BOWLING GREEN — Chris Bergeron has a new contract offer on the table from Bowling Green State University, the school confirmed Thursday.
College Hockey News reported Wednesday that Bergeron also is considering an offer from Miami, where Bergeron played from 1989 to 1993 and was an assistant coach from 2000 to 2010.
A source close to the situation told The Blade that Bowling Green’s offer to Bergeron would be a significant pay increase from his current $185,000 base salary at BGSU.
Miami is in the coaching market after it recently fired Enrico Blasi, with whom Bergeron coached as an assistant for 10 years. Blasi made more than $366,000 per year at Miami at the time of his firing.
The buyout clause for BGSU’s current contract with Bergeron is $150,000, which Bowling Green would collect if Bergeron does accept the head coaching position at Miami.
Bergeron, 48, became a prime candidate for Miami after his work at Bowling Green, which he transformed from one of the worst programs in Division I hockey to a consistent winner during his nine seasons as Falcons head coach.
After winning just 10 games in his first season, 2010-11, the Falcons had a winning record again by Bergeron’s fourth season in charge. Bowling Green has won at least 21 games five seasons in a row, most recently finishing 25-11-5 and qualifying for the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1990.
BG is 171-154-44 overall in nine seasons under Bergeron.
Miami will be undertaking a rebuild of its own after dismissing Blasi after 20 years. The RedHawks went to the Frozen Four in Bergeron’s final two seasons as an assistant, then went to the NCAA tournament four times in the next five seasons.
Since, however, the RedHawks have fallen on hard times. Miami has just 25 wins in the past four seasons combined.
Bergeron could not be reached for comment Thursday. Asked March 24 if BG would be difficult to leave, Bergeron said all of his focus was on the NCAA tournament, but told The Blade that BGSU was a special place to him.
“The fair answer to your question and the honest answer is yes,” Bergeron said. “This would be a hard place to walk away from.”
There is precedent for a Bowling Green coach leaving to coach his alma mater. Jerry York departed Bowling Green for Boston College in 1994 and has been there ever since.
BGSU has made a significant push to keep Bergeron in this case. The school made its new contract offer after the team returned home from the NCAA tournament, in which BG lost its first game to Minnesota-Duluth 2-1 in overtime at the PPL Center in Allentown, Pa.
Bergeron is believed to be mulling his options and likely will make a decision to stay or go by the end of this week.
At the end of his press conference, @BGFalconHockey coach Chris Bergeron thanks fans for their support this season. pic.twitter.com/EknJlrkMj1
— Nick Piotrowicz (@NickPBlade) March 30, 2019
First Published April 4, 2019, 4:31 p.m.
