The Columbus Blue Jackets have finalized their coaching staff for the 2024-25 National Hockey League season, club President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Don Waddell announced today. The club has hired Mike Haviland and Scott Ford as assistant coaches, who join current assistant coaches Steve McCarthy and Jared Boll and goaltending coach Niklas Backstrom on head coach Dean Evason’s staff. The team also announced that former assistant coaches Josef Boumedienne and Mark Recchi will not return.
“Working with Dean, we identified Mike and Scott as two well-respected, energetic and personable individuals to join our club. Along with Steve, Jared and Nik, we believe that we have a staff that will be incredible assets for our players,” said Waddell. “We also want to thank Josef and Mark for their contributions to the organization and wish them all the best in the future.”
“I’m excited to work with the assembled group,” said Evason. “They bring a lot of playing and coaching experience with a deep understanding of the game along with the passion and strong work ethics that will help push our team forward.”
Haviland, 57, brings over two decades of coaching experience to the club and most recently spent the past two seasons as associate coach with the Cleveland Monsters, the Blue Jackets’ American Hockey League affiliate. Prior to that, he served as the head coach at Colorado College from 2014-21 and for the AHL’s Norfolk Admirals (2005-07) and served as an AHL assistant coach with the Rockford IceHogs (2007-08), Admirals (2012-13) and Hershey Bears (2013-14). From 2008-12, he was an assistant coach with the Chicago Blackhawks and helped the club capture the 2010 Stanley Cup championship.
The Middletown, New Jersey native began his coaching career in the ECHL as an assistant coach with the Trenton Titans from 1999-2001. He served as head coach of the ECHL’s Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies from 2001-04 and returned to the Titans as head coach for 2004-05. He led his teams to Kelly Cup championships in 2002-03 and 2004-05.
Ford, 44, joins the Blue Jackets after spending the past eight seasons as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals. Prior to that, he enjoyed an 11-year professional playing career in the AHL and ECHL. A defenseman, he registered 18 goals and 47 assists for 65 points with 762 penalty minutes in 522 career AHL games with the Admirals, Peoria Rivermen, Bridgeport Sound Tigers, Providence Bruins and Cleveland Barons between 2005-15.
A native of Fort St. John, British Columbia, he played for Evason in Milwaukee from 2012-15 and served as his team’s captain in three of his final four pro seasons. He was then an assistant coach on Evason’s Admirals staff from 2015-18. Prior to his professional career, he played four seasons at Brown University from 2000-04.
