Moon Township, Pa. – May 3, 2013 – Director of Athletics Craig Coleman, M.D., announced Friday at a press conference at the Charles L. Sewall Center that Robert Morris University has extended the contract of head men’s basketball coach Andrew Toole.
Toole, who originally signed a five-year deal when he was named the eighth head coach in program history in May of 2010, is now signed through the 2017-18 season.
“Andy has done an exceptional job in his first three years at Robert Morris,” Coleman said. “His winning percentage is outstanding and a matter of public record, but his phenomenal leadership skills and mentoring of student-athletes in our basketball program is just as important to us. We look forward to having Andy leading our program for years to come.”
In three seasons under Toole’s tutelage, the Colonials have posted an overall record of 68-36 (.654), including a mark of 39-15 (.722) against Northeast Conference opponents.
In 2012-13, Toole led RMU to an overall record of 24-11 (.686). The Colonials claimed their 10th NEC regular-season championship with a ledger of 14-4 (.778), helping Robert Morris earn its fifth postseason appearance in the last six years.
RMU earned a spot in the 2013 National Invitation Tournament (NIT), advancing to the second round thanks to a 59-57 victory over Kentucky (3/19/13) in front of 3,444 fans at the Charles L. Sewall Center, the largest crowd in school history. In the second round, the Colonials dropped a 77-68 decision at Providence (3/25/13).
“I couldn’t be more excited about the Robert Morris administration having the faith in me to continue to lead this program,” Toole said. “I look forward to building on the success we’ve had during my time as head coach the last three years as well as the overall success we’ve had in the last six years.”
In his first season at the helm in 2010-11, Toole guided RMU to an overall record of 18-14 (.563), including a mark of 12-6 (.667) in the NEC. The Colonials advanced to the championship game of the NEC Tournament, falling three minutes shy of earning its third straight title before falling in overtime at LIU Brooklyn, 85-82.
The following season in 2011-12, Robert Morris posted an overall record of 26-11 (.703), including a mark of 13-5 (.722) in the NEC. RMU tied a school record for victories, advanced to its fourth straight NEC Tournament championship game and earned its inaugural berth in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT).
In the 2012 CIT, the Colonials advanced to the quarterfinals thanks to road wins at Indiana State and Toledo, marking the program’s first victories in a national postseason tournament since 1983.
“Andy is an integral member of the RMU family, and we are extremely happy he will be contining his career at Robert Morris University,” President Gregory G. Dell’Omo, Ph.D., said. “We take great pride in his accomplishments thus far and know there is more to come. Just as we look forward to Andy’s future with RMU, he is looking forward to continuing to develop the program and engage others in the process.”
Overall, Toole has been at Robert Morris six seasons. He spent the 2007-08 campaign as an assistant under former head coach Mike Rice (2007-10) before being elevated to Associate Head Coach for the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons. He is at the helm of an RMU program that has experienced unprecedented success over the last six years.
Since the beginning of the 2007-08 season, Robert Morris owns an overall record of 141-67 (.678), with the 141 victories both a school and NEC record for a six-year span. RMU’s 141 wins over the last six years is tied with Davidson for eighth among mid-major programs over that span, and the Colonials also own NEC records for victories over the span of three, four and five years.
While RMU’s overall success is apparent, the program’s accomplishments in the NEC are also clear.
Over the last six years, the Colonials have posted a mark of 85-23 (.787) against league opposition, having finished no lower than third over that span. Robert Morris won outright NEC regular-season titles in 2008, 2009 and 2013 and shared the championship in 2010 with Quinnipiac.
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 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 its 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.
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.
Also during his time with The Hoop Group, Toole maintained relationships with elite high school and AAU coaches. Also in 2004, Toole served as the director of Rebounds, a 28,000-square foot facility where high school players focus on development.
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).
In two seasons with the Quakers, Toole helped guide Penn to consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances in 2002 and 2003. A co-captain of the 2002-03 Penn team that finished with an overall record of 22-6 (.786), in two years as a starter Toole helped lead the Quakers to an overall record of 47-13 (.783).
During his two seasons at Penn, the Quakers posted a record of 7-1 in the Philadelphia Big 5, an informal association of college athletic programs in Philadelphia, Pa., that includes Penn, La Salle, Saint Joseph’s, Temple and Villanova. Penn finished 4-0 in 2001-02, and it’s only loss in 2002-03 came against Saint Joseph’s.
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.
In two seasons at Penn, Toole hit 104 three-pointers and on his career finished with 212. He was an All-Ivy League First Team selection in 2001-02, an All-Ivy League Second Team honoree in 2002-03 and was named to the All-Big 5 Team in both 2002 and 2003.
A member of the Friars Senior Society at the University of Pennsylvania in 2002-03, Toole earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Penn in 2003.
Toole, who married the former Brooke Kelly June 3, 2011, resides in the Pittsburgh, Pa., suburb of Mt. Lebanon with their son, Ryan Carter.