Penguins hire former Rangers assistant Dan Muse as head coach - ESPN

The Pittsburgh Penguins have announced Dan Muse will take over as the team's new coach.

Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas released a statement on Wednesday heralding Muse — a first-time NHL head coach — as Mike Sullivan's successor behind the Penguins' bench. Sullivan was relieved of his duties there in April after Pittsburgh failed to make the playoffs for a third straight season.

«During this process, we met with many candidates who we felt would have been a fit as the next head coach of the Penguins,» Dubas said. «But ultimately, Dan Muse stood out as the best choice. What separated Dan was his ability to develop players, win at all levels where he has been a head coach and his consistent success coaching special teams in the NHL. From his success in developing college and junior players, to his impactful work with veteran players during his time in the NHL, Dan has shown a proven ability to connect with players at all stages of their careers and help them to reach their potential.»

Muse, 42, was most recently an assistant coach with the New York Rangers from 2023-25, and prior to that was an assistant in Nashville from 2017-20. Before making a jump to the NHL, Muse spent six years (from 2019-2015) as an assistant and eventual head coach of the Yale Bulldogs, helping guide them to an NCAA championship in 2013. He was also head coach of the USHL Chicago Steel from 2015-17 and delivered their franchise's first-ever Clark Cup championship in 2016-17.

At the NHL level, Muse's focus has been primarily on boosting special teams. He ran the penalty kill for both the Rangers and Predators during his tenures with those clubs, with those units ranking among the league's top five under his leadership.

Pittsburgh's penalty kill