Tolan Steps Down as Head Ice Hockey Coach

BOSTON, Mass. – After nine seasons on the Wentworth campus – including the last eight as head men's ice hockey coach – R.J. Tolan has announced his resignation, effective immediately. Tolan is stepping down to accept the same position at Endicott College as the Gulls will be elevating their club program to varsity in time for the 2015-16 season.

"I'd like to thank Wentworth for the opportunity to have served as its head hockey coach," said Tolan. "Quite simply, the past nine years have been the best experience of my life. I've coached and worked alongside players, coaches, staff, and faculty who have become lifelong friends. During my time here, I met and married my wife and this past February we welcomed our daughter into the world. I can't put into words the impact that the Wentworth hockey program has had on our lives and I hope I was able to give back some of the joy I received from coaching here every day."

Wentworth is coming off a 12-13-2 record in 2013-14, which included a second-place finish in the ECAC Northeast and its fourth straight trip to the conference championship game where the Leopards were edged by Nichols, 3-2, in overtime. After their first 15 games the Leopards stood at 4-10-1, however used a six-game (5-0-1) unbeaten streak to pull within a game of .500.

"R.J. has been a very loyal and committed employee of Wentworth throughout his tenure," said director of athletics Angel Ayres. "He will not only be missed by our current student-athletes but by our entire department. He has left his mark at Wentworth as both an outstanding coach and person. I wish him continued success in his new position."

The winningest coach in program history, Tolan compiled a 128-74-16 (.624) record in eight seasons, which included two (2012, 2013) ECAC Northeast Championships and four other trips (2007, 2009, 2011, 2014) to the conference title game. In conference play his teams amassed an 87-25-8 (.758) record and captured three (2010, 2012, 2013) ECAC Northeast Regular Season Championships.

A three-time (2007, 2012, 2014) ECAC Northeast Coach of the Year, Tolan arrived on the Wentworth as an assistant coach during the 2005-06 season and became the fifth head coach in program history prior in May, 2006. In his first season he led the Leopards to the ECAC Northeast championship game where the Black & Gold dropped a 4-3 decision to UMass Dartmouth.

Two seasons later he brought his team back to the finals where they were edged by Nichols, 4-3, and during the 2009-2010 campaign Wentworth posted an 11-3 record in league play, en route to earning the program's first regular-season championship since 2003. Wentworth was upset by Johnson & Wales, 5-3, in the league semifinals, finishing the season at 20-5-1. The 20 wins were the most wins since the 2002-03 season. Wentworth was also nationally ranked for most of the second half of the season and led all of Division III in power-play efficiency with a percentage of .326.

Wentworth began a stretch of four straight seasons of reaching the conference championship game during the 2010-11 season when the Black & Gold won eight of nine games down the stretch, including a 4-3 win over Johnson & Wales in the league semifinals, before falling to Curry, 2-1, on a goal with just over five minutes remaining in overtime.

A year later the Leopards captured their first conference championship since 2004 when they defeated Curry, 1-0, on an overtime penalty shot. Earning the program's fifth NCAA Tournament berth, Wentworth won its first-ever NCAA Tournament game with a 3-1 win over Plymouth State in the first round before losing to top-ranked Norwich, 3-0 in the quarterfinals. Wentworth finished the season 21-7-1, and, before the loss to Norwich, had won a program-record 11 games in a row. The 21 wins tied the second-most victories in a season for the program.

The Leopards won their second straight ECAC Northeast regular season and tournament titles during the 2012-13 season, finishing 16-9-3 after defeating Salve Regina, 3-1, in the championship game before falling to Babson, 6-1, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The loss to Babson ended an eight-game unbeaten streak for the Black & Gold.

During his tenure he coached 32 ECAC Northeast All-Conference players, including Skylur Jameson '12, who was the league's rookie of the year in 2009 and player of the year in 2010, and Shaun Jameson '13 who was named both the ECAC Northeast Player of the Year and the program's second All-America in his senior campaign.

Prior to arriving at Wentworth, Tolan coached collegiately as an assistant at Northeastern (2004-05) and Bentley (2003-04) and served as an assistant coach with the Boston Bulldogs Junior Hockey Club during the 2002-03 season.

A native of Waltham, Mass., and current resident of Beverly, Mass., Tolan played in 56 career games at UMass Lowell. During his junior season, he scored three points (two goals, one assist) in 31 games. An injury limited his playing time to 14 games as a senior, a season in which the River Hawks finished 22-13-3 and advanced to the semifinals of the HOCKEY EAST Tournament. He graduated in 2002 with a Bachelor's degree in Political Science.

Wentworth will be conducting a search for Tolan's replacement.

Tolan's Record Year-by-Year