Pittsburgh Penguins fire coach Mike Johnston
The Pittsburgh Penguins have fired head coach Mike Johnston and assistant Gary Agnew, general manager Jim Rutherford announced Saturday.
Mike Sullivan, the head coach of the team’s AHL affiliate, will take over for Johnston.
“I felt it was time for a coaching change because our team has underachieved,” Rutherford said in a statement. “Our expectations are much higher with this group of players. Mike Sullivan has been a head coach and an assistant coach in the NHL and we’ve been very fortunate to have him with our AHL club this season. He’s done an outstanding job in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and he’s ready to step in.”
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Johnston was named the team’s head coach in June 2014 and went 43-23-12 last year in his first season as coach. He started this season 15-10-3.
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