Wheeling Nailers hire Mark French as coach

The Wheeling Nailers have hired Mark French as 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. He replaces Mike Bavis whose contract was not renewed March 30.

The Nailers are the ECHL affiliate of the Penguins.

A coach at various professional and junior levels in North American and Europe, French was most recently the coach of HC Fribourg-Gottéron of Switzerland’s NLA league last season but was fired Oct. 4 after only six games (and five losses).

French has also served as head coach of the Wichita Thunder (CHL), Hershey Bears (AHL), Medvescak Zagreb (KHL) and Calgary Hitmen (WHL).

He greatest success came in Hershey where he won 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. He 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 missed the playoffs the next three seasons. They would have likely missed the 2020 playoffs. By the time the ECHL halted play because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic in mid-March, they sat in last place of the six-game Central Division with a 24-30-0-5 record.

French is a native of Milton, Ont.

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