Episode 66: Brett Riley

Episode 66: Brett Riley. Very happy to get the chance to have Long Island University Head Coach Brett Riley hop on the prohockeypod this week. When you think of the Riley family, you think of hockey and coaching. Brett's dad, Rob, had a long career in coaching at West Point and is now a scout for the Colorado Avalanche. Brett's uncle, Brian, is in his 33rd and final season of coaching at West Point. Brett's grandfather, Jack, was the Head Coach at West Point for 36 years. Safe to say that Brett didn't have a choice but to get into hockey at a young age. Brett was a D3 athlete, like myself, who went to Hobart College. Funny enough, we actually played a few times against each other. Brett was always eager to coach and was even commuting during his senior year to recruit players for his US Prep school team, that he was becoming the HC for next season. He has always enjoyed building programs from the ground up and the effort that goes into doing so. He first did this at D3 Wilkes University and has been doing it for the past 5 years at D1 Long Island University. He talks a lot of pride in his "blue collar" teams and never being outworked. That is something I respect. Honestly, after talking to Brett and hearing him speak about hockey and his family background, it is no surprise that he has risen up the coaching ranks so quickly. If you want to see what it takes to rise quickly and be a student of the game, then this episode is a must listen. Hope you enjoy!