Iowa's Fifth Head Coach Knows the Wild System

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- In the wake of an early postseason exit, the Iowa Wild announced the team would not renew the contract of its head coach. With the future of the club in question, Minnesota Wild General Manager Bill Guerin began his search for a replacement.

The GM didn't need to look much further than his own coaching staff in Minnesota, however, where he landed on current Assistant Coach Brett McLean.

"This is a big decision, and we are extremely happy and really glad that [Brett] took this. We just think the world of you and you're going to do a great job. So, congratulations and thank you … We're giving a lot of responsibility, well-earned responsibility, to Brett and we have all the confidence in the world in him."

"Mac" has spent the last three seasons (2020-23) as an assistant coach during which time he helped the team to three consecutive Stanley Cup Playoff berths and a 134-63-23 (.661) regular-season record.

As if selecting a candidate who has already showed his ability to lead with the big club in St. Paul wasn't an easy enough choice, McLean had previously served three seasons (2017-20) as an assistant coach in Des Moines.

"I couldn't be more excited for the chance to work back with the Iowa Wild and be the head coach there" McLean said on the opportunity.

It's the future of the Minnesota Wild, and his role in helping improve that future, that intrigued McLean most about the position.

"First and foremost is the opportunity to work with the prospects. We have so many fantastic prospects. Working in the American Hockey League is so much fun because they're so eager; they have a lot to learn and they're ready to learn it."

Guerin spoke highly of McLean's teaching abilities, noting, "it's been impressive to see how he does work one-on-one with the players … how he can get to different players and help them have success."

Being a head coach was a position McLean sought after but was in no rush to obtain. Throughout his time in Minnesota, he expressed a passion for coaching and a belief in his players that qualified him to take the reins of the AHL affiliate.

Having played professionally as a forward for 18 seasons (1999-2017) and having compiled 1,111 games across seven different leagues has shown McLean the styles of many coaches. Serving as an assistant to several coaches also gave him a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to be a head coach.

"That's a big advantage," he reflected. "I did travel a lot of different places and had the opportunity to play for many different coaches; most of them good, some of them not so good and you take a little bit from everyone."

But more than anything, having worked in the Wild organization and under the mentorship of Dean Evason proved to be the greatest advantage for McLean.

"I've been in those rooms, I've been in those meetings. I really feel that can help our players, especially help myself and staff as well, to teach these players the way we want them to play for the Minnesota Wild so they can win with the Minnesota Wild."

Needless to say, the Iowa Wild of next season will look eerily similar to its NHL counterpart, but with a McLean twist.

Fast, relentless, disciplined: the new philosophies of Iowa Wild hockey both on and off the ice.

"When you think about speed, you want to practice fast and with pace. Relentless; that's being on pucks, hard on pucks, never give up attitude. [When] they're sitting on the bus somewhere and it feels like the NHL is so far away, we want them to have a relentless attitude to get better. And discipline applies to on-ice, it applies to penalties, but it also applies to playing in the system we want to play."

If it feels like the words of the newest Iowa head coach are spoken like a true hockey player, that's because they are.

"He's just a hockey player, and that's a huge compliment," remarked Guerin. "I think as a coach as well, he's just a player in a coach's body."

Listen to the full comments of the new Head Coach and the General Manager: