GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Detroit Red Wings named Dan Watson the head coach of the Grand Rapids Griffins, the team announced on Wednesday.
Watson is the 12th head coach in franchise history after serving as the Toledo Walleye’s head coach for six seasons. Watson will be formally introduced at a press conference on Thursday that will be live-streamed on the Griffins’ website.
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The 43-year-old earned a 45-19-5-3 (0.681) record last season before reaching the Western Conference Finals in the Kelly Cup Playoffs. Watson never missed the playoffs as head coach, won three division titles, and reached the Kelly Cup Finals twice.
“I’m thrilled to announce Dan as the head coach of the Griffins,” said Griffins general manager and 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.”
As a head coach, Watson has a combined regular-season record of 272-112-22-13 (0.691,) and a combined playoff record 51-34 (0.600). He is also the fastest coach to reach 100 wins in ECHL history, and the winningest coach in Walleye history.
“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.”
Watson won the ECHL’s coach of the year award in his first season as Walleye head coach.
As a player, Watson signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2000 before beginning his professional playing career in the 2000-01 season with the Syracuse Crunch. He scored 89 points in his professional career.