Since the National Hockey League's inception in 1917, there have been just five instances of a college head coach going straight to an NHL head-coaching job. With the Blue Jackets in the market for a head coach after the firing of Brad Larsen, could they go the college route? Let's take a look at the five previous examples and see how they've worked out.
Ned Harkness
No D-I college coach has won a higher percentage of their games (minimum 100 wins) than Harkness, whose teams were victorious in 72.9% of their games with a record of 339-123-9. In 21 seasons, including 14 with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and seven with Cornell, he went 325-121-9, making seven Frozen Four appearances and winning three national titles, including one in 1970, his final season at Cornell, where they went 29-0.
The Red Wings hired Harkness before the 1970-71 season and unfortunately, he did not find the same success in the NHL, going 12-22-4 before being replaced and promoted to general manager in 1971.
Bob Johnson
Like Harkness, Johnson won three national titles in seven appearances to the Frozen Four, winning in 1973, 1977, and 1981 while at Wisconsin, where he coached for 15 years, going 368-175-23. Before his time in Madison, Johnson coached Colorado College to a 27-49-4 record over three seasons.
However, unlike Harkness, Johnson had success behind the bench in the NHL. After being hired by the Flames in 1982-83, he coached them to the playoffs in all five years in Calgary, winning five playoff series, including a run to the Stanley Cup Final in 1985-86. During his tenure with the Flames, Johnson posted a regular season record of 193-155-52 and a 25-27 postseason record. Following the 1986-87 season, Johnson resigned to become the executive director of the Amateur Hockey Association of The United States.
Johnson returned to the NHL for the 1990-91 season, taking over as the Penguins' head coach. That year, the Pens went 41-33-6 in the regular season and won the Stanley Cup. This was Johnson's only year behind the bench in Pittsburgh, as he passed away on November 26, 1991, of brain cancer.
Dave Hakstol
In 11 seasons at North Dakota, Hakstol went 289-143-43 and like the previous two coaches, went to the Frozen Four seven times.
The Flyers hired Hakstol ahead of the 2015-16 season. Over three-and-a-half years, he coached Philadelphia to a 134-101-42 regular season record and two playoff appearances where the Flyers fell in six games in the first round both times. Following a 12-15-4 start in 2018-19, the Flyers fired Hakstol.
Hakstol received his second opportunity to be an NHL head coach with the expansion Seattle Kraken, who began play in 2021-22. In that season, Hakstol's team went 27-49-6, but turned it around in 2022-23, going 46-28-8, made the playoffs, and at the time of this piece, are tied at two games apiece in the first round against the Colorado Avalanche.
Jim Montgomery
Of the four coaches so far, Montgomery has the shortest college tenure, spending five years at Denver before going to the NHL. While his time as a college coach was short, he was extremely successful, going 125-57-26, appearing in the Frozen Four twice, and winning a national title in 2016-17.
The Stars hired Montgomery before the 2018-19 season and they made the playoffs that year, going 43-32-7 before losing to the eventual Stanley Cup-champion Blues in overtime of game seven of the second round. After a 17-11-3 start in 2019-20, Dallas dismissed Montgomery "due to unprofessional conduct inconsistent with the core values and beliefs of the Dallas Stars and the National Hockey League."
Fired Stars coach Jim Montgomery enters rehab for alcohol abuse. "The team's decision to end my role forced me to look into the mirror and decide whether I wanted to continue living a damaging lifestyle or get help. I decided to get help." https://t.co/bITzBvIYxl
— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) January 3, 2020
After spending the next two seasons as an assistant coach for the Blues, the Bruins hired Montgomery ahead of the 2022-23 season. This year, Boston set NHL single-season records for wins (65) and points (135) and at the time of this piece, lead the Florida Panthers three games to one in the first round.
David Quinn
Like Montgomery, Quinn spent five seasons as a college bench boss, coaching Boston University to a 105-68-21 record that was highlighted by a 2014-15 season where they were they lost in the national championship game.
The New York Rangers hired Quinn ahead of the 2018-19 season and over the next three years, they went 96-87-25 in the regular season and were swept three games to none in the 2020 qualifying round by the Carolina Hurricanes. Following the 2020-21 season that saw the Rangers go 27-23-6, New York fired Quinn.
In 2022, the San Jose Sharks hired Quinn, and went 22-44-16 in the first year of his second stint as an NHL bench boss.
| Coach | W | L | T/OTL | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ned Harkness | 12 | 22 | 4 | Replaced after 38 games, promoted to GM |
| Bob Johnson | 234 | 188 | 58 | 1991 Stanley Cup champion, 1986 Stanley Cup finalist, five playoff appearances |
| Dave Hakstol | 207 | 178 | 56 | Three playoff appearances |
| Jim Montgomery | 125 | 55 | 15 | Two playoff appearances, NHL single-season wins (65) and points (135) records in 2022-23 |
| David Quinn | 118 | 131 | 41 | 2020 qualifying round appearance |
| Total | 696 | 574 | 174 | One Stanley Cup championship, 10 playoff appearances |
So, what does this all mean? If only 40% of the coaches on this list have won a playoff series and the five coaches have a combined points percentage of .542, you can see why teams may be leery of hiring a coach straight from college. The success rate isn't great, and the Blue Jackets, specifically general manager Jarmo Kekalainen, do not have the luxury of taking a chance on an unproven college coach. They have to win soon. Can a college coach help them win? Sure. But history shows otherwise.
