O’Malley set to take over Lake Forest men’s hockey program
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (BVM) — After 11 years as part of the Lake Forest College men’s hockey program, Patrick Kelliher has decided to step down. Under the direction of Kelliher for the past seven seasons, the Foresters had an 87-64-16 overall record while going 66-47-9 in conference play.
The Foresters have also seen plenty of recent success under Kelliher, as they made the semifinals of the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) Harris Cup Playoffs in both 2018 and 2019. During the 2019-20 season, the Foresters made the NCAA Division III tournament for the first time in 29 years.
Lake Forest has also been nationally ranked throughout Kelliher’s tenure, being as high as No. 6. In 2019-20, Kelliher was named the NCHA coach of the year, and he has also had the opportunity to coach two NCHA players of the year as well as three All-Americans.
“Coach Kelliher has done a tremendous job with the Forester men’s hockey program throughout his time at the College,” Lake Forest Vice President for Athletics and Career Advancement Jackie Slaats said in a statement. “His teams have been competitive in the NCHA and on a national level while representing Forester athletics extremely well in the classroom and community. We appreciate his contributions to the men’s hockey program and department as a whole and wish Pat and his family the best as they move on to the next chapter in their lives.”
In 2014, Sean O’Malley was hired as Kelliher’s top assistant. Now, after seven years in that role, he will have his chance to take over the program as head coach. O’Malley came to Lake Forest from the State University of New York at Potsdam where he was an assistant coach, recruiting coordinator and academic advisor.
O’Malley has also been an evaluator with USA Hockey Development and has taught the game with junior players in the past. In addition to his duties on the ice, O’Malley has also been head coach of the women’s golf program at Lake Forest in 2017.
Besides his coaching experience, O’Malley also brings over plenty of playing experience on the ice. He was a star at St. Ignatius High School and later made the school’s hockey hall of fame. Also a golfer in high school, O’Malley continued his career on the ice in college, playing four years at the College of Brockport. He also competed for Gilmour Academy and the Syracuse Stars, and later pursued a professional career with the Wheeling Nailers of the East Coast Hockey League.
“I am extremely humbled and honored to be the next head men’s ice hockey coach here at Lake Forest College and remain involved in the campus community,” O’Malley said in a statement. “I am eager to get started and thankful to the College’s administration for giving me this opportunity.
“It has been a pleasure to work alongside Coach Kelliher the past seven years. His vision and values for this program have created a tremendous culture at the rink and in the classroom. I will always be thankful he brought me to Lake Forest College. Moving forward we want to continue the tradition of excellence and hold the same values and standards for our program. I will continue to work diligently to provide our players an opportunity to be successful both on and off the ice.”
The official beginning of O’Malley’s head-coaching tenure will occur next week. Although the Foresters lose a tremendous coach in Kelliher, it is clear they are in a good spot to continue the program’s success under O’Malley.
