The Wheeling Nailers have hired former North Bay Centennials assistant coach Mark French as their new head coach and director of hockey operations.
French, 49, will become the 19th coach of the Nailers franchise since it moved to Wheeling in 1992.
The Milton, Ontario native replaces Mike Bavis whose contract was not renewed March 30.
The Nailers are the ECHL affiliate of the Penguins.
French, who served as the Centennials assistant coach and assistant GM from 1999 to 2002, is coming off a tough season with HC Fribourg-Gotteron of the Swiss NLA league last year where he was fired on October 4 after starting the season with five losses in the team's first six games.
He has also been a head coach with the Wichita Thunder (CHL), Hershey Bears (AHL), Medvescak Zagreb (KHL) and Calgary Hitmen (WHL).
His most success came with the Hershey Bears where he took home the Calder Cup twice, as an assistant in 2008-09 and head coach in 2009-10 when the Bears set an AHL record for most wins in a season with a record of 60-17-3.
See related: Former Centennials assistant wins second straight Calder Cup
French also served as a coach in the AHL’s All-Star game twice during his four seasons as the Bears’ head coach.
“We are very excited to have Mark join our organization,” Penguins assistant general manager Jason Karmanos said in a statement.
“We are impressed with his extensive experience and success. The organization believes Mark will bring the necessary leadership and change we are looking for with our Wheeling affiliate.”
After losing in the 2016 Kelly Cup finals, the Nailers have struggled, missing the playoffs the next three seasons and likely this past playoff season as well.
The Nailers sat in last place in the Central Division with a 24-30-0-5 record when the ECHL halted play due to the COVID-19 pandemic back in mid-March.
