Derek Schooley From RMUColonials . com In his fourth season behind the bench of the Robert Morris program , head coach Derek Schooley believes that his team is ready to regularly compete for a College Hockey America title as well as with other top teams around the nation . After two successful seasons getting the program started , Schooley led his team to a 14 - 19 - 2 overall record and a third - place finish in the CHA in 2006 - 07 . The Colonials advanced to the CHA Tournament finals before falling to Alabama - Huntsville , 5 - 4 in overtime . RMU defeated Bemidji State , 7 - 5 , in the CHA Tournament semifinals . Schooley ’ s Colonials have improved every year during the program ’ s first three seasons . In their inaugural season , the Colonials finished with an 8 - 21 - 4 overall record . Many people thought that anything other than a zero in the win column that season would be a surprise for the first - year team . However , Schooley and his staff would not accept any excuses from the Colonial players and pushed the team to vie for a CHA Championship and a NCAA Tournament berth . In his fourth season , those expectations for the program have not changed . Schooley came to Robert Morris after spending the previous five seasons as an assistant coach at the United States Air Force Academy . He spent his first four seasons with the Falcons as an assistant coach before being promoted to associate head coach prior to the 2002 - 03 season . While at Air Force , Schooley coached a defensive unit that broke the school record for goals against average in two of his last four seasons . The team ’ s goals against average of 2 . 91 in 2000 - 01 broke the record of 3 . 18 set a year earlier . Along with leading the defense at Air Force , Schooley assisted with nationwide recruiting efforts . Prior to Air Force , Schooley spent a year as an assistant coach at Cornell during the 1997 - 98 season . He started his coaching career with the Chicago Freeze of the North American Hockey League in 1997 as an assistant coach and director of scouting . During the 1989 - 90 season , Schooley played for current Air Force head coach Frank Serratore with the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League ( USHL ) . The Lancers claimed both the regular season ( Anderson Cup ) and playoff ( Clark Cup ) championships , and Schooley was named the 1989 - 90 Defensiveman of the Year . A 1994 graduate of Western Michigan University with a Bachelor of Science degree in communications , Schooley was a four - year letterwinner as a defenseman with the Broncos . As a senior during the 1993 - 94 campaign , he tallied 23 assists and scored 27 points in 40 games , earning Central Collegiate Hockey Association ( CCHA ) Defensive Player of the Week honors Feb 4 , 1994 . Also during the 1993 - 94 campaign he was given the KOHA Grinder of the Year award and led the Broncos in plus - minus ratio with a + 22 . Following his graduation from Western Michigan , Schooley played for the Huntington ( W . Va . ) Blizzard of the East Coast Hockey League ( ECHL ) during the 1994 - 95 season . In 66 games he scored 18 points and compiled 151 penalty minutes . During the 1995 - 96 campaign , Schooley spent part of the season with the Blizzard before joining the Flint ( Mich . ) Generals , where he helped the team to a Colonial Hockey League ( CoHL ) championship . During the 1996 - 97 season , Schooley played for both the Pensacola Ice Pilots and the Peoria Rivermen of the ECHL . In 2001 , Schooley was a head coach at the USA Hockey Select 14 and Select 15 Festival . He also has spoken at USA Hockey youth coaching clinics in Boulder , Colo . , Jackson Hole , Wyo . , Phoenix , Ariz . , and Dallas , Texas . In August 2002 , Schooley gained international coaching experience as he was named an assistant coach with the United States Under - 18 Select Team , which placed fifth in the Junior World Cup in Breclav , Czech Republic , and Piestany , Slovakia . A native of St . Louis , Mo . , Schooley is married to the former Alicia Batson from Middleville , Mich . They are the proud parents of Kaitlyn , Brendan and Taylor .