Robert Morris announced Thursday that Logan Bittle has been named head coach of the women’s hockey program.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Logan back to lead the relaunch of the women’s hockey program,” said RMU vice president and director of athletics Chris King said in a statement. “Logan’s Colonial pride and passion were evident to all who engaged with him during his prior tenure at RMU. I was impressed by his track record of success in both recruiting and player development in his previous role for the Colonials as an assistant coach. Logan has been passionate about his desire to lead the relaunch of the women’s hockey program.
“He knows how to build a winning culture and a winning program, and he was an obvious choice as our top target from day one of the women’s hockey head coach search.”
Bittle returns to RMU after spending the last year as head coach of the Pens Elite 19U girls prep and 16U girls teams.
Prior to joining Pens Elite, Bittle spent 10 years at RMU, the first four as an assistant coach and the last six as associate head coach.
“I’m extremely grateful to vice president and director of athletics Chris King for his belief in me for the opportunity to return to RMU and lead the women’s hockey program,” Bittle said. “I’m also thankful to everyone who had a hand in getting these teams back on the ice in 2023. RMU has been a very important part of my family’s life for the last 16 years, and I’m honored to be back to help guide this program to national prominence. It’s great to be a part of the RMU family again, and we’re very excited to hit the ice for the 2023-24 season to begin competing for a conference and national championship.”
“Logan possesses a great appreciation for the history and tradition of women’s hockey and men’s hockey at RMU,” King added. “He is a terrific fit for RMU hockey as a former student-athlete and alumnus and has served as a key leader in the history of the competitive success for the women’s hockey program. Logan is a Colonial through and through and views the RMU head coach position as the opportunity of a lifetime. It’s not every day that you have the chance to hire an alum and former assistant coach whose passion for the sport and the institution are transcendent. We feel Logan is the perfect fit to restore RMU’s women’s hockey to prominence.”
Bittle is a 2008 graduate of RMU, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in sport management. He was a student-athlete for the first team in hockey history for the Colonials in 2004-05 and owns the distinction of recording an assist in the program’s first-ever game-winning goal. RMU earned a 3-1 victory at Canisius (Oct. 22, 2004) in the first hockey game in school history. He assisted on a Jeff Gilbert goal at 7:08 in the third period to snap a 1-1 tie with the Golden Griffins.
The native of Peoria, Ill., appeared in 126 games during the course of his four-year career with the Colonials, scoring 52 points on 20 goals and 32 helpers.
Upon completion of his collegiate career at RMU, Bittle played professionally for the ECHL’s Dayton Bombers and the New Jersey Rockhoppers of the Eastern Professional Hockey League before turning his attention to coaching.
Bittle and former RMU netminder Brianne McLaughlin, the first goalie in the history of the women’s program for the Colonials, were married in July of 2013. McLaughlin is a two-time Olympic medalist, and the couple has two children, Carter and Baker.
The Colonials women’s team will officially apply for reinstatement to College Hockey America and will provide an update on conference affiliation once a determination has been made.
