Meet The Grand Rapid Griffins New Head Coach Dan Watson

Back in April, the Grand Rapids Griffins announced that the team was parting ways with its head coach for the past 5 seasons Ben Simon.

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On Wednesday the Griffins introduced Dan Watson as the 12th coach in the team's history.

Dan Watson Named The Grand Rapids Griffins New Head Coach

The Griffins shared the news on Social media Wednesday morning.

Dan Watson Is Excited To Be The Griffins New Coach

WZZM 13 shared what Dan Watson had to say after being named the Grand Rapid Griffin's new head coach:

“I am extremely excited and honored to become the next head coach of the Griffins, I look forward to getting the privilege of working with each player to make them better while creating a positive work environment. This is a very important time in the Red Wings organization and a big challenge. We will work hard to put a competitive team on the ice that the fans can be proud of.”

 

Why Did The Griffins Pick Dan Watson?

The Grand Rapids Griffin's general manager / Detroit Red Wings assistant general manager Shawn Horcoff had this to say about Dan Watson.

“I’m thrilled to announce Dan as the head coach of the Griffins, He established a tremendous winning culture during his six years as head coach in Toledo through his work ethic, communication skills, and the relationships he built with his players. Dan’s passion for player development and familiarity with the Red Wings organization will be vital assets, and we’re confident his experience will lead to the continued growth of our players in Grand Rapids.”

 

Where Did Dan Watson Come From?

Dan Watson has spent the past six seasons as head coach of the Toledo Walleye, the ECHL affiliate of the Red Wings.

As a head coach, Watson has a combined regular-season record of 272-112-22 and a combined playoff record of 51-34.

He is considered the fastest coach in ECHL history to reach 100 wins and the winningest coach in Walleye history