Dave Insalaco

Biography

Dave Insalaco enters his 17th year at RIT in 2025-26. Promoted to Associate Head Coach prior to the 2020-21 season, Insalaco brings nearly 25 years of experience to the bench where his role includes managing the Tigers' defensemen and penalty killing. A driving force behind RIT's rise as a Division I program, Insalaco has been part of four NCAA Tournament appearances, four Atlantic Hockey Championships and six regular-season AHA titles. His first season in 2008-09 saw the Tigers finish with a 23-13-2 record while clinching the second seed for the Atlantic Hockey Tournament. The following year, RIT won its first Atlantic Hockey Championship and caught the hockey world's attention with a Cinderella run to the Frozen Four to finish with a program-record 28-12-1 mark. Insalaco was also part of back-to-back Atlantic Hockey Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances in 2015 and 2016. He was on the bench during the Tigers' 2-1 upset of No. 1 Minnesota State in the opening round of the 2015 tournament, marking the first time the 16th seed upset the top-seed in NCAA hockey history. Insalaco guided the Tiger penalty kill to a fourth-place finish nationally (.864) in 2023-24 as RIT won its fourth Atlantic Hockey Championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament to finish with a 27-11-2 record. Insalaco came to RIT after spending two seasons with the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League. He also served as assistant coach at SUNY Geneseo (2003-05) and volunteered at SUN