Will/Phoenix come to terms

[Scout]

It was reported today that Medicine Hat coach Will D. and Phoenix have come to terms on Will taking over as head coach of Coyotes AHL affiliate San Antonio. Was told the reason for the delay on signing Will was because Phoenix and San Antonio's player agreement ends after next season. Should be an announcement in the next week.

Scout

[Tiger Trauma]

San Antonio is calling
By COLLIN GALLANT



Willie Desjardins has interviewed with the Phoenix Coyotes for the head coaching position of the NHL’s top farm club in San Antonio, the Medicine Hat News learned Monday. Sources close to the team also say a final decision has yet to be made.
“Could something happen? Who knows. Something could happen anywhere,” said Desjardins, the Medicine Hat Tigers head coach, who has understandably played his cards close to his vest since the News first reported the speculation on July 23.
Granted, the veteran coach is in a difficult spot discussing about a job that he may or may not have been offered.
“Hopefully I’ve done a good job and hopefully people are interested in me. But I think it’s unlikely,” he said Monday.
Some junior hockey chat sites, along with the Kamloops Daily News, have claimed that Desjardins has already signed to coach the San Antonio (Texas) Rampage of the American Hockey League.
Desjardins confirmed that he met with the NHL club during a recent vacation to Arizona. He took the opportunity on Monday to reaffirm his dedication to the Tigers organization, but also said that he is surveying his professional options.
“I’m not going to leave, just to leave — Medicine Hat is a great, great place,” said Desjardins, who was an honoured guest Monday at a Hockey Alberta reception and golf tournament in Canmore to salute coaching excellence in the province.
Fellow honourees included his mentors George Kingston (Florida Panthers) and former Calgary Flames coach Dave King (Swedish Elite League) — who had Desjardins as a player and assistant coach in the Canadian University ranks — along with former Tigers coach Perry Pearn (New York Rangers) and Mike Johnston, a friend of Desjardins’s who is an associate coach with the Los Angeles Kings.
Should Desjardins join them with a position at the pro level, it would hardly come as a surprise.
Desjardins has guided the Tigers to an overall regular season record of 218-108-26-20 over five seasons including four consecutive conference regular season titles and two WHL playoff titles.
Desjardins was named the WHL’s coach of the year for his work during the 2005-2006 season and was a candidate for the league’s top executive award last season following his second season as the Tigers’ general manager.
The job with the Rampage came open as part of a greater organizational shakeup within the Coyotes’ front office.
Some sort of announcement is expected this week as the Rampage and Coyotes are expected to rubber stamp a renewal of their currently expired affiliation agreement.
Whoever guides the AHL club will need to transform the club that posted a 55-92-5-8 record during two seasons under former coach Pat Conacher.
Recently hired Coyotes general manager Don Maloney told the San Antonio Express-News on July 19 that he wants a “speed and attack team.”

[Scout]

Not sure how much you can put into what Will says to the media. He has never been one to say to much to the media and even denied meeting with Phoenix and said he was just there on holidays. What i heard was it was between Willy and Rob Daum for the head coaching job and that Will won out over Daum. I guess we will have to wait and see.

Scout

[Scout]

Keen's Korner

Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Desjardins Update!

My former morning show co-host on the Eagle 94.1 FM Kim Johnston has informed me that Medicine Hat Tigers Head Coach & General Manager Will Desjardins has requested some time on the local morning show in the 'Hat (My 96 FM) tomorrow.

It's expected he will make an announcement regarding his future. It's been speculated he's been offered the Head Coaching job with the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL.

Once he talks, I'll have the My 96 mornng show transcript right here....

[whlfanatic]

Willie is staying!!

[Tiger Trauma]

DO you know around what time he'll be on?

[Scout]

From what the Eagle said in Swift it would be this morning. Sounds like the offer was made and Willy turned it down. Good for you guys.

Scout

[Tiger Trauma]

In Medicine Hat, Willie Desjardins, the Tigers’ GM and head coach, was on radio Thursday morning, announcing that he is staying put.
Desjardins had been offered a position by the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes -- as head coach of their AHL affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage.
After contemplating it, Desjardins has decided to stay with the Tigers, who he guided to the WHL championship last season.

got this from
http://gdrinnan.blogspot.com/

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaay Willie is staying

thought it was tomorow morning, guess i misread that part

[Dwight Schrute]

i wonder what the pay differance would have been