In July of 2023, Deraney stepped down as the head coach to work as an assistant for the Worcester Railers of the ECHL and will remain on staff as an assistant coach for the Lancers.

Bob Deraney was named the head coach of the Worcester State University men's ice hockey team in February 2021. Deraney came to the Lancers after most recently serving as an assistant coach with the Worcester Railers of the East Coast Hockey League.

Deraney coached nearly 30 years at the collegiate level, most notably for 19 seasons as the head women’s coach at Providence College. He led the Friars to three Hockey East championships during his tenure, and was a three-time Hockey East Coach of the Year. Upon leaving Providence in 2018, he was the all-time winningest coach in both Hockey East and Providence College history.

Before his time at Providence, Deraney served as an assistant coach for a trio of Division I men’s ice hockey programs, UMass Amherst, Dartmouth College, and Northeastern University. In each role, he worked primarily with the defensemen and goaltenders, and was also heavily involved with video analysis and recruiting.

Deraney has worked extensively with USA Hockey, dating back over 30 years. He has worked as a scout and as a player development coach for both the women’s national team and men’s junior team, and won gold medals as an assistant coach of the women’s Under-18 World Championships in 2008 and the Women’s National Team at the World Championships in 2015.

Other coaching stops for Deraney include the South African Men’s National Team, KRS Vanke Rays of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, and the Kunlun Red Star of the Kontinental Hockey League, the top professional league in Russia.

Prior to his coaching career, Deraney played four years of Division I hockey at Boston University, graduating in 1987. Deraney and the Terriers won two Beanpots and one Hockey East Championship in his four years.