Rob Rassey invigorated to be back with Harvard men’s ice hockey, and thinks the Crimson can compete right now

Addressing the media at his introductory press conference as Harvard’s men’s hockey coach, Rob Rassey acknowledged that the news hadn’t quite sunk in until Wednesday night. That’s when he got a call from Bill Cleary, the legendary former athletic director, coach, and player offering his congratulations on Rassey’s return to the program.

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“Hearing Coach Cleary’s excitement, passion, and energy, and welcoming me back here, and how excited he was for me to be the next head coach at Harvard is incredibly special,” said Rassey, who served as a Crimson assistant coach from 2013-19. “Getting to know Coach when I was here, and hearing him talk to me about being the next head coach at Harvard, where he was such a legend, really it all sunk in at that moment.”

Rassey, 41, replaces Ted Donato, who stepped down after 21 seasons in May. In his six seasons on Donato’s staff. Harvard made four NCAA Tournament appearances and, in 2017, captured the Beanpot and ECAC championship en route to reaching the Frozen Four.

Rassey made it a point to thank Donato for bringing him aboard in 2013 despite only having two years of coaching experience. The two had spoken throughout the hiring process, with Donato offering his support.

“Teddy’s belief in me as a young assistant coach, giving me the opportunity to come to Harvard and begin my college coaching career was a big moment in my life and in my coaching career,” said Rassey. “I’m incredibly thankful to Teddy for that opportunity, and incredibly thankful to be able to lead the next chapter and carry on where he left his program.”

Rassey, who arrived back in Cambridge after four seasons on Brandon Naurato’s staff at Michigan, the last three as associate head coach, lived in the Seaport his first time around with the Crimson and visited there again recently.

“I really like that area,“ said Rassey, who played four seasons at Northeastern before graduating in 2009. “I don’t recognize it at all, to be honest. It’s completely different.”

The same could be said about the drastic changes to the NCAA landscape in the last seven years, with the advent of the transfer portal, NIL, and the House settlement, which cleared the way for schools to begin paying their athletes directly out of the athletic department’s budget. For 2025-26, the cap was $20.5 million per school.

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However, the Ivy League opted out of the settlement. Its schools have been limited participants in NIL, signing attestations of independence for any deals for players making $2,000 or more, meaning the deal was not brokered by the school’s athletic department.

None of that deterred the Michigan native from returning.

“Obviously, that element has changed, that landscape has changed from the last time that I was here, but man, I look internally here, and I see the chance to offer a kid a good chance to get a Harvard education and play hockey at the highest level,” said Rassey. “For the right kid, I think it’s a no-brainer.”

He takes over a Crimson squad that spent most of the 2025-26 season in the top four of the ECAC before faltering a bit down the stretch to finish sixth. They bounced back in the postseason, advancing to the quarterfinals and pushing Cornell to three games before bowing out and finishing the year 16-16-2.

Rassey got a firsthand look at the squad when Michigan came to town for a pair of games on Thanksgiving weekend. The Wolverines swept the series, but were forced to go to overtime before taking the Saturday finale, 4-3.

“They outplayed us,” said Rassey. “We left that game feeling like we stole one in overtime. I think for sure it gave me some extra belief in what the group can accomplish.”

Three ECAC teams — Cornell, Dartmouth, and Quinnipiac — reached the NCAA tournament last year. Harvard will be looking to work its way back for the first time since 2023.

“Our expectation is to compete every year with the top teams in the ECAC, and our team is expected to compete nationally,” said Rassey, “and I think we can get there.”

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