Lake Forest College Director of Athletics Nicki Pieart announced Monday that, following a competitive national search, Sean O'Malley will have the interim tag removed and continue to direct the Forester men's hockey team.
"For the better part of the past decade, Coach O'Malley has exhibited an incredible level of dedication to the hockey program and to the College," began Pieart. "He understands and embraces the important balance between athletics and academics and prides himself on providing a great student-athlete experience for each of his players. As the interim head coach, he has brought in two impressive recruiting classes and is in the process of adding a third. This past winter in particular, the team had several key victories and gained momentum as the season progressed. I am excited to see the continued growth of the program under his leadership "
"I am extremely honored to continue leading the men's ice hockey program and remain involved in the campus community here at Lake Forest College," commented O'Malley. "I am grateful to Vice President of Athletics and Career Advancement Jackie Slaats and Director of Athletics Nicki Pieart, along with the rest of the search committee, for putting their trust in me to continue the tradition of excellence and uphold the same high standards for our program. Moving forward, I will continue working diligently to create a positive experience for our student-athletes and provide them with opportunities to be successful both on and off the ice."
The Foresters qualified for the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association Harris Cup Playoffs in both of O'Malley's seasons as interim head coach. The team improved by six wins overall and earned eight of a possible 12 points against the top two teams in the league standings. Lake Forest is now 105-94-22 overall and 78-64-14 in conference play since O'Malley joined the staff as an assistant in 2014.
During his two years leading the program, O'Malley has coached two different players to All-NCHA honors and two have earned NCHA All-Freshman Team status as well. Seven Lake Forest players have earned a combined nine all-conference awards and Lake Forest has had five NCHA All-Freshman Team selections since 2014. Successful in the classroom as well, the Foresters had 22 NCHA All-Academic Team honorees in 2022-23, matching the league record they set two years earlier.
O'Malley came to Lake Forest from the State University of New York at Potsdam, where he spent two seasons as an assistant coach, recruiting coordinator, and academic advisor. He also served for seven years as an on-ice instructor at Can/Am Hockey Schools in Lake Placid, New York, and Guelph, Ontario.
A graduate of the College at Brockport, O'Malley was a four-year member of the Golden Eagles men's ice hockey team and an assistant captain as a senior. After graduating with a degree in criminal justice, he pursued a professional career with the Wheeling Nailers of the East Coast Hockey League as well as various minor league teams.
