Brian Riley to coach one final season with Army hockey, passes reins to Zach McKelvie

A Riley family member has guided Army hockey for 75 seasons but that legacy will come to an end following this season.

Brian Riley has announced that 2024-25 will be his last as head coach, setting up associate head coach Zach McKelvie as his replacement starting in 2025-26. Riley has coached Army since 2004-05, and former player standout McKelvie has been on his staff since 2014-15.

Hall of Fame coach Jack Riley ran the team from 1951-86. His sons took over from there, Rob serving the team from 1986-2004, followed by Brian. The trio have compiled 1,041 wins during that span.

“The opportunity to grow up at West Point, raise our children here, and be a coach here at West Point has been both rewarding and humbling,'' Brian said. "West Point has provided not only me but the Riley family with so many great memories and we are all so grateful. Growing up at West Point, I always wondered why my dad stayed here as long as he did but having sat where he sat, I now know why he stayed. The chance to be around all the amazing people, Cadets and others makes this the best coaching opportunity in all of sports. Saying all of this, the staff is excited about preparing our cadet-athletes for the upcoming season.”

Brian Riley ranks 20th among active head coaches with 242 wins over his first 20 seasons; he also ranks fifth among coaches in Atlantic Hockey. He earned coach of the year honors in the league from 2006-08 and in 2021.

McKelvie played for Army from 2005-09, earning league first-team all-star honors twice and was named the league's top defenseman in 2008. He was an assistant captain as a junior and a captain as a senior. He was inducted into the Atlantic Hockey Hall of Fame in 2022.

Following his West Point career and military service, McKelvie played 113 games over parts of three seasons (2011-14) with Providence and Abbotsford of the AHL and Reading and Alaska in the ECHL. He joined Brian Riley's staff in 2014 and was promoted to associate head coach two years later.

"I am honored to be named the next head coach of this historic program,'' McKelvie said. "As a former player and a grad, West Point holds a special place in my heart. I want to thank (superintendent) LTG Gilland, (athletic director) Mike Buddie, and Dan McCarthy for their support and trust in me. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to coach Riley and his family for their unwavering commitment to this school and the Army Hockey program. His belief in me has been a cornerstone of my journey, and for that, I will be forever grateful. I am excited to embark on this next chapter and am confident we have a program capable of winning at the highest level and continuing to produce leaders of character ready to serve our nation.''

kmcmillan@th-record.com

X / Twitter: @KenMcMillanTHR

This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Brian Riley to coach one final season with Army hockey, passes reins to Zach McKelvie