Head Coach Andrew Toole Second Season - Penn ’03 When it came time for Robert Morris University Director of Athletics Craig Coleman, M.D., to name a new head coach for the men’s basketball program, he didn’t have to look far. Andrew Toole was introduced as the eighth head coach in the 35-year Division I history at a press conference at the Charles L. Sewall Center May 11, 2010, and the 2011-12 campaign marks his second season as head coach of the Colonials. He owns an overall record of 41-23 (.641). Anyone familiar with the success RMU has had in recent seasons should be familiar with Toole. Named as former head coach Mike Rice’s top assistant in 2007-08, Toole spent the 2008-09 and 200910 seasons as Associate Head Coach at Robert Morris. In his first season at the helm in 2010-11, Toole continued RMU’s recent run of success, leading the Colonials to an overall record of 18-14 (.563), including a mark of the 12-6 (.667) in the Northeast Conference. Robert Morris advanced to its third straight NEC Tournament championship game, falling shy of earning its third consecutive title before falling in overtime to Long Island, 85-82. Despite a roster that features just one senior for the second straight year, Toole will lead a program in 2011-12 that is looking for its third NEC Tournament championship in four years, a feat that has been accomplished only once in league history. The Colonials won the 1989, 1990 and 1992 NEC Tournament crowns. “Our players are not old, but they should have an understanding of what it takes to win,” Toole said. “Let’s take the last 10 or 12 games of last year and now mesh the new guys in and keep going in the right direction.” Toole is at the helm of an RMU program that has experienced unprecedented success over the last five years. The Colonials own NEC records for victories over the span of two, three, four and five years. Since the beginning of the 2006-07 season, Robert Morris owns an overall record of 108-56 (.659), with the 108 victories both a school and NEC record for a five-year span. Since Toole joined the staff in 2007-08, the Colonials have posted an overall record of 91-45 (.669). While RMU’s overall success is apparent, the program’s accomplishments in the NEC are also clear. Over the last four years, the Colonials have posted a mark of 58-14 (.806) against league opposition and enter the 2011-12 season having finished no lower than third over that span. Robert Morris won outright NEC regular-season titles in 2008 and 2009 and shared the championship in 2010 with Quinnipiac with Toole as a member of the staff. RMU followed up its success in the regular season by becoming the first team in NEC history in 16 years to win back-to-back NEC Tournament championships by earning a 52-50 win over Quinnipiac in the 2010 NEC Tournament championship game in Hamden, Conn. In 2008, the Colonials made their first appearance in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), dropping an 87-81 decision to No. 1 overall seed Syracuse at the Carrier Dome. In both 2009 and 2010, RMU earned automatic berths to the NCAA Tournament thanks to winning their sixth and seventh NEC Tournament championships, respectively. In the 2009 NCAA Tournament as a No. 15 seed, the Colonials fell to eventual national runner-up Michigan State, 77-62, in the first round at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minn. In the 2010 NCAA Tournament, Robert Morris nearly upset No. 2 seed Villanova in the first round at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, R.I., before falling, 73-70, in overtime. At 31 years old, Toole is the youngest head coach at the Division I level. Prior to coming to Robert Morris in 2007, Toole spent the 2006-07 season as an assistant at Lafayette College in Easton, Pa. While an assistant with the Leopards, Toole assisted in all facets of the program, from recruiting to player development. He was responsible for helping recruit student-athletes that helped lead Lafayette to the 2010 Patriot League Tournament championship game against Lehigh. Between 2004 and 2006, Toole spent two years with The Hoop Group in Neptune, N.J. He served as the director of the Eastern Invitational Basketball Clinic, where he handled logistical management for the nation's largest high school exposure camp. Toole was a four-year starter at the Division I level, playing for Elon University (1998-2000) before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania (2000-03). Over his four-year career at Elon and Penn, Toole averaged 12.3 points per contest, finishing with 1,341 points in 109 games. He also posted averages of 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.2 steals per contest. Toole, who married the former Brooke Kelly June 3, 2011, resides in the Pittsburgh suburb of Mt. Lebanon, Pa.
2010-11 RMU Basketball
The Toole File Birthdate: Sept. 11, 1980 Hometown: Red Bank, N.J. Age: 31 Alma Mater / Year: Penn / 2003 Degree: Bachelor of Arts (Political Science) High School: Christian Brothers Academy COLLEGIATE COACHING EXPERIENCE: Robert Morris University; Moon Township, Pa. - Head Coach (2010- ) Robert Morris University; Moon Township, Pa. - Associate Head Coach (2008-10) Robert Morris University; Moon Township, Pa. - Assistant Coach (2007-08) Lafayette College; Easton, Pa. - Assistant Coach (2006-07) PLAYING EXPERIENCE: University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, Pa. - Guard (2000-03) Elon University; Elon, N.C. - Guard (1998-2000) Christian Brothers Academy; Lincroft, N.J. - Guard (1994-98)
What They’re Saying About Andrew Toole Mike Rice, Head Coach, Rutgers University “Coach Toole has had as much to do with the success of the RMU program the last three years as anyone. His tireless commitment to improve the program, whether it was recruiting, player development or game day preparation, was unmatched by any other assistant. Robert Morris basketball is in great hands.” Fran O’Hanlon, Head Coach, Lafayette College “Andrew is a smart, dedicated and excellent leader who possesses a tremendous amount of passion for the game. Above all, he is a man of strong character. He possesses all the necessary qualities to be a successful college head coach, and I am very happy for the Robert Morris community to have a person of Andrew’s caliber lead its men’s basketball program.” Fran Dunphy, Head Coach, Temple University “I certainly want to congratulate Robert Morris University and Andrew Toole as they embark on a new era of Colonial basketball. I’ve known Andy as a player and now a coach and his leadership skills are unquestioned. He has great knowledge of the game and has shown great skill in imparting that knowledge to his players.”
NEC Champions: 1982, 1983, 1989, 1990, 1992, 2009, 2010