Mike Sullivan serves as Brown Bears coach candidate – Hockey writer – Boston Brown Bears

The Boston Bruins are looking for a new head coach after separating from Jim Montgomery in the 2024-25 season. Interim coach Joe Sacco finished the year with a record of 25-30-7, but the Bruins made it clear that a full coaching search was underway. Fortunately, there are no shortage of options this offseason – a major new name entered the situation on Monday when the Pittsburgh Penguins and Mike Sullivan agreed to split the lane.

For brown bears, Sullivan has meaning in the world. The 57-year-old Boston University alum began his coaching career with the Providence Bruins before becoming an assistant coach for the Bruins for a season. He was later appointed the 26th head coach for the Boston Bruins and took on the role for the next two seasons before being replaced by Dave Lewis, who was then joined by general manager Peter Chiarelli, who entered the game in June 2006.

Sullivan would spend time as an assistant coach for the US Olympic Hockey Team, the Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks before eventually joining the Chicago Blackhawks as a player development coach in 2014. He’d then transition a year later into a role as the head coach of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, the AHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins in June 2015 before taking over as head coach of the NHL team in December of the same year. He immediately won the Stanley Cup and became the only American coach to win the Cup.

It would be an understatement to say that Sullivan is now more experienced than before, especially given the championship bloodline he brings.

It would be shocking if the Brown Bears didn’t immediately contact their coaching position with Sullivan, even if they had other names on their short list that they wanted to do due diligence. One of these names includes Sacco.

“He knew we were going to do a coaching search,” said Don Sweeney, general manager of Bruis’ general manager Sacco. “He realized he was going to be part of the last set of coaches we arrived because I think he had made money and deserved it.”

Related: Offseason may be suitable for bears

To give Sarco an interview to get him to throw his hat into the ring correctly is Sweeney’s admirable move, even if it might be just a polite gesture, not something. In fact, Sullivan makes too much sense for a potential tan outside of the ic.

Sullivan’s McAvoy Connection

Although Sullivan is a great candidate for the Bruins, it is important to mention that besides his championship lineage, Massachusetts roots and history with the organization, he is also the father-in-law of Bruce’s defender Charlie McAvoy.

The two cherished their time in a face-to-face game against four countries earlier this year, with McAvoy being one of the team’s star guards and Sullivan as head coach.

“I can’t tell you what it means to our family and myself, to have the opportunity to go to events like this with Charlie,” Sullivan said of himself and McAvoy. “He means the world to us for obvious reasons. He is an amazing person. We’re so glad he’s a part of our family.” “I said to him, ‘Listen, when we’re here to compete, it’s all business, we’re trying to win.” He’s all the business, I’m trying to win.

Is Sullivan suitable for the future of Boston?

On the surface, both seem to have the ability to keep the personal aspects of things in the package while operating within the walls of the TD garden in a professional setting. At the same time, these two are still just humans, and their relationship is not the secret of anyone else on the team.

Finally, Brown Bear’s Brass will have to be sure whether Sullivan is right for their team, especially given the current restructuring schedule and his relationship with McAvoy. At the same time, Sullivan must also be interested in this situation, even a realistic effort. If both parties are interested and the fit feels right, then it may end up being the perfect match for Bruins and Sullivan.