On Friday, May 17th, 2024, Reading Royals announced that Interim Head Coach Jason Binkley will become Head Coach ahead of the 2024-2025 season.
Jason Binkley has been serving as Assistant Coach since October 2022. Binkley’s career in the ECHL includes 139 points and 111 assists over 313 games played in the league. He played for the South Carolina Stingrays, Utah Grizzlies, Cincinnati Cyclones, Fort Wayne Komets, and Jacksonville Icemen. He played 6 games in the EIHL for the Nottingham Panthers, tallying 1 assist. Binkley earned a call-up in the 2019-2020 season to the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL. In the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 seasons, Binkley assisted with taking Fort Wayne Komets to lengthy playoff runs for the Kelly Cup.
Binkley speaks on being named Head Coach and General Manager of the Reading Royals
“I want to thank our affiliates in Lehigh Valley & Philadelphia. I also want to thank the players & fans. Everyone’s feedback has been nothing but positive as we look to build off the last few months of last season. Finally, I need to thank my wife Danielle and my son Wyatt for being alongside me for this journey and being the great support system they are at home.”
– Reading Royals Head Coach Jason Binkley
Team President David Farrar speaks on Binkley and the job he did in the second half of the season.
“I think he did a really good job at the end of the season trying to get us into playoff contention…our exit interviews with the players, they all all vouched for Jason that he should be the guy in charge”
-Reading Royals Team President David Farrar
Since taking the helm of bench boss of Reading, as of January 29th, 2024, Binkley took his team and his record at the culmination of the 2023-2024 season was 13-16-3-1. Binkley becomes the ninth Head Coach in Royals history. Karl Taylor served from 2005-2008, Jason Nobili was Head Coach for 1 season in 2008-2009, Larry Courville served as Head Coach from 2009-2017, Kirk MacDonald stepped in as Head Coach from 2017-2022, James Henry served as Head Coach from 2022 until January of 2024.
