Former NHL player Rick Zombo has been head coach of the men’s ice hockey program since the summer of 2010. Since taking over at the helm of the program, the Lions have made numerous trips to the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Division I Championships under the leadership of Zombo, and in 2016 and 2022, the team won the national title.
During its first NCAA Division I season in 2022-23, Lindenwood garnered attention around college hockey, playing a competitive schedule against many of the top teams in the nation while winning seven games. The Lions win total is the most for a first-year program since the 2015-16 Arizona State Sun Devils who had three victories against Division I opponents. Lindenwood won the most games against Division I opponents since the 2012-13 Penn State Nittany Lions who had 11 wins that season.
The first Division I victory came in wild fashion. On October 14, the Lions trailed Air Force by four goals midway through the second period. Lindenwood answered with five unanswered goals to pick up the 7-6 win. With the victory, Lindenwood became the first men’s hockey program this century to earn their first Division I win after trailing by two or more goals. The Lions presented a balanced attack this season, seeing Lindenwood have eight players register five or more goals this season. Two of those players, Andy Willis and Ryan Finnegan went on to sign professional contracts after the season.
Zombo brings many different levels of success and experience to the Lindenwood hockey program. Prior to becoming head coach, he was instrumental in directing defensive play and the recruiting process for the Lions. During his two seasons as assistant coach, Lindenwood won the CSCHL regular season and post season title once and also captured two ACHA national championships.
Before beginning his tenure at Lindenwood, Zombo spent a season as the head coach and general manager of the Heartland Eagles in the USHL and three seasons with the St. Louis Sting in the NAHL. He also coached Marquette High School in St. Louis for three seasons and headed up Team Missouri at the Chicago Showcase.
Before his coaching career, Zombo spent 12 seasons in the NHL, including four years with the St. Louis Blues. He was selected 149th overall in the eighth round of the 1981 NHL entry draft by the Detroit Red Wings. He played for the Red Wings for eight seasons before being traded to the Blues early in the 1991-92 season. His final year in the NHL was during the 1995-96 campaign when he wore the Boston Bruins sweater. Zombo also spent parts of his first three professional seasons with the Adirondack Red Wings and won a Calder Cup with them in 1986.
Zombo finished his NHL career with 652 regular season games played, 24 career goals and 130 career assists. He also skated in 60 playoff games where he recorded one postseason goal and 11 assists.
While in college, Zombo was a three-time letter winner on defense with North Dakota from 1981-84. He won an NCAA national championship in his freshman season and earned a spot on the United States National Team at the World Junior Hockey Championships during his sophomore season. He served as captain of the Fighting Sioux in his junior season and totaled 63 points in his college career at North Dakota.
