Ice Bears begin looking for new head coach

From prohockeynews.com:

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – After just one season as head coach, Marc Rodgers is leaving the Knoxville Ice Bears.

A team press release stated the search for a new head coach will begin immediately. Until a new bench leader is found, Ice Bears President and General Manager Mike Murray will assume all hockey operations duties.

“(Marc) Rodgers has been a valued member of the Ice Bears in varying capacities 

Former Knoxville head coach Marc Rodgers (photo courtesy of Knoxville Ice Bears)

for the past four seasons.  His contributions have been appreciated during his tenure,” Murray said. “We want to thank him for his service to the Ice Bears organization over the years. ”

According to Nick Gates at the Knoxville News Sentinel, the coaching change came during a meeting on Monday with the team’s owners and Murray.

Rodgers was an assistant under Scott Hillman when the Ice Bears won back-to-back SPHL championships in 2008 and 2009. Rodgers was named the head coach when Hillman left the Ice Bears to coach the expansion Missouri Mavericks of the Central Hockey League.

With Rodgers at the helm, the Ice Bears finished fourth last season with a 30-23-3 record. The season brought many memorable moments, most notably the goalie fight in January that knocked net minder Andrew Gallant out of action for a month and the bench-clearing brawl against the Fayetteville FireAntz during the last game of the regular season.

In the post season, Knoxville was able to escape Fayetteville in the first round but lost to eventual SPHL champion Huntsville in the semifinals. 

The Ice Bears are heading into an important time of the off-season when player recruitment becomes the focus. Gates reported on Sunday that captain Kevin Swider, considered by many to be the best player in the history of the league with six scoring titles and two MVP trophies, has officially retired. Additionally, veteran forward Tim Vitek has hung up his skates. With two of the franchise's most prolific scorers not returning, finding replacements and rebuilding the roster has taken on new meaning.
Stay with Pro Hockey News for more on this developing story.
Contact the author at kristina.shands@prohockeynews.com