The Sin Bin
Two Chairs Filled on ECHL Coaching Carousel
Now that the annual ECHL Meetings have concluded in Las Vegas, those teams with coaching jobs open are beginning to announce press conferences to introduce new coaches.
The Sin Bin's Joe Rozycki reported yesterday the Missouri Mavericks will hold a press conference Thursday at 2pm to reveal the replacement to Richard Matvichuk, who left the team on June 2 to coach the WHL's Prince George Cougars. One of the leading candidates for the position is former player and assistant coach John-Scott Dickson. Rozycki reports that Dickson came highly endorsed by the players and would go a long way to retaining the core group brought in by Matvichuk last season.
In Toledo, the Walleye will name Dan Watson their head coach Wednesday afternoon at 4pm ET. The news of Watson's hire was first reported Anthony Bellino from WNWO in Toledo. Watson is replacing Derek Lalonde, who accepted a job with the Iowa Wild on June 20. Watson served as Lalonde's associate head coach last season, after serving for six seasons as the team's assistant head coach. This would be Watson's first head coaching job. Like Dickson, Watson comes highly recommended by Walleye players & former head coach Lalonde.
In the Lowcountry, the search to replace former Stingrays head coach Spencer Carbery, who is now the head coach for the Saginaw Spirit, is on. "We've been very lucky over the last 18 years with coaches like Jason Fitszimmons, Jared Bednar, Cail MacLean and Spencer Carbery who all played for the Stingrays before they became very successful coaches in our organization," Team President Rob Concannon said. "We believe Assistant Coach Ryan Warsofsky has done a great job over the last three seasons and is a leading candidate for the head coach position."
There are two other coaching vacancies in the league; the Elmira Jackals and Florida Everblades.
In Elmira, the Jackals and coach Jamie Russell parted ways after Russell recorded a 69-63-12 record in two seasons. In both seasons, the Jackals missed the Kelly Cup Playoffs.
Florida is looking for a new bench boss after Greg Poss accepted a coaching position with HC Red Bull Salzburg in Austria, a team that has won back-to-back league titles. Poss led the Everblades to a 247-144-41 record in six seasons behind the Everblades bench. Poss also recorded 31 postseason wins and led the 'Blades to the 2012 Kelly Cup Championship.
“We were able to accomplish a lot during this time. This includes developing many players to the next level, and winning a championship in 2012," Poss said. "I really want to thank my two assistant coaches during my time with the team in Brad Tapper and Tad O’Had for all of their hard work."
Hear who we think will fill the remaining vacancies in this snippet from episode 10 of The Sin Bin Podcast, here: