When Don Sweeney asked Joe Sacco to be the interim head coach on November 19, 2024, he gave him a tough job. The roster was bad, morale was low and expectations were nil. But Sacco didn’t hesitate, brought stability and leadership to a team in chaos.
For a bit it looked like Sacco had righted the ship. In his first nine games the Bruins went 7-2-0, allowing 2.00 goals per game, second best in the league during that stretch. The defense settled in and the team seemed to find its footing under him.
But as the season went on cracks started to show. The Bruins stumbled after the break and couldn’t get back on track. The trade deadline made things worse, leaving Sacco with a depleted roster and limited options. But he never complained about the hand he was dealt.
“I was given an opportunity and I’m trying to make the most out of it the best I can,” Sacco said before the regular season finale. “Whether it’s injuries, whether it’s us at the deadline making certain moves to change the focus of the direction a little bit of the organization, my job is to prepare the players and maximize the lineup.”
Sacco’s approach earned respect from players like Morgan Geekie who said, “Joe’s awesome. He was put in a tough situation, for sure, just with where the team was at the time. He did a great job of rallying us together.”
Is Sacco the Right Guy Moving Forward?
As the Bruins start to rebuild, the question remains: Is Joe Sacco the right coach for this rebuild? At 56, Sacco has been around for 11 years, handling everything from the penalty kill to coaching the defense. But with a roster full of young players headed to Providence—Frederic Brunet, John Farinacci, Vinni Lettieri, Fabian Lysell, Fraser Minten, and Ian Mitchell—the front office may want a younger voice or someone with more experience with developing players.
Names like Joel Quenneville (66), John Tortorella (66), and Gerard Gallant (61) are too old for a rebuild. That opens the door for fresher faces with head-coaching experience. Here are six candidates who could be the Bruins’ next head coach:
Six Who Could Be the Bruins’ Next Head Coach
David Carle
The University of Denver coach is 35 and has a impressive resume. Under Carle’s leadership, the Pioneers won NCAA championships in 2022 and 2024 and he guided Team USA to back-to-back gold medals at the World Junior Championships.
He’s got a connection to former Bruins coach Jim Montgomery, whom he worked with at Denver, and has said he’s in no rush to leave. But if the Bruins present a good vision, he might be tempted.
Jay Leach
A familiar face around here, Jay Leach is the Bruins’ assistant coach for defense. Hired by Sweeney last offseason, he interviewed for the head-coaching job in 2022. He spent four years as the head coach of AHL Providence and developed key Bruins prospects like Jeremy Swayman and Jakub Lauko.
He’s a positive guy and knows the Bruins system.
Ryan Mougenel
Mougenel, 49, is in his fourth season as the head coach of Providence and has developed several future Bruins, including Michael Callahan, Riley Duran, and Mason Lohrei. He’s a balancer of positivity and tough love and brings energy and a player first mentality.
With two years as Leach’s assistant, he knows the Bruins’ pipeline and culture.
Jay Pandolfo
Pandolfo just finished his third season as the head coach of Boston University and led the Terriers to three straight Frozen Fours. At 50, he has a ton of experience, having coached current NHLers Lane Hutson and Macklin Celebrini.
He was an assistant coach for the Bruins under Claude Julien and Bruce Cassidy and is well regarded for his work with forwards and the penalty kill.
David Quinn
Quinn, 58, is in his first season as an assistant with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Before that, he was the head coach of the San Jose Sharks and New York Rangers. He interviewed for the Bruins job in 2022 and is a well respected guy in hockey.
He’s close with Charlie McAvoy and is an approachable guy, but his age might be a question mark for the long term with a rebuild.
Marco Sturm
Sturm, 46, is leading the Ontario Reign to their third straight AHL playoff appearance. He was an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Kings for four years and has coached top prospects like Quinton Byfield. He was a finalist for the San Jose Sharks head coaching job last year and is ready for an NHL opportunity.