標籤: coaches

It appears Sunny Mehta has gone through his process of identifying the New Jersey Devils’ weaknesses, and he has broken up with the dead weight.

Thus, Devils GM fired Dave Rogalski on Tuesday and is rehiring Sergei Brylin within the organization. He will not be in a coaching capacity.

Sheldon Keefe will remain as head coach of the Devils, and Keefe hired Brad Shaw and Jeremy Colliton to remain as his assistants.

However, the Devils need to replace Braylin behind the bench and hire Rogalski – widely known as the Martin Brodeur hire – as a goaltending coach.

The search to replace both is currently ongoing. Starting at the goaltending coach position, who could Mehta and Keefe pursue for the position?

Leo Luongo-Florida Panthers/Charlotte Checkers

Well, now that Mehta is in charge and Braden Birch as his right-hand man, why not go back to the Florida well that has worked so far?

Leo Luongo, younger brother of Hall-of-Fame goaltender Roberto Luongo, has played two NHL roles with the Florida Panthers. He was previously their goaltending development coach in 2020-21 – where he helped Sergei Bobrovsky have a strong year and helped Chris Dreigger turn in a stellar performance. He then graduated to Director of Player Development, and is now Director of Goaltending for Florida’s AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers.

Luongo is a member of a first-of-its-kind goaltending excellence department in Florida that has helped develop netminders such as Dreigger, Joey Daccord and Spencer Knight.

Part of Luongo’s responsibility as Director of Goaltending is to streamline the structure between Florida and Charlotte so that NHL and AHL goaltenders can receive similar development and mentorship.

In fact, he has been a key part of Florida’s organization that has helped Luongo and Florida win two Stanley Cups.

This would certainly bode well for NHL goaltenders and developing netminders like Mikhail Yegorov and Jakub Malek.

Luongo could also help develop his own goaltending excellence department in New Jersey and ultimately end the revolving door of weak goaltenders in the Devils organization.

Hannu Toivonen-Toronto Marlies

If we’re looking for a goaltending coach to match Keefe, look no further than Hannu Toivonen, who overlapped with Keefe for three seasons in the Toronto organization.

Former pro goaltender turned goalie coach Toivonen has been labeled the Toronto Marlies goaltending guru after helping bring Ilya Samsonov back to NHL standard and successfully develop Dennis Hildeby early in his career.

With Samsonov in particular, Toivunen’s task was to get him back on track as a goaltender after taking a leave of absence for a “physical and mental reset”.

Toivonen’s role in Samsonov’s resurgence when he returned on January 14 after a 10-day reset was instrumental in his return to the Maple Leafs on the tail end of the 2023–2024 season. Samsonov posted a well below average .862 SV$ and 3.94 GAA in his first 15 games. He was assigned to the AHL Marlies to work on himself, and Samsonov received dedicated one-on-one mentoring from Toivonen.

Through focused sessions on the ice and support from the team’s development and performance staff, Toivonen helped Samsonov rebuild his confidence, refine his technique, and restore his mental intensity. The results were shocking. Upon his return, Samsonov delivered a much-improved .904 SV% and 2.70 GAA over his final 25 games, demonstrating the profound impact of Toivonen’s guidance in helping the Russian netminder regain his form and stabilize the Maple Leafs’ crease.

Now, it appears Toivonen is grooming another young goaltender in Toronto, named Artur Akhtyamov, who finished his first season as the starting goaltender for the Marlies with a 2.88 GAA and .904 SV% in 37 games. Akhtiyamov carried his strong regular season performance into the postseason where he has posted a 2.25 GAA and .916 SV% in eight games so far.

A source told New Jersey Hockey Now that Toivonen is “deserving of a promotion” and would be an excellent choice to take over the Devils’ vacant position.

Curtis Sanford-Toronto Maple Leafs

It seems more like the Devils could take Toivonen from Toronto rather than displace Curtis Sanford, who is already the goaltending coach in Toronto.

However, the Maple Leafs are going through changes of their own, and the arrival of a new head coach does not guarantee Sanford will remain in his position.

Sanford is a former NHL goaltender turned coach who has spent his coaching career in the Maple Leafs, Utica Comets and Abbotsford Canucks organizations.

In Toronto, Craig Berube inherited Sanford, who was hired by Keefe as goaltending coach in 2022–23.

Their most recent results don’t jump off the page in terms of their goaltenders’ performance. However, this is a result of the team’s poor performance overall.

In recent seasons, Sanford has put up some solid numbers from goaltenders such as Martin Jones, Joseph Woll, and Anthony Stolarz.

Depending on his luck in Toronto, Sanford’s familiarity with Keefe could attract him to New Jersey as the 46-year-old goalie coach looks to continue his career in the NHL.

James is the fully certified New Jersey Devils beat reporter for New Jersey Hockey Now on SportsNote and … More about James Nicholls

Clint Kubiak has been the Raiders head coach for approximately three months. He has already told his front office that the time for explanations is over.

“I’m very familiar with the resources and facilities the Raiders have,” Kubiak told Raiders.com. “I was practicing here when I was with the 49ers, playing at Allegiant. It’s as good as it gets.” “So as coaches and administrators we have no excuse for not going out and getting great players and getting them to perform at their best.”

This is the kind of quote that travels. It also sets the tone for what analysts are predicting when the OTAs come out.

Other insiders are excited about Raiders 2026

The Athletic’s Sam Warren made a post-draft case for cautious optimism, pointing to the under-the-radar work done following the Mendoza selection.

“There was always going to be something to be excited about in this draft class because of Fernando Mendoza,” Warren wrote. “But what the Raiders did on days two and three should also be cause for optimism. Las Vegas addressed its lack of defensive backs in a big way, drafting four of them, all of whom are known for their ball skills,” Warren wrote.

The quarterback room is where most national pundits are descending on this week. He is of great interest in the position battle for Clint Kubiak’s Raiders.

CBS Sports analyst Nate Burleson, seen in the Sports Illustrated video, did not say anything about the QB1 conversation. “I think Kirk is going to miss that opportunity. Mendoza is just not going to be able to beat Kirk Cousins. Kirk is still a veteran quarterback, and if you look at the money they paid him, he’s going to play quarterback there,” Burleson said.

Kubiak isn’t holding back on QB framing

Clint Kubiak places no emphasis on the framing created by Burelson. It has made it more complicated.

Kubiak said, “Between Kirk, Aiden and Fernando, they’re three really outstanding players. We’re going to coach our own team, but no matter what they do they always bring out the best in each other.” “So, when it’s a competitive room, it’s a good thing,”

The phrase competitive room keeps coming up again and again. So, what does the phrase “there’s still a long way to go” mean?

Owner Mark Davis opened another door this week by saying, “Fernando Mendoza potentially coming in as the starting QB is very exciting,” Davis said, contradicting the soft consensus that Cousins ​​has locked down the job.

read between the lines. Cousins ​​arrived knowing the offense, having played three seasons under Kubiak at Minnesota. Mendoza comes in as the No. 1 overall pick, the reigning Heisman winner, and by his own admission, is still learning to take a snap from under center.

Nothing is certain about that. Kubiak likes it that way.

Scott Gulbransen, a quintessential expert in the field of sports journalism, serves as an editor, nfl , mlb , Formula 1 … More about Scott Gulbransen

The best clichés are sports-based for a reason, especially about defense. Strange comparisons and similes go on and on. With the NFL Combine coming up soon, James Borrego referenced some Hall of Fame greats when he talked about how Herb Jones and Draymond Green control a game. Zion Williamson received a mention for how the New Orleans Pelicans hope to reach the frontline game moving forward before defeating the Golden State Warriors.

Breaking down what makes elite defensive players so rare and difficult to replicate. Finding a match for the Rooster is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

“In my 23 years in the NBA there have been very few guys who have impacted the defensive end in general like Draymond Green. His ability to communicate and light a fire is second to none. (Green) quarterbacks the entire defense. He’s as close to Lawrence Taylor as we’ve seen in the NBA,” Borrego began. “I mean, that guy from that outside linebacker position, Mike Singletary, I think I’d put those two guys, that’s what Drummond has done for his defense.”

Green’s value extends far beyond the stat sheet, which the Warriors routinely acknowledge when times get tough.

Word has spread around, even without Drummond shouting about it.

“Steve Kerr has said this many times. Without (Green), there’s no championship,” Borrego said. “He brings a different edge with his ability to communicate and talk, his physical ability and the way he covers his teammates.”

Borrego sees a similar football spirit in his locker room. Jones, the 2022-23 All-Defensive first-team selection, known around the NBA as the Not-On-Herb Nightmare, has a similar innate mastery.

Borrego admitted, “(The Pelicans) have a guy like that. I think Herb Jones has this ability, this innate ability.” “I don’t even know if you can teach it. I don’t know where Draymond got it, and I don’t know where Herb got it. It’s probably a combination of growing up and how they grew up playing different sports.”

It helps to have a Monsters of the Midway attitude on the field or court. Most are born with it. Any coach who claims to have a competitive recipe that ends up like Draymond or Herb is either already rich and protecting a nearly priceless secret or is defrauding AAU parents.

“Maybe he had a coach along the way. Maybe it’s a little bit of a cerebral thing, where he can see a fire before it starts and go put it out. (Green’s) ability to cover for Steph and Klay, everything that happens in the works, it’s hard to find guys like that.”

When it comes to being above class, Drummond has truly earned the one-name star status reserved for the elite.

Borrego knows from being around NBA Hall of Famers for a while.

Borrego confessed, “I’ve been around some great guards like Bruce Bowen and Kawhi Leonard. Individually, one-on-one, they’re amazing. Drummond is different for me in the sense that he’s more ball-minded.” “He’s quarterbacking the ball and changing stuff on the fly. He’s listening like in football, you’re making audibles on the fly in the heat of battle. Most guys can’t do that. Herb Jones is probably the closest thing I’ve seen where he can go up to a defense and make it his own.”

For Jones, Football Comp changes him from a disruptive outside linebacker to a classic middle linebacker. Any coach with an eye knows what to do with the type who chases by anticipating everything.

“Turn him loose. (Jones) is a really special, really special player. From a defensive standpoint I would say Herb is a type of cerebral defender, middle linebacker, Brian Urlacher, those type of guys who can make plays intuitively. They have a sense of what’s going to happen, and they handle it.”

The analogies weren’t limited to second lines, though, which is why New Orleans is famous. Dancing in front of the Dome Patrol or a parade, doesn’t matter. When discussing rim protection, Borrego turned to the trenches, and used DeAndre Jordan as a prime example of a nose tackle controlling the line of scrimmage.

“I think DeAndre Jordan has been interesting,” Borrego continued. “I’m not sure where you’d put him there, but his ability to protect the rim, be he a nose tackle or be the guy right in the middle of the floor, like the line of scrimmage. (Jordan) is going to own the line of scrimmage. To me, that’s how guarding the paint is done in a football context. Really owning the line of scrimmage. You’re going to win the running game. Those small margins, like the running game, are really important there. Are.

As for Zion Williamson, like everyone else, Borrego believes the forward’s rare blend of strength and athleticism will easily translate to the football field.

“And then (Williamson). I would probably find (a football comp) for Zion as well. That’s not what I have in mind, but his ability to make instinctive, athletic, power plays at any given time. Zion is on the football field, too. I mean, he can do that, you know, really as a defensive end.”

The Pelicans don’t need any more injuries, so don’t expect Zion to compete with the Saints this summer. Soccer is all fun and games during free time until someone gets hurt.

When it comes to thinking about the gold standard of NBA coaches, not many names come to mind other than Pat Riley. Despite winning championships five times as a head coach, twice as an executive, twice as a player and once as an assistant coach, his titles paint only a part of the picture of his career with the Miami Heat, New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers.

Appropriately, Showtime recently unveiled a statue commemorating his legacy, and Riley was asked a simple question about current NBA coaches.

According to a post on And well, as far as that reaction is concerned, it’s no surprise.

Riley, now 80 and still serving as president of the Miami Heat, became the first coach in Los Angeles Lakers history to receive the statue, placing him alongside names like Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Jerry West and Chick Hearn. With the Lakers, Riley reached seven NBA Finals during his nine-season tenure from 1981 to 1990.

However, this is only a small part of his legacy. In his career as a player, assistant coach, head coach and executive, he has nine championship rings, including a 1972 title as a Lakers player, multiple titles as an architect of Showtime, the Miami Heat’s successful 2006 championship as a head coach, and executive titles in 2012 and 2013 during Miami’s Big Three era. He remains the first major North American sports figure to win championships in all four of these roles.

A member of the Hall of Fame since 2008, Riley is often regarded as “The Godfather” of the NBA, and there was never any doubt that he would still wear an Armani suit if he coached in the world’s best basketball league.