A number of college hockey head coaches have been floated out as potential successors to Mike Sullivan as the bench boss of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
One would assume that the money and prestige of coaching in the NHL would make such a move a no-brainer. But during a “Breakfast with Benz” podcast on Thursday, U.S. College Hockey Online executive editor Jim Connelly told me that assumption may be a little too easy.
“It’s very attractive financially for a coach to want to leave college for the NHL,” Connelly said. “What you give up? You give up a lot of job security. You get hired in the NHL to get fired. You get hired in college to build a legacy. I think that’s the significant difference.”
Connelly, who is also NESN’s Hockey East lead analyst, added that some college hockey coaches are starting to get punitive buyout language in their contracts with their universities in case NHL teams come calling.
“When (Bill Belichick) took the North Carolina job, one thing that North Carolina put into his contract is if he leaves, the team that takes him, if it is an NFL team, has a penalty they have to pay,” Connelly said. “I’m hearing college hockey coaches are getting those same sorts of safety valves for the universities. If they’re going to lose you to the NHL, they’re going to get some financial remuneration. Those types of contract clauses could make it more attractive for coaches to stay longer in college.”
All that being said, general manager Kyle Dubas didn’t rule out a college coach. One of his stated goals has been to get the Penguins younger, and he has mentioned a desire to have the next coach have some level of developmental experience. A college coach would make sense in that regard.
So here’s a list of some college names that have been kicked around during the course of the week, as well as Connelly’s opinion on their potential fit in Pittsburgh.
David Carle (Denver)
Carle’s name comes up in just about any article related to the Pens’ coaching search. He is 179-74-17 over seven seasons at Denver, leading the Pioneers to two national championships and four Frozen Fours.
“There’s a few coaches out there that their coaching style in college is referred to as ‘NHL style.’ He’s become one of them,” Connelly said of Carle. “His team knows how to react on the ice. They do so in a very professional manner. They’re quick in their decision-making. That stands out every time I watch Denver. They don’t look like a confused team. They look professional because they’re so well-trained. They know where their next play is. They know where their next move is. He also deals with his players in a professional manner. If you’ve ever listened to a David Carle press conference, it is very Bill Belichick. He doesn’t say a lot.”
However, Carle has already pulled his name from consideration for the Chicago Blackhawks job. He just became a father for the third time, and the University of Denver has been pretty much his whole hockey career since he was recruited to play there in 2008.
Carle had to medically retire that year when it was discovered he had an enlarged heart muscle. So he eventually became a Pioneers assistant. Aside from a two-year stint in the USHL, he has been in Denver ever since.
Not only that, but Carle is only 35. That means Kris Letang, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are all just as old or older than him.
While Carle would be great for the young players, he’d still have to earn enough respect from the veterans. After a hot start to his coaching career in Pittsburgh, that seemed to be a problem for Mike Johnston when he was hired from the Canadian junior ranks in 2014.
Pat Ferschweiler (Western Michigan)
In his fourth year as the leader of the Broncos, Ferschweiler just won the university’s first-ever national championship last month.
WMU is 70–43–3 under his leadership. The 55-year-old got as high as the IHL in his playing career and was also a Detroit Red Wings assistant from 2015-19.
“Maybe a little different (than Carle),” Connelly said. “His personality allows him to kind of drop some of the walls that I think that David Carle can put up. In terms of success, he hasn’t been at Western as long as David has been at Denver, but he’s had nothing but success. In rebuilding that program at Western Michigan, a nice job. The national championship caps things off. That’s going to open eyes. I think the way he carries himself — his demeanor — is something that would resonate well in the NHL.”
Ferschweiler has already reportedly interviewed with the Philadelphia Flyers.
???? I’m told @WMUHockey HC Pat Ferschweiler interviewed with the @NHLFlyers this week. He was a teammate of Keith Jones for 2 seasons. Fresh off WMU’s first ever @NCAAIceHockey Championship. #HockeyX #LetsGoFlyers #CawlidgeHawkey pic.twitter.com/hz0xKNpXmd
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— Kevin Weekes (@KevinWeekes) May 1, 2025
Greg Carvel (UMass)
Pierre McGuire advanced this idea to TribLive’s Justin Guerriero this week.
“I have heard that name thrown around a number of times,” Connelly said of Carvel. “Winning kind of breeds that sort of attention. They won the national championship (in Pittsburgh in 2021). They got to the Frozen 4 in ‘19. They were doing great things. They had a guy named (Cale) Makar go through their program that had some success. So that put (Carvel) onto the radar screen. I think every summer his name gets thrown around.”
However, Connelly said there hasn’t been quite as much buzz around Carvel this spring as in years past.
Jay Pandolfo (Boston University)
Pandolfo played in 899 NHL games before becoming a developmental coach for the Boston Bruins in 2014. That’s a job he held for two years. Then, he became an NHL assistant with the Bruins for five years and was a B.U. assistant for a year and has been the Terriers head coach since 2022.
In those three years, B.U. has gone to three Frozen Fours.
For as good of a resume as Carle may have, Connelly and I both advanced Pandolfo as the best college candidate for the job.
“I think if you’re looking for a plug-and-play coach, Jay Pandolfo from the college ranks is the best of those four,” Connelly said. “He had a lot of time on the Boston bench with the Bruins. Obviously, a great career as a player — (two) Stanley Cups. He’s done a lot. Knowing what goes into the NHL lifestyle and maybe knowing how to communicate with an NHL player — I think that having some experience dealing with those types of professional personalities, those professional egos, that can be beneficial.”