Greg Cronin, a former assistant at Maine, will accept the position as the new coach at Northeastern within the next 48 hours, according to a source close to his current team, the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
Cronin informed the team, an affiliate of the New York Islanders, at practice today.
“They’re pretty far along and looking to wrap it up soon, but nothing has happened yet,” said Northeastern spokesperson John Litchfield.
Boston College assistant coach Mike Cavanaugh and current Northeastern assistant Gene Reilly were also considered to be on the short list.
Former Northeastern skaters Jim Madigan and Jay Heinbuck, both of whom were strong candidates for the position before pulling themselves out of the running, are also Islanders scouts. Cronin also has a direct connection to the Huskies; his father Danny was a Northeastern captain in 1958-59.
Cronin coached at Colby and Colorado College after playing, then came back to Maine to serve under Shawn Walsh. He was the interim head coach when Walsh was serving a one-year school-imposed suspension for violation of NCAA rules.
Reilly worked with Cronin at Maine, then went to the Ottawa Senators organization. He later coached at Harvard under Mark Mazzoleni.
Cronin has also worked in the U.S. National program. He’s known as a fiery coach.
The Northeastern position has been vacant since the school decided not to renew the contract of nine-year head coach Bruce Crowder.
