RPI fires men's hockey coach Dave Smith after eight seasons

TROY, NY (NEWS10) -- After a 12-21-2 season and a first round playoff exit, RPI is moving in a new direction with their men's hockey program. The school fired head coach Dave Smith Monday morning.

Smith led the Engineers for eight seasons. He posted an 87-152-19 record during his tenure with the team.

During a media call on Monday, Athletic Director Dr. Kristie Bowers explained why now was the time to go in another direction. "I think there's a lot of momentum right now from the President being a part of our hockey program thoroughly," said Bowers. "We're moving forward with a fundraising initiative to do a renovation to Houston Fieldhouse. I think there's a lot of momentum behind the program right now. It seems this is the right time to make a change."

Bowers also described some of the traits she's seeking in the next RPI hockey coach. "The first one that stands out to me is the understanding of the history of RPI and the community aspect of RPI," said Bowers. "RPI Hockey means a lot to this community. I need somebody who understands that. I need somebody who embraces that, who's willing to be a forward facing person for us and for our department. I think, secondly, I need somebody who's going to really inspire our guys and who's going to show dramatic improvement in our guys. Listen, our team was not good enough this year, and we need somebody who's going to develop the skills of our student athletes. We got crushed on the defensive end. So I'm looking for somebody who can help us in that sense, make sure we're growing and getting better."