Bridgeport Sound Tigers All-Time Head Coaches Rankings
We here at Drive4Five love rankings, sp why not rank the eight head coaches that the Bridgeport Sound Tigers have had in their 19 seasons? The Bridgeport Sound Tigers have had some good head coaches and some interesting ones too. We are basing the rankings on how well they did, the prospects they moved up and overall success.
8. Dan Marshall (Head Coach 2006-07)
Probably the most controversial coach in Bridgeport Sound Tigers history, Dan Marshall changed the landscape of the New York Islanders organization. Marshall was handpicked as the fourth Bridgeport Sound Tigers Head Coach in the summer of 2006 by Charles Wang, not the team’s new General Manager Neil Smith who wanted someone with minor league experience as a coach.
The day after the announcement, Smith was fired. Garth Snow became the General Manager of the Islanders starting a marriage lasting 12 years. Marshall worked with the Jr. Islanders before being promoted to Director of Player Personnel in 2005-06. In 2006-07, the Sound Tigers missed the playoffs for the second time in franchise history with a record of 36-37-7.
Afterwards, Marshall was let go following the 06-07 season. Some of Marshall’s notable players include Jeff Tambellini, Wade Dubielewicz, Frans Nielsen and Blake Comeau. Those four became regular NHLers.
7. Scott Pellerin (Head Coach 2012-2014)
Scott Pellerin was named the eighth Head Coach in Bridgeport Sound Tigers history in the summer of 2012. Pellerin replaced Brent Thompson who was promoted to the Islanders as an assistant coach. Pellerin had been with the Kings prior to coming with the Sound Tigers.
In 2012-13, the Sound Tigers missed the playoffs by five points, only a year after the Sound Tigers won the franchise’s second division title. The next season, they had the lowest point total in franchise history at 64, which they duplicated the following season. Pellerin was relieved of his duties after the 2013-14 season, making him the worst multi-season coach in Sound Tigers history.
Some of the players that Pellerin helped develop included Brock Nelson, Anders Lee, Calvin de Haan and Nino Niederreiter. Pellerin is now a development coach with the Toronto Marlies and earned a Calder Cup ring in 2018.
6. Pat Bingham (Asst. Coach 2005-2010 – Head Coach 2010-11)
You can’t really blame Pat Bingham. He was put into a tough situation when Jack Capuano was named Head Coach of the New York Islanders on Nov. 15, 2010, replacing Scott Gordon. Bingham was an assistant in Bridgeport starting in 2005.
Bingham went 24-30-11 in his 64 games as Head Coach. You can’t blame him as he was put into a tough situation. Bingham helped produce players like Matt Martin and Michael Haley. The 2010-11 Sound Tigers used a record 62 players. That’s not a typo. 62 players during the season.
Bingham now coaches with the Junior Colorado Rampage.
5. Greg Cronin (Head Coach 2003-05)
Greg Cronin was an assistant coach with the New York Islanders from 1998 until 2003, when he took over for Steve Stirling with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Cronin was and still is a tough coach. Cronin was key into the Islanders turnaround in the early 2000s which got him the job with Bridgeport. He also was the Director of Player Personnel with the Islanders helping develop Wade Dubielewicz, Sean Bergenheim and Jody Robinson.
Cronin became the first and only Head Coach in Sound Tigers history to represent the team at the All Star Game, which he did in 2004 along with Dave Baseggio, the team’s assistant coach. Bridgeport made the playoffs in 03-04 but blew a 3-1 lead to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins when Konstantine Koltsov beat Dieter Kochan in overtime to send the Penguins to the next round. In the lockout year under Cronin, The Sound Tigers missed the playoffs for the first time.
Cronin, after stops at Northeastern University, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Islanders, is now the head coach for the Colorado Eagles.
4. Dave Baseggio (Asst. Coach 2001-05 – Head Coach 2005-06)
When the Sound Tigers joined the AHL in 2001, Dave Baseggio, a Yale Graduate and longtime minor leaguer joined Steve Stirling on the Sound Tigers coaching staff, where he was an assistant until 2005, when he took over as head coach.
Baseggio, along with assistants Pat Bingham and Lane Lambert, helped the Sound Tigers back to the Calder Cup playoffs and would play the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins once again, losing in seven games. He helped develop future NHLers as a Head Coach like Chris Campoli, Bruno Gervais and Robert Nillsson. After leaving the Islanders, he coached in Peoria for two seasons before an 11 year-run with the Anaheim Ducks. In Anaheim, he was a scout, assistant general manager and director of pro scouting.
Dave Baseggio was hired in Sept. as the Director of Pro Scouting with the Seattle Kraken.
3. Brent Thompson (2011-12,2014-Present)
Brent Thompson is the winningest head coach in Sound Tigers history. Thompson has 255 wins in seven seasons. He is now the longest tenured head coach with the Sound Tigers, along with his assistant coach and former Sound Tiger, Eric Boguniecki.
Thommer, as he is known by, won the Atlantic Division title in his first season in 2011-12 with Calvin de Haan, Casey Cizikas and captain Jeremy Colliton. Thompson was promoted to Islanders assistant coach for two seasons. He then returned to Bridgeport making the playoffs in 2015-16 and 2018-19.
Bridgeport has five winning seasons under Thompson including four 40+ win seasons. A lot of prospects have gone through Thompson, including Travis Hamonic, Anders Lee, Anthony Beauvillier, Oliver Wahlstrom and Adam Pelech.
2. Jack Capuano (Asst. Coach 2006-07 – Head Coach 2007-2010)
Before he coached the New York Islanders, Jack Capuano was an assistant under Dan Marshall in 2006-07. Then, Capuano began a four year run with the Sound Tigers coaching them to two playoff berths.
They lost in the first round both times. Capuano is one of the best Bridgeport Sound Tigers head coaches ever. Josh Bailey, Kyle Okposo, Frans Nielsen along with many others came from Capuano in Bridgeport. Capuano replaced Scott Gordon in 2010-11 on Long Island.
1. Steve Stirling (Head Coach 2001-2003)
The first Head Coach in Sound Tigers history, Stirling was an assistant with the Islanders in the early 2000s before coming to Bridgeport. Stirling is the most successful head coach in team history, as the only coach to get past the first round in team history.
Stirling did an incredible job with a good group of veterans and younger players like Rick DiPietro, Trent Hunter and Raffi Torres, who he helped get up to Bridgeport. After the 2002-03 season, Stirling became the head coach of the Islanders, after the team parted ways with Peter Laviolette. Stirling coached the Islanders from 2003-2006 when he was fired mid-season.
Stirling is now a scout with the Ottawa Senators after being an assistant coach with the Binghamton Senators. He won a Calder Cup in 2011 with a young goaltender by the name of Robin Lehner.
A Native of Danbury, CT. Christian is one of the longest tenured Drive4Five writers, Christian Gardecki began writing for Drive4five In May of 2017. Christian covers Minor League Hockey and the Bridgeport Islanders for Drive4Five. Outside of Drive4Five, Christian was the captain of his High School Hockey team and currently attends Hofstra University with a major in journalism. Christian was the play by play broadcaster for the Danbury Westerners summer collegiate baseball team during their 2021 NECBL Championship. Christian also was the Public Address Announcer for the Danbury Hat Tricks Minor Pro Hockey team in the Federal Prospects Hockey League and NAHL Junior team from 2019-21.
