Pittsburgh Penguins Hire Dan Muse as its New Head Coach
The hiring comes a little more than a month after the Penguins fired Mike Sullivan, who had led the team to two Stanley Cup victories.
PHOTO: ADOBE STOCK
After the abrupt firing of Mike Sullivan in late April, the Penguins announced Wednesday that they have hired Dan Muse, 42, as the team’s 23rd head coach.
Muse has 20 years of coaching experience, including five as an assistant coach with the New York Rangers (2023-25) and Nashville Predators (2017-20).
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“During this process, we met with many candidates who we felt would have been a fit as the next head coach of the Penguins, but ultimately, Dan Muse stood out as the best choice,” said President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kyle Dubas, who made the announcement.
“What separated Dan was his ability to develop players, win at all levels where he has been a head coach and his consistent success coaching special teams in the NHL,” he said in a statement. “From his success in developing college and junior players, to his impactful work with veteran players during his time in the NHL, Dan has shown a proven ability to connect with players at all stages of their careers and help them to reach their potential.”
FORMER PENGUINS COACH MIKE SULLIVAN. PHOTO COURTESY PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
A native of Canton, Massachusetts, Muse has won championships at the NCAA, USHL, and IIHF U18 and U20 level. Muse helped guide the Rangers and Predators to three divisional titles (Nashville in 2017-18 and ’18-19; New York in 2023-24), as well as two President’s Trophies during his five seasons in the NHL.
Sullivan, who had been the Penguins’ head coach since December 2015, led the team to back-to-back Stanley Cup Championships in 2016 and 2017. But the team has struggled in recent years. His firing, announced on April 28, occurred 10 days after the Penguins had ended its first losing season since 2005-06. Just a few days later, the New York Rangers hired Sullivan as its 38th head coach.
