Now that the San Jose Sharks have fired head coach David Quinn, they are in the process of searching for a new leader on the bench. Given that the team struggled this season and will likely continue to do so for multiple seasons to come, hiring the right coach will be tricky. But for general manager Mike Grier, it will be essential to keeping his job. He has a chance to revitalize the Sharks, but he won’t get many more such opportunities after this one. His situation is slightly precarious, and it’s possible that this upcoming hire will define his impact on hockey in San Jose.
Grier May Have Lengthened But Likely Shortened His Leash
Depending on how Quinn’s firing is viewed, one could draw various conclusions about Grier’s standing in his current role. He may have bought himself more time to execute a turnaround of the team, but he also may have lessened ownership’s patience with him.
On one hand, a new coach could mark something of a reset on Grier’s timeline. He hired Quinn about three weeks after he was introduced as San Jose’s general manager, with the obvious implication that the two would work through the team’s rebuild together. But over the following two seasons, Grier felt as though things didn’t go in the direction he expected and chose to let go of Quinn relatively quickly for a coach who was hired early in a rebuild cycle. There is a ticking-clock element to a rebuild, and hiring a new coach could be viewed as an effort to wind that clock back somewhat.
But what is more probable is that a new coach will turn up the pressure that Grier faces. Making a coaching change just two seasons into his tenure isn’t a great look. Grier has been vague about the specifics that went into Quinn’s firing. Perhaps he and Quinn didn’t click in the way he expected, or perhaps he is looking to deflect some of the blame for the team’s brutal season. Either way, a rebuilding team needs some stability, and changes behind the bench don’t help with that. If Grier constantly uses coaching changes as an attempt to correct mistakes he made, fans and the rest of the front office will grow frustrated, and his time as general manager will not be long.
Related: Positive Takeaways From David Quinn’s Tenure as Sharks Head Coach
Given the similar times at which Grier and Quinn were hired, it looked like they might be a package deal as the Sharks tried to improve their fortunes. Instead, only Grier remains, and he might have just one more shot at hiring the right head coach.
Next Sharks Coach Will Need to Show Progress for Grier’s Sake
Grier inherited a mess from the previous Sharks front office regime. Being asked to overhaul a roster full of bloated contracts and short on prospects and picks was a huge ask for anyone, particularly a first-time general manager. Such a course correction requires some trial and error, and perhaps the Quinn hire was one example of this. But he’s entering his third season at the helm and pretty soon, he’ll be responsible for San Jose’s success or failure. Regardless of how long a leash he has, he’ll need the team to trend in a positive direction during the next head coach’s tenure.
There’s a lot of importance in getting this hire correct, and there are a few things Grier needs to look for. He might want to pursue a defensive-minded coach, given the team’s shortcomings in both even-strength defense and penalty killing. He could go after a coach with experience in player development since the Sharks are counting on a number of prospects to have breakthroughs. And if he targets coaches with NHL experience, he should focus on coaches who have been through rebuilds before and understand the difficulties of navigating such a situation.
Firing Quinn altered Mike Grier’s timeline for his construction of the Sharks, which is certainly a better option than sticking with the wrong coach for too long. But while he deserves a second chance to get this decision right, he probably won’t get a third chance. No matter how many seasons he’s willing to give the next coach, the Sharks must make tangible improvements in that time. If they don’t, Grier could find himself with the same fate as Quinn.
