Worcester Railers Make Coaching Change

The Worcester Railers come into Saturday owning a 9-14-2 record and have decided to make a coaching change.

On Saturday, the Railers and Chief Operating Officer Michael G. Myers have announced that Bob Deraney has taken on a new role within the organization, Head of Scouting, effective immediately. Nick Tuzzolino has been named Head Coach & General Manager of the club.

"Bob has been a part of the Railers family for a number of years," Myers said. "We can't thank him enough for his dedication and commitment to this organization over the past several seasons. We look forward to him continuing to work with the team in this new role."

Tuzzolino becomes the fifth head coach in Worcester Railers history after serving as General Manager & Associate Head Coach to begin the season. He first came to Worcester in June after spending the 2023-24 season as assistant coach and director of player development with the Savannah Ghost Pirates.

As a defenseman, Tuzzolino played over 500 games professionally between the UHL, IHL, ECHL & American Hockey League from 2007-2023. During his initial retirement, he coached the Buffalo Jr. Sabres of the Ontario Junior Hockey League from 2016-20.

“In his time here, Nick has demonstrated his readiness to lead the team both on and off the ice,” Myers said. “He has a wealth of experience in dissecting professional systems and working in pro player development. We’re excited for him to take the reins and continue his work on bringing a winning culture to Worcester.”

Deraney was named Railers head coach just this summer, taking over for Jordan Lavallee,-Smotherman, who stepped down in April after two seasons behind the bench. Prior to joining the team as an assistant in 2023, Deraney coached the Providence College women’s hockey team before taking over the Worcester State men’s program in 2021.

The Railers will play their first game under Tuzzolino Saturday at home against the Trois-Rivieres Lions. Puck drop is set for 6:05 Pm ET.