The Arizona Coyotes and longtime head coach Dave Tippett have mutually agreed to part ways, the team announced Thursday night.
Tippett had been behind the Coyotes bench since the 2009-10 season and won a Jack Adams award in his first year with the club. The Coyotes made the playoffs in the first three years of Tippett’s tenure, but have not accomplished the feat in the last five.
“On behalf of the entire Coyotes organization, I would like to sincerely thank Tip for all of his hard work and the many contributions he made to our organization,” Coyotes owner Andrew Barroway said in a statement. “Tip is a man of high character and we are very grateful for his leadership during his tenure as our head coach. Ultimately, we have some philosophical differences on how to build our team. Therefore, we mutually agreed that it is in everyone’s best interest to have a coaching change in order to move our franchise forward.”
The former winger of the Hartford Whalers compiled a 282-257-83 as head coach of the Coyotes and reached the Western Conference Final in 2011-12 before losing to the Los Angeles Kings, who went on to win the Stanley Cup.
“After some thoughtful discussions with [Barroway], we both agreed that it was best for me to move on,” Tippett said. “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with the Coyotes and wish Andy and the entire organization all the best in the future.”
Tippett and the Coyotes agreed to a new five-year contract in May 2016.
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