Former New York Rangers assistant coach Dan Muse has been named the new head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Penguins announced Muse’s hiring on Wednesday afternoon, ending an over-month-long search for their next bench boss after parting ways with Mike Sullivan on April 28. The 42-year-old Massachusetts native beat out other candidates, including Capitals assistant coach Mitch Love and Kings assistant coach DJ Smith.
Muse has never been a head coach at the NHL level, but has served as an assistant with the Rangers for the past two seasons and was an assistant with the Nashville Predators from 2017 to 2020. He ran the penalty-kill unit with both clubs.
“During this process, we met with many candidates who we felt would have been a fit as the next head coach of the Penguins, but ultimately, Dan Muse stood out as the best choice,” Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas said in a statement. “What separated Dan was his ability to develop players, win at all levels where he has been a head coach and his consistent success coaching special teams in the NHL. From his success in developing college and junior players, to his impactful work with veteran players during his time in the NHL, Dan has shown a proven ability to connect with players at all stages of their careers and help them to reach their potential.”
Muse began his coaching career in the NCAA, serving as an assistant coach at Williams College, Sacred Heart University, and Yale University for eight years before being promoted to associate head coach at Yale for the 2014-15 campaign. He then moved on to the USHL, where he served as the head coach of the Chicago Steel for two years, leading them to the 2017 USHL championship.
After his first stint in the NHL with the Predators, Muse then served as head coach at the National Team Development Program from 2020 to 2023. He led the under-18 Team to a gold medal at the 2023 World Under-18 Championship.
Muse will try to lead the Penguins to their first playoff appearance since 2022 next year. Pittsburgh finished the 2024-25 season 31 points behind the Capitals for first place in the Metropolitan Division and 13th out of 16 teams in the Eastern Conference overall.
With the Pittsburgh job now off the market, only the Boston Bruins remain without a head coach for next year. Love also interviewed with the Bruins, so the Capitals may not be out of the woods just yet regarding his potential departure.
