Dennis “Red” Gendron has been named Maine’s new head coach.
The news was originally reported by the Bangor Daily News on Friday.
Gendron was an assistant coach at Maine during the 1992-93 NCAA championship season and was most recently an assistant at Yale since 2011, winning another national title this past April.
He was reportedly one of four finalists along with former Ohio State head coach Mark Osiecki, current New Hampshire assistant coach Jim Tortorella and Maine interim head coach Bob Corkum.
Gendron replaces Tim Whitehead, who was fired in April after 12 seasons at Maine with one year remaining on his contract.
Gendron said the experience he and his family had in Maine in the 1990s was life-changing.
“All of the wonderful things that have happened to us since that time would not have been possible if not for the University of Maine, Shawn Walsh, Grant Standbrook and all of the champion players and coaches who were part of our first Maine experience,” said Gendron in a news release. “The energy and passion within and surrounding this program are inspiring and have not diminished in my absence. I am fully aware of what this program means to our current players, our alumni, the university and to our fans throughout the state and I am equally aware of the championship-caliber results they demand from their Black Bears.”
“We intensely challenged one another and the candidates,” added search committee chair Dr. George Jacobson. “In the end, the candidates themselves demonstrated who best matches the culture of our institution and the great Black Bear hockey community in Maine and around the world. Coach Gendron has excellent understanding of leadership and motivation. He is highly intelligent, well-educated and articulate. And he knows the game of ice hockey at the highest level.”
The 55-year-old Gendron spent three seasons as an assistant at Maine before leaving to become an assistant with the New Jersey Devils and spent 11 seasons in the Devils’ organization. He was the head coach of the Indiana Ice of the United States Hockey League in 2004-2005 and then had a six-year stretch as an assistant at Massachusetts before heading to Yale two seasons ago.
