BOWLING GREEN — Bowling Green State University announced Wednesday afternoon the hiring of Dennis Williams as the Falcons’ next men’s ice hockey coach.
Williams will be the ninth head coach in BGSU history. The former player and assistant/interim coach for the Falcons replaced Ty Eigner, who went 83-81-11 in five seasons before BGSU parted ways with him in early March.
“Dennis Williams is a gold medal winning coach for Team Canada, one of [the] most respected coaches in the Canadian hockey system, and one of the top head coaches in the [Western Hockey League],” BGSU athletic director Derek van der Merwe said in a news release. “In the two weeks, I have learned that he is highly respected by his peers across the country.
“He embodies the essence of educational leadership, with a mentorship style that blends discipline, character, persistence, and a commitment to excellence. ... We have a storied hockey tradition at Bowling Green State University and Dennis has values, knowledge and respect in the industry to position the Falcons for [Central College Hockey Association] and NCAA success.”
Williams has spent the last seven seasons coaching the Everett Silvertips of the WHL, as well as the last three as the team’s general manager. He will continue coaching the Silvertips through the end of the WHL playoffs and will join BGSU following the end of the season.
A former BGSU hockey player from 1997 to 2001, Williams has had plenty of success in the coaching ranks since then. He was the head coach of Canada’s 2023 World Junior Championship gold medal team, as well as an assistant on the 2022 squad that also won gold.
In 17 years of head coaching experience across junior and college levels, Williams has an overall record of 544-267-14. He is 283-120 with the Silvertips and earned multiple coaching honors, including Western Conference coach of the year in 2018 and 2020 and U.S. Division coach of the year in 2022.
"Dennis Williams is one of the top up and coming coaches in North America,” Detroit Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said in the release. “His success at every level and on the international scene speaks for itself. This is a big win for the Bowling Green community.”
Williams was BGSU’s interim head coach in the 2009-10 season when the Falcons went 5-25-6. He was an assistant at BGSU the previous season, as well as a graduate assistant from 2002 to 2003.
Williams will be formally introduced at a news conference at 9 a.m. Thursday at the Stroh Center.
First Published March 27, 2024, 4:48 p.m.
