It didn't take long for the Pittsburgh Penguins to look back to Massachusetts to find their next head coach.
Pittsburgh announced on Wednesday that it has hired Dan Muse to be the 23rd head coach in franchise history.
“During this process, we met with many candidates who we felt would have been a fit as the next head coach of the Penguins, but ultimately, Dan Muse stood out as the best choice. What separated Dan was his ability to develop players, win at all levels where he has been a head coach and his consistent success coaching special teams in the NHL,” Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas said in a press release. “From his success in developing college and junior players, to his impactful work with veteran players during his time in the NHL, Dan has shown a proven ability to connect with players at all stages of their careers and help them to reach their potential.”
Muse, a native of Canton, Mass., takes over after the Pens and longtime bench boss Mike Sullivan (Marshfield, Mass.) agreed to part ways last month.
Muse most recently served as an assistant coach with the New York Rangers for the previous two seasons.
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Before his time in New York, Muse was head coach of the USNTDP Juniors (USHL) from 2020 to 2023. He also coached the national Under-17 and Under-18 teams, winning a gold medal at the U18 World Juniors in 2023.
He was an assistant with the Nashville Predators from 2017 to 2020.
“Additionally, his leadership of special teams units at the NHL level in both Nashville and New York produced elite results consistently," Dubas said. "His overall body of work, attention to detail and vision for our group showed us that he is the best coach to take our team forward. We’re excited to welcome Dan, and his family, to the city of Pittsburgh.”
Before his professional coaching career, Muse spent two seasons as the head coach of the USHL's Chicago Steel from 2015 to 2017, compiling a 65-43-12 record. He led the Steel to a Clark Cup championship in 2017.
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Muse spent five seasons as an assistant coach at Yale from 2010-2015 and as an assistant at Sacred Heart from 2008-2010. During his time at Yale, Muse was Team USA's video coach at the World Juniors in 2013 and 2014, winning a gold medal in 2013. He was also an assistant at Williams College in 2007-08. His local ties include two seasons as an assistant coach at Milton Academy from 2005-2007 as well.
As a player, Muse played four years of college hockey at Stonehill after playing prep hockey at Vermont Academy. He had 11 points (five goals) in 61 games at Stonehill.
