Mercyhurst men’s hockey head coach Rick Gotkin has announced the hiring of Tom Peffall as an assistant coach.
“We are all very excited to add Tom to our coaching staff,” said Gotkin in a news release. “He brings a wealth of experience, a terrific work ethic, and a great deal of passion to our team. He will be instrumental in our recruiting efforts as well as our player development both on and off the ice.”
“I am thrilled and honored to be joining the Mercyhurst community and hockey program,” said Peffall. “I want to thank Rick, [associate head coach] Greg [Gardner] and [athletic director] Brad [Davis] for giving me the opportunity to coach at the Division I level and grow in my career.
“I could not be more excited to get going with this group. Through the process, it became evident that we shared many of the same values. Family, culture and winning to mention a few. I truly see a bright future with this group of Lakers and look forward to contributing and building off the previous success.”
Peffall comes to Mercyhurst after serving as an assistant coach at Stevenson University since 2018. While serving as the assistant coach he was also the Director of Recruiting and brought in the top recruiting class in Division III. In his four seasons, he helped lead the Mustangs to 58 wins.
Prior to starting with Stevenson, he was an assistant coach for the NAHL Philadelphia Rebels. While on the Rebel bench he produced multiple Division I recruits.
He started his coaching career in 2015 with Neumann University.
He began his professional playing career with the Rhode Island Storm and played in the FHL, SPHL, and ECHL in his career. He retired from pro hockey following the 2013 season with the Trenton Titans of the ECHL.
