Harvard names Rob Rassey men’s hockey coach

Sport admin June 24, 2026 0 Comments

Harvard names Rob Rassey men’s hockey coach

Harvard is bringing back a familiar face as its men’s hockey coach. The school named Michigan associate coach Rob Rassey to the post on Tuesday.

He replaces Ted Donato, who stepped down on May 7 after 21 seasons.

Rassey served as an assistant under Donato from 2013-19, six seasons in which the Crimson made four NCAA Tournament appearances and, in 2017, captured the Beanpot and ECAC championship en route to reaching the Frozen Four.

“I am incredibly excited to be back and to be a part of this program again,” Rassey said in a statement. “Harvard has always held a special place in my heart, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to help lead the next chapter of the program alongside such talented student-athletes.”

In 2019, Rassey moved on to join the Red Wings as an amateur scout for two seasons. He also served as coach and general manager of the Omaha Lancers in the USHL starting in February 2022. Four months later, he was named head coach of the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede, but he never coached a game, instead joining the staff at Michigan in August 2022 when Brandon Naurato took over as head coach. After one season, Rassey was promoted to associate head coach. The Wolverines won two Big Ten tournament championships and reached three Frozen Fours in the last four seasons.

The Michigan native played four seasons at Northeastern under Greg Cronin from 2005-09, appearing in 134 games. He was a four-year Hockey East all-academic team honoree and twice captured the athletic department’s academic excellence award. He graduated magna cum laude with a degree in business administration.

“We welcome Rob Rassey back with open arms and excitement for him to lead Harvard men’s hockey,” said athletic director Erin McDermott. “His belief in the educational and transformational model of college athletics, his proven drive to compete at a consistently high level, and his infectious energy as a leader rose to the top of a highly competitive field of candidates. We are proud to have Rob join us and to represent the Harvard Crimson as our next head coach.”