The Wheeling Nailers announced they have re-signed head coach Derek Army to a three-year extension through the 2025-26 season. “Derek Army has done a terrific job for our organization, and we are looking forward to watching him succeed even more in these next three seasons,” said Nailers Team President Brian Komorowski. “With Derek behind the bench, we were able to get a taste of our first playoff success since 2016, which is something that we are eager to see more of in the near future. Derek also understands the importance of family and community, which make him an incredible ambassador for our team.” Army was named head coach of the Nailers on June 4th, 2021, after taking over as the interim head coach on April 22nd, 2021. Before being named the interim head coach, Army spent the 2020-21 season as an assistant coach.
In his first year as the team’s head coach, he led them to their first Kelly Cup appearance since 2015. Despite being at the helm for under three seasons, he has 72 wins under his belt which is good for sixth in Nailers history. Army played five seasons with the Nailers putting up 59 goals and 71 assists for 130 points over that time, and next year will be his ninth season with the Nailers, which is the most for any coach or player in franchise history. “My family and I couldn’t be more excited to be back in Wheeling,” Army said. “We absolutely love everything about being here, from the support of our fans, this great community, our close-knit team on the ice, and first class organizations with the Nailers and Penguins. I have loved my time here both as a player and as a coach, and I can’t wait to continue building something special.”
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