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Pittsburgh Penguins Reportedly Closing in on New Head Coach
The Pittsburgh Penguins are set to be entering the final stages of their head coaching search to replace Mike Sullivan, who was dismissed by GM Kyle Dubas.
Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas dismissed coach Mike Sullivan late last month after he had spent nearly 10 years on the job.
Despite leading the Penguins to consecutive Stanley Cup wins, the Penguins have fallen on hard times of late, missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of the last 3 years and leading to Dubas deciding the time was right for a change in leadership behind the bench.
While Sullivan resurfaced as the new head coach of the New York Rangers, Dubas continues his search for Pittsburgh's next bench boss.
It looks as though that search is entering the final stage and an official decision will be coming in the next few days, per a new report.
Kyle Dubas' deliberate search to select the Penguins' next head coach is entering its final stages. In-person interviews are expected to wrap up in the coming days, and Dubas is on track to name a coach by his stated target timeline of early June.
Among the candidates in the running to be the official successor to Sullivan include Washington Capitals assistant Mitch Love, former Ottawa Senators coach DJ Smith, former Edmonton Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft, and former San Jose Sharks coach David Quinn, currently an assistant with the club.
It's been a busy last several weeks for Dubas, who has not only been conducting the search for Pittsburgh's next head coach but also oversaw the Canadian squad at the 2025 IIHF World Championship which ended with a disappointing loss to Denmark.
| POLL | ||
MAI 29 | 193 ANSWERS Pittsburgh Penguins Reportedly Closing in on New Head Coach Who will the Penguins hire as their next head coach? | ||
| DJ Smith | 13 | 6.7 % |
| Jay Woodcroft | 40 | 20.7 % |
| Mitch Love | 106 | 54.9 % |
| Other | 34 | 17.6 % |
| List of polls | ||