GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Grand Rapids Griffins have a new head coach.
Dan Watson, 43, will become the 12th head coach in franchise history, the Detroit Red Wings announced Wednesday.
Watson has been a head coach with the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye for six seasons.
“I am extremely excited and honored to become the next head coach of the Griffins,” said Watson. “I look forward to getting the privilege of working with each player to make them better while creating a positive work environment. This is a very important time in the Red Wings organization and a big challenge. We will work hard to put a competitive team on the ice that the fans can be proud of.”
He never missed the playoffs as head coach and reached the Kelly Cup Finals twice, in 2019 and 2022. He led Toledo to three division titles, in 2016-2017, 2017-2018 and 2021-2022).
He was also awarded the John Brophy Award as the ECHL’s coach of the year in his first year as head coach.
“I’m thrilled to announce Dan as the head coach of the Griffins,” said Griffins general manager / Detroit Red Wings assistant general manager Shawn Horcoff. “He established a tremendous winning culture during his six years as head coach in Toledo through his work ethic, communication skills, and the relationships he built with his players. Dan’s passion for player development and familiarity with the Red Wings organization will be vital assets, and we’re confident his experience will lead to the continued growth of our players in Grand Rapids.”
The Griffins parted ways with former head coach Ben Simon after five seasons.
The team ended the 2022-2023 season with a 28-36-4-4 overall record.
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