMES BLENNAU
This offseason marks the most head-coaching changes since 2017. Nine coaches nationwide find themselves leading a program in an era-defining season. NIL deals are already changing the game, and with CHL recruitment open, these new leaders find themselves at the precipice of what could be already before it starts, a program-defining season.
Some are names we’ve heard on the national stage, while others have been with their programs for years, watching and waiting under legendary coaches, and still others are making a name for themselves beyond the family legacy. Let’s check out who’s behind the bench for the 2025-26 season.
McKelvie coaching alongside longtime Head Coach Brian Riley. | Image Credit: Army West Point Athletics
CORNELL - CASEY JONES
NCAA head coaching record: 234-185-56
Previous Roles: Cornell ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH, 2024-25, Clarkson head coach 2011-2024
SUCCEEDING: Mike Schafer, retired
Casey Jones is no stranger to head coaching in ECAC Hockey. In his time with Clarkson, he made two NCAA tournament appearances and won a Whitelaw Cup for the conference tournament championship. He also oversaw Nico Sturm’s development, who’s played six NHL seasons since departing Potsdam, finding a consistent niche as a bottom-six center for playoff-chasing teams. Jones now takes over the program at his alma mater knowing what success looks like in its conference, but with work to do building upon the Big Red’s upset win over Michigan State in the NCAA regionals first round.
Riley coaching at his last program, LIU. | Image Credit: LIU Athletics
LONG ISLAND - BRENDAN RILEY
Previous Role: AIC ASSISTANT COACH 2022-25
SUCCEEDING: BRETT RILEY, MOVED to FERRIS STATE
No, you’re not seeing double. Brendan Riley, who happens to be Brett’s cousin and Brian’s son, is another third-generation Riley in college coaching. Despite having only finished his career with Mercyhurst in 2020, Riley found himself immediately coaching and winning at AIC too. As a 2022 Atlantic Hockey tournament champion coaching a Yellow Jackets team that seemed always to be a thorn in contenders’ sides in the conference under former Head Coach Eric Lang. While his impact isn’t as tangible as previous coaches in this story, his impact on AIC earned him incredible praise from Lang. “He is a man of incredible moral fiber and integrity, he has an incredible hockey mind, and has a great understanding of AIC hockey, having spent the last year on our campus,” Lang said in 2022. Earning such praise from a well-respected coach as Lang, Riley will begin his first head-coaching job on Long Island looking to back up words with wins.
Muckalt as an assistant coach at Michigan. | Image Credit: Getty Images
NORTH DAKOTA - DANE JACKSON
Previous Role: North dakota associate head coach 2015-25
SUCCEEDING: brad berry, fired
North Dakota is hiring its associate head coach as its head coach for the second time in a row, as Berry was Dave Hakstol’s AHC about a decade ago. Jackson served in that position under Berry but also served as an assistant under Hakstol, coaching in Grand Forks since 2006. Also a Fighting Hawk alumnus, Jackson knows the standard that this program is being held to. Having coached wildly successful NHLers from Brock Nelson and Jonothan Toews to Jake Sanderson and T.J. Oshie, he brings the prestige he’s built behind the bench to his new role heading the program. One of Jackson’s roles with the team was coaching the power play, which since 2016 has been one of the nation’s best under his watch. However, with no Frozen Four appearances since 2016, Jackson’s team will be watched closely by fans, administrators and donors alike to return to a legendary standard set for the nearly 80-year-old program.
Sheahan in his introductory press conference. | Image Credit: WSBT 22 Sports
rit - Matt Thomas
Previous role: PROVIDENCE BRUINS ASSISTANT COACH 2021-25, Alaska head coach 2013-18
SUCCEEDING: WAYNE WILSON, RETIRED
RIT as a program has a ton of momentum heading into the Matt Thomas era. Coming off two Atlantic regular season championships in 2023 and 2024 as well as a tournament championship in 2024 under Wayne Wilson, he’s left the program in a place to rise above conference rivals like Sacred Heart and Holy Cross. While the program continues to lose star players like Matthew Wilde to the transfer portal, the team is finally starting to find consistent success in Division I two decades on. Thomas is an RIT alumnus and former assistant from its Division II era and spent time as an assistant across lower professional leagues as well as head coaching at Alaska-Fairbanks. Multiple playoff appearances and 40-win seasons with the Providence Bruins during his tenure as associate head coach led him back to the Tigers, looking to take the next step at a growing program with a passionate fanbase.
Lang introduced as RPI Head Coach. | Image Credit: ABC News 10 Albany Sports
Army - Zach Mckelvie
Previous Role: ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH AT ARMY, 2016-2025
SUCCEEDING: BRIAN RILEY, retired
McKelvie has already spent 11 seasons behind the bench as Army’s assistant coach and Associate Head Coach under Brian Riley’s staff. A 2011 alumnus of West Point, McKelvie knows the program better than almost any other candidate having also played for Riley for four seasons. He was largely responsible for star defenseman Mac Gadowsky’s development, spending three professional seasons on the blue line across the AHL and ECHL. Gadowsky earned First-Team All-America honors in only his sophomore season with Army. McKelvie will likely continue a focus on developing players for the modern speed and production-focused NCAA game.
Jones coaching alongside fellow alumnus and former Head Coach Mike Schafer. | Image Credit: Cornell Athletics
FERRIS STATE - BRETT RILEY
NCAA head coaching record: 78-93-9
Previous Role: LIU Head Coach 2020-25
SUCCEEDING: Bob Daniels, retired
Ferris State is yet another program looking for a long-term coach who can take advantage of the transfer portal and CHL recruiting while ushering in a new game. Seems to be a bit of a trend this offseason, no? Regardless, Riley’s herculean effort LIU’s first head coach in program history, coming out of the COVID pandemic no less, speaks for itself. In his fifth season this past year, the Sharks picked up massive wins against Augustana and Notre Dame, while stealing points from Wisconsin and Providence along the way. His time in Nassau County may not look pretty by the numbers, but continuing his family legacy while also proving that he can redefine a program is just what Ferris State needs after losing Bob Daniels’ 2012 national runner-up impact.
Riley celebrating AIC’s 2022 conference championship. | Image Credit: AIC Athletics
Michigan tech - bill muckalt
NCAA head coaching record: 8-22-2
Previous roles: LINDENWOOD HEAD COACH 2024-25, MICHIGAN ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH 2017-23
SUCCEEDING: Joe Shawhan, unconfirmed departure
Before we break down Bill Muckalt’s coaching, we have to first address the unknown. According to multiple news outlets as well as some information from Michigan Tech, Shawhan’s extension signed in 2021 included opt-out deals for the school to exercise. While it appears this option was exercised, no official announcements have been made despite his absence from the athletics staff directory.
Update from Mike McMahon of College Hockey Insider (5/29/25): Michigan Tech introduced Bill Muckalt as its new head coach on Tuesday morning. During the media availability, Michigan Tech AD Suzanne Sanregret said that the school and former head coach Joe Shawhan mutually agreed to part ways after they were unable to agree to a contract extension.
Regardless, the Huskies have an incredible coach to lead the program after struggling to make noise outside the CCHA in the past few seasons. Muckalt, a former assistant for legendary former Husky Head Coach Mel Pearson with both the Huskies and Michigan, has a high pedigree in his coaching career. Multiple trips to the NCAA tournament and Frozen Four, a number-one overall draftee in Owen Power and a trophy case to rival some mid-major programs make Muckalt possibly the winningest hire this offseason. If the Huskies want to keep up with larger programs with better facilities, recruiting and NIL pools, this was certainly a no-brainer hire.
Jackson on the ice as Associate Head Coach at North Dakota. | Image Credit: Russell Hons/UND Athletics
NOTRE DAME - BROCK SHEAHAN
Previous role: NOTRE DAME ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH 2023-25
SUCCEEDING: JEFF JACKSON, RETIRED
Sheahan is yet another coach familiar with the program he takes over, as an alumnus of Jeff Jackson’s team in 2008 and former bench assistant in South Bend. Having also spent time as an assistant at Holy Cross, his time there included four consistent 28-win seasons finishing as high as second in the conference. However, the team failed to win a playoff round in Head Coach David Berard’s tenure. Sheahan’s head coaching tenure was much more successful, though as he not only made two Clark Cup finals appearances but won one in 2022 with the USHL’s Chicago Steel. Following a mediocre season with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, Sheahan moved to South Bend to learn the program before eventually taking over the Irish hockey program. With his knowledge across various hockey levels, Sheahan could bring a much-needed and well-funded boost to recruiting to the school that produced players like Anders Lee and Bryan Rust.
Thomas addressing media in a press conference. Image Credit: Brock Ortiz/The University News
RPI - Eric lang
NCAA head coaching record: 155-128-30
Previous Role: AIC Head Coach 2016-2025
SUCCEEDING: Dave Smith, fired
For most college hockey fans, Eric Lang needs no introduction. For those of you who may not be familiar, let me break down his coaching resume. Lang spent nine seasons behind the bench at AIC, making three NCAA tournament appearances, reaching the regional finals once, winning the Atlantic Hockey regular season four times and the tournament three, and is also a three-time Atlantic Hockey Coach of the Year. With his only two losing seasons in his tenure being his first two, Lang knows how to turn small programs into consistent conference champions. While RPI has struggled to find consistent results, Lang brings a level of confidence to the Engineers that not many other coaches across the nation can. The first goal? Make it back to the ECAC Hockey semifinals for the first time since 2002. Powers are shifting across the conference, and Lang is the perfect coach to lead a campaign to seize a spot near the top with Quinnipiac, Clarkson and Cornell.
