Sharks fire head coach Bob Boughner and assistants as GM search continues

As the San Jose Sharks close in on hiring a new general manager, the team has opened a search for a new head coach.

The Sharks fired head coach Bob Boughner along with assistants John Madden and John MacLean on Friday. Video coach Dan Darrow was also relieved of his duties.

“As we progress through our search for the next general manager of the Sharks following 19 seasons under Doug Wilson’s leadership, it has become apparent that the organization is in the process of an evolution,” said interim GM Joe Will. “The bottom line is we have missed the playoffs for the past three seasons, which isn’t acceptable to our owner, our organization, or to our fans. As part of this evolution and evaluation, we felt it was in the best interest of the club to allow the next Sharks general manager to have full autonomy related to the make-up of the on-ice coaching staff moving ahead."

Boughner was promoted from assistant coach to the top job mid-way through the 2019-20 season, replacing Peter DeBoer. In 175 games over parts of three seasons, the Sharks posted an overall record of 67-85-23 under Boughner and missed the playoffs every year.

“I want to thank Bob, John, John and Dan for their dedication and commitment to the Sharks organization," Will added in his statement. "The past two-plus seasons have been extremely challenging – on and off the ice – and Bob and his staff worked admirably under some very difficult circumstances. This change is not an indictment of their performance as much as it is a recognition of the complete organizational reset that we feel is in the best interest of the team at this point.” 

The Sharks have spent most of the off-season going through an extensive search for a general manager after Doug Wilson stepped down to focus on his health after 19 years on the job.