RIT alumnus and former captain Matt Thomas '98 was named the eighth head coach in RIT Men's Hockey history in April of 2025.
Thomas jumped right into coaching after graduation and has over 26 years of experience at both the NCAA Division I and professional ranks, including the last four seasons as an assistant coach with the Providence Bruins – the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the NHL Boston Bruins.
Thomas joined the Bruins' coaching staff in 2021 when Ryan Mougenel was promoted to head coach. Responsible for defensive player development along with managing the power-play units, Thomas has been part of four-consecutive Calder Cup playoffs appearances, while the Bruins have finished no lower than second in the Atlantic Division, including a first-place finish in 2022-23.
Thomas spent the previous three seasons as General Manager and Head Coach of the Cincinnati Cyclones, the former East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) affiliate of the NHL's Buffalo Sabres. In his first season, Thomas led the Cyclones to the 2019 Brabham Cup title as ECHL regular-season champions with a 51-13-8 record, including a 30-2-4 home mark to tie the ECHL record for most home wins and fewest regulation losses in a single season. He was honored with the John Brophy Trophy, awarded annually to the ECHL Coach of the Year.
No stranger to success in the ECHL, Thomas also served five seasons as Head Coach and General Manager of the Stockton Thunder (2009-13), including a run to Western Conference Championship in 2013. He also served in the same role with the Fresno Falcons, amassing a record of 137-76-33 (.624 W%) from 2005-08. Thomas got his ECHL start with the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies (2002-05), winning the 2003 Kelly Cup Championship during a two-year stint as an assistant coach before being promoted to head coach for the 2004-05 season.
Thomas compiled a 431-255-96 (.613 W%) record in 11 total seasons as an ECHL head coach, ranking sixth in league history in wins and games coached. He is also second in ECHL history with 108 postseason games coached, third with 54 postseason victories and tied for third with 10 playoff appearances. Thomas was also selected to coach in three ECHL All-Star Classics – tied for the most in league history.
Thomas also has five seasons of NCAA head coaching experience, guiding the program at the University of Alaska-Anchorage from 2013-18. Thomas' tenure included leading the Seawolves' to an 18-16-4 record during his first year – the first winning campaign in 20 season.
A native of Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Thomas appeared in 102 games during his RIT playing career, totaling 72 points on 25 goals and 47 assists. RIT played in four-straight ECAC-West title games during his playing tenure, winning the 1995-96 championship en route to the first of three-straight appearances in the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Tigers made a run to the 1995-96 national championship game, sweeping Potsdam twice at Ritter Arena in the national quarterfinals, before taking down host Wisconsin-River Falls, 2-1, in the semifinals. RIT fell to defending champion Middlebury, 3-2, in the national championship game.
Graduating with a degree in criminal justice/pre-law, Thomas' first coaching opportunity was as an assistant coach at his alma mater for a season under Head Coach Eric Hoffberg. The Tigers finished the 1998-99 season with a 27-3-2 record, including a run to the NCAA Division III Tournament Semifinals.
Thomas spent the next three seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Maine, joining a staff that had just won the national championship in 1999 and went on to make three more NCAA appearances, including a run back to the 2002 national championship game.
Thomas and his wife, Andrea, have two children--Devlin (15) Gavin (14)
