Saginaw Spirit coach search
Veteran Ontario Hockey League assistant coach David Bell is among the front-runners to become the new head coach of the Saginaw Spirit, multiple sources are telling HockeyNewsNorth.com.
The 39-year old Bell is currently in his third season as an assistant coach with the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs, who are headed to the Eastern Conference finals after disposing of the Ottawa 67’s in five games and sweeping the top-seeded Kingston Frontenacs in four through the first two rounds of the playoffs.
Despite his young age, Bell has been an assistant coach in the OHL for nine years. Besides Niagara, Bell has also worked for the Owen Sound Attack, Barrie Colts and Sudbury Wolves.
Bell played his entire four-year OHL career as a defenseman with the aforementioned Ottawa 67’s.
In being touted as a potential top choice for the head-coaching job in Saginaw, Bell has a prior OHL association with Spirit general manager Dave Drinkill. Bell and Drinkill worked together in Barrie.
Saginaw is looking for a new full-time head coach following the late-season dismissal of long-time Spirit bench boss Greg Gilbert.
Moe Mantha took over as interim head coach in Saginaw for the final 13 games of the 2015-2016 regular season and the Spirit had a 4-7-2 record under his watch. Eighth-seeded Saginaw was then swept by the top-seeded Erie Otters in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Mantha — who began the 2015-2016 season as coach-general manager of the French River Rapids of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League — is reportedly still being considered for the full-time coaching position in Saginaw.
But it’s being said by sources connected to the OHL that the job is Bell’s for the taking, should he choose to leave Niagara for Saginaw.
From his end, Drinkill advised me via e-mail that in the wake of the 2016 OHL draft having been held last Saturday, he is “just starting the interview process” related to the Saginaw coach search and as such “there is no front-runner” for the job.
Bell has done a great job with Niagara. Drinkill is one of the great young minds in hockey and the organization is on the rise. I am also a fan as they really like northern players and proved it this draft, stepping up and taking our local boys.
Gruden would be nice.
Freddie Perlini is my choice for this job. Just look at what he has done to develop kids down in the Detroit Area.