It has been 313 months since the last time Matt Thomas stepped off the RIT bench, and the day that he was introduced as the Tigers' eighth men's head coach in program history.
Between March 20, 1999, and April 17, 2025, Thomas spent 26 years adding the necessary tools to his belt to return home to coach at his alma mater.
RIT Roots
The 1998 RIT graduate skated in 102 games over four seasons with the Tigers from 1994-98 at the Division III level. The Maple Ridge, British Columbia native served as the team's captain in 1997-98 during his final season.
Following his playing days, Thomas spent more than two decades behind the bench at multiple organizations across the collegiate and professional ranks, most recently as an assistant coach of the American Hockey League's (AHL) Providence Bruins.
"Obviously, we were doing a lot of great things in the [Boston] Bruins organization from a winning perspective, but I always had this thought that it would be an incredible opportunity to coach again at RIT," Thomas said.
Despite not being directly involved in the program since the 1990s, Thomas has always kept an eye on it, and some of the program's most significant moments, such as the team's trip to the 2010 Men's Frozen Four, have strengthened his connection to RIT.
Even though RIT has numerous highlights in its past, the newest Tigers' bench boss cited the people he met on campus as the primary factor in his decision to stay connected to his school in Rochester, N.Y.
"The coolest thing about being an alumnus, and what really ends up coming into play, is your connection with the guys you skated with," Thomas mentioned.
Following the 2024-25 campaign, Wayne Wilson retired after serving as the program's head coach for 26 seasons, taking over only a few seasons after Thomas completed his time as a student-athlete.
While Thomas never played under Wilson, he credits the longtime coach with providing the program with its DNA.
"Wayne was instrumental in elevating the program," Thomas said. "What he and his staff were able to do along the way, helping to create and establish a real, legitimate Division I program, the only one on campus, along with the women's team."
Matt Thomas introduced as RIT's new Men's Hockey Coach (April 17, 2025) - Courtesy of RIT Athletics
BUILDING THE TIGER IDENTITY
Thomas joined the program and has worked with the current roster to build and shape the team's identity today and for the future.
The program recently went on a nine-game winning streak, tying RIT's third-longest since it began playing ice hockey at the Division I level.
Current Tigers, such as senior forward Philippe Jacques, credit the culture and the renewed energy brought into the Gene Polisseni Center as significant reasons behind the early-season success.
"Coach Thomas is really energetic, and he really cares," Jacques shared. "He is passionate, he wants to win and at first there was a bit of a change system-wise that took some adjusting to do, but now we are dialed in."
Thomas similarly sees this in the players, as they have shared the effort and matched his energy to date, and has recognized his current batch of seniors and their leadership as a big reason behind the results.
"This group wanted to make their senior year special," Thomas noted. "With that, there comes a buy-in that you are going to change it and you're going to impact it. I can not say enough about our senior class for leading the way in trying to right the ship the way they have."
Tyler Mahan, RIT's 2025-26 Captain - Courtesy of RIT Athletics
COMING TOGETHER
The team has united and worked to match Thomas's energy, which has been instrumental in staying competitive this season.
Senior forward and captain Tyler Mahan shared why he has remained a Tiger since arriving on campus ahead of the 2022-23 season. The tradition and opportunity that come with Rochester's AHA program are special.
"[Thomas] came with a new energy, and kind of revamped the program in a way where all the guys are more on top of everything, and it is more pro-style," Mahan shared. "That is the mindset we have of playing, and he is doing a great job bringing the old and new guys from freshmen to the transfers of integrating everyone into the new system."
ROARING AHEAD
RIT has tasted success in AHA and on the national stage throughout its run as a Division I program. The Tigers envision continuing in the future.
When this program looks well into the future, the goal does not change. Coach Thomas notes that there is a sense of pride in winning as an RIT Tiger, but to do that, you have to stay competitive.
"The expectation at RIT is that we win championships," Thomas stated. "By that, we mean that we are competing for them. It is tough to win a championship, but RIT has won different tournaments throughout the season, won the AHA conference, and reached the NCAA tournament.
Matt Thomas as an RIT student-athlete - Courtesy of RIT Athletics
REMINISCENT HOMECOMING
The eighth coach in RIT history has not spent time on campus to the capacity his new role requires since the 1990s. Thomas is happy to be back on campus, and as much as the environment has changed since his days donning a Tigers' sweater, he knows much is the same.
"Getting onto campus just brings you back," Thomas said. "Just walking down the hallways, there are a lot of things that have not changed. We have a hair salon on campus, and the woman who cut my hair when I was a student still runs the store today."
The memories all rush back to the man at the helm of the program when you ask about his days at RIT.
Nothing says RIT hockey to Thomas more than the people and the winning tradition he contributed to as an undergraduate student.
"Winning keeps you connected because of the hard work that goes into it and the relationships you build going through it," Thomas shared. "It was always a nice way to stay connected to RIT, because I am still in touch with the guys I played with today, and we often talk about the winning."
Thomas’s return to Rochester, N.Y., marks not only a homecoming but the beginning of a new chapter for a hockey program he helped mold decades ago, renewing its focus on building champions on the ice and in the locker room.