A look at WHL coaches . . .

Dean Clark, the general manager and head coach of the Kamloops Blazers, goes into this season looking to crack the WHL’s 400 Club.
Clark, who is into his 12th season as a WHL coach, goes into the regular season with 376 victories, 10th on the alltime list and most among active coaches. He also has coached the Calgary Hitmen and Brandon Wheat Kings.
Bryan Maxwell, who coached the Medicine Hat Tigers, Spokane Chiefs and Lethbridge Hurricanes, is ninth, with 397 victories.
Three other active coaches have more than 300 victories. Lorne Molleken of the Saskatoon Blades is 12th, with 342. Former Blazers head coach Don Hay, now with the Vancouver Giants, is 14th at 339, and Don Nachbaur of the Tri-City Americans is 15th at 336.
Clark, although only 43 years of age, is the dean of WHL coaches. This will be his 12th season as a head coach. Molleken and Nachbaur are going into their 11th seasons, while Hay is into his 10th.
But it’s Willie Desjardins who has been with his present team the longest.
Desjardins, the general manager and head coach of the defending-champion Medicine Hat Tigers, turned down an offer from the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes to take over as head coach of the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage. He has been with the Tigers through five complete seasons. However, Desjardins, who turned 50 on Feb. 11, isn’t the oldest coach in the WHL.
That honour (?) goes to Hay. At 53, the Kamloops native likely would prefer to be known as the most mature of the coaches. Other head coaches to have surpassed 50 years of age are Molleken and Brian Sutter, a veteran NHL coach who is giving the WHL a whirl with the Red Deer Rebels, who are owned by his brother, Brent.
The youngest head coach in the WHL? That would be Ryan Huska of the Kelowna Rockets, who is 32.
It’s interesting that Hay and Huska are the only people in history to have won four Memorial Cups. Hay won three while on the coaching staff of the Blazers and one as head coach of the Giants. Huska was on those championship Blazers teams and also won one as an assistant coach with the Rockets.
Nine teams have head coaches who weren’t there when the previous season began. All the changes came after a relatively quite 2005-06 season during which there only were two coaching changes, those coming with the Moose Jaw Warriors and Prince George Cougars.
Gone from the WHL are veteran coaches like Kevin Constantine (Everett Silvertips to the AHL’s Houston Aeros), Cory Clouston, (Kootenay Ice to the AHL’s Binghamton Senators), Jeff Truitt (Kelowna to the AHL’s Springfield Falcons), and Brent Sutter (Red Deer to the NHL’s New Jersey Devils). Veteran WHL coaches Mike Williamson (Portland Winter Hawks) and Peter Anholt (Prince Albert Raiders) ended up on the outside looking in and, to this point, remain at that vantage point.
Steve Pleau, an assistant coach with the Spokane Chiefs last season, is the head coach of the expansion Edmonton Oil Kings, so he is the new kid on the block so to speak.
Here’s a look at the WHL’s 22 head coaches, showing ages on opening night and length of service with present team:
John Becanic, Everett Silvertips (41) — May 31, 2007, to present.
Bruno Campese, Prince Albert Raiders (44 ) — June 21, 2007, to present.
Dean Chynoweth, Swift Current Broncos (38) — June 16, 2004, to present.
Dean Clark, Kamloops Blazers (43) — May 16, 2003, to Nov. 12, 2004; Dec. 8, 2005, to present.
Willie Desjardins, Medicine Hat Tigers (50) — July 22, 2002, to present.
Michael Dyck, Lethbridge Hurricanes (39) — Nov. 8, 2005, to present.
Don Hay, Vancouver Giants (53) — May 3, 2004, to present.
Jim Hiller, Chilliwack Bruins (38) — May 30, 2006, to present.
Mark Holick, Kootenay Ice (39) — Aug. 7, 2007, to present.
Dave Hunchak, Moose Jaw Warriors (33) — June 14, 2007, to present.
Curtis Hunt, Regina Pats (40): May 26, 2004, to present.
Ryan Huska, Kelowna Rockets (32) — July 25, 2007, to present.
Kelly Kisio, Calgary Hitmen (48) — May 18, 2004, to present.
Richard Kromm, Portland Winter Hawks (43) — Aug. 8, 2007, to present
Kelly McCrimmon, Brandon Wheat Kings (46) — Dec. 17, 1989 to Nov. 11, 1992; March 2, 2004, to present.
Lorne Molleken, Saskatoon Blades (51) — May 21, 2004, to present.
Don Nachbaur, Tri-City Americans (48) — June 16, 2003, to present.
Bill Peters, Spokane Chiefs (42) — June 22, 2005, to present.
Steve Pleau, Edmonton Oil Kings (34) — June 21, 2007, to present.
Drew Schoneck, Prince George Cougars (33) — June 18, 2007, to present.
Rob Sumner, Seattle Thunderbirds (36) — May 6, 2004, to present.
Brian Sutter, Red Deer Rebels (50) — July 12, 2007, to present.
NOTE: Chynoweth, Clark, Desjardins, Kisio, McCrimmon and Molleken double as general managers.