I’d like to share a few thoughts on the search for RPI’s next men’s hockey coach, following the news that Dave Smith was let go as head coach of the Men’s Varsity Ice Hockey Team.
First, this was a hard but necessary decision. Although people will have their opinions as to what Dave could have done to improve the team more quickly, I will state unambiguously that Shirley Ann Jackson— RPI’s former president– played a pivotal role in the events that resulted in Dave leaving his job.
There is no question that Dr. Jackson had to shut down varsity sports at the beginning of the Pandemic. What will always be questioned is whether the unique approach that RPI took to bringing athletics back to campus was best for our school?
As head coach, Dave Smith always had to deal with the whispers in the hockey community that RPI was no longer serious about competing in Division I Varsity Hockey. These whispers have pervaded the program, and it’s now clear that he lost his job in part because they never completely disappeared.
Second, Neil Hernberg, an NCAA Champion at RPI in 1985 and one of our captains in 1986-1987, was named by Athletic Director Kristie Bowers to the search committee to find RPI’s next men’s hockey coach. This is a big step in the right direction for the Men’s Hockey Program. A seat at the table is what the Men’s Hockey Alumni fought for during the last search process but never received, until now.
The third thing is that Marty Schmidt, President of RPI and member of the undergraduate class of 1981, is the biggest hockey advocate since the late George Low ’48, one of his predecessors. This choice is quite significant for RPI, because hockey is a huge part of our campus culture. Anyone who has heard Marty speak knows that he realizes this is as almost as big an imperative as being top notch in all things STEM.
So good luck to Marty, Kristie, and Neil in choosing a coach that can put RPI back on the road to our rightful place among the best college hockey programs in the country, with another ECAC Championship, appearance in the Frozen Four, and third NCAA Championship as major goals. And thanks Dave for your efforts in leading our program in a difficult and troubling period.