ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - Lindenwood University has announced Thursday the program is parting ways with longtime ice hockey head coach Rick Zombo after going a 6-18-4 record in their second season of NCAA Division I hockey.
Zombo was the longtime coach for the Lion's hockey program, first joining the program in 2008 as an assistant before becoming head coach in the summer of 2010. During his time with the Lions, the program made numerous trips to the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Division I Championships, including winning two National Titles in 2016 and 2022.
Lindenwood University made the transition to Division I program in the summer of 2022, where the program and Zombo unsurprisingly had a tougher challenge, with the Lions having a combined 13-40-5 record in their first two seasons in Division 1 Hockey, competing against some of the toughest hockey programs in the country like the University of Michigan, Arizona State University, University of Wisconsin, and the University of Denver.
Players that play for those programs carry NHL draftees like Rutger McGroarty(14th overall pick in 2022 NHL Draft by Winnipeg Jets), Frank Nazar (13th overall pick in 2022 NHL Draft by Chicago Blackhawks), Seamus Casey (44th overall in 2022 NHL Draft by New Jersey Devils) and more.
Prior to becoming a coach for the Lions, Zombo was a player in the NHL, spending 12 years in the NHL, including spending four of his last five seasons in the NHL with the St. Louis Blues.
The school says a nation-wide search will begin immediately following the decision to part ways with Zombo.