Report: Wilson to get Sharks' coaching job
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ESPN.com news services
Ron Wilson will be the next head coach of the San Jose Sharks, sources told the San Francisco Chronicle on Tuesday.
The announcement could come as early as Wednesday, but probably no later than Thursday, a source told the newspaper. Wilson could make his debut Friday night against Columbus.
A team spokesman told the Chronicle that the Sharks interviewed one candidate Tuesday, and a league source told the newspaper it was Wilson, who led the Capitals to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1998.
Darryl Sutter was fired on Sunday, along with assistant coaches Lorne Molleken and Rich Preston.
Cap Raeder coached the team for Tuesday night's 3-2 overtime victory over the Phoenix Coyotes. The Sharks are 9-12-2-2.
Wilson was fired by the Capitals in May after his fifth season in Washington ended without a trip to the playoffs.
Wilson got his first head-coaching job with Anaheim in 1993. Teemu Selanne, now with the Sharks, scored 51 goals and 109 points under Wilson during the 1996-97 season as the Mighty Ducks qualified for the playoffs for the first time.
"When Ron was in Anaheim, he was awesome,'' Selanne told the San Jose Mercury News. "He made a big difference. He was very smart behind the bench. Now with the experience he has gotten in the World Cup and the Olympics, and going to the finals with Washington, he has all the tools. Ron Wilson is a great candidate for sure.''
There may be a purpose to the timing of the move. It's common practice to break in a new coach during a soft part of the schedule. After Saturday the Sharks have their longest idle stretch of the regular season with four days off.
Sutter finished with a 192-182-60 mark and five consecutive playoff appearances since taking over in 1997 -- but even while Sutter helped the Sharks become a contender, some wondered if he was the right type of coach for a young, speedy team with plenty of offensive talent.
Sutter's flinty demeanor also made him a fairly unapproachable leadership figure, though most of his players praised his attention to detail and his fairness.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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