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Haviland leaving Hershey

The Hershey Bears announced today that head coach Mike Haviland will depart to take over the position of head coach at Colorado College of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference.

The announcement was made by Bears President/GM Doug Yingst.

“Mike has decided to move onto the collegiate scene to continue his coaching career,” Yingst said. “He can now take additional professional experience back to that stage. We certainly thank him for his services in Hershey and wish him the very best in Colorado.”

Haviland, the 24th head coach in Hershey Bears history, held previous head coaching positions in Norfolk and Rockford in the AHL, and was the 2007 recipient of the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award as the league’s outstanding coach. The Bears finished with a record of 39-27-5-5 under his guidance and racked up 24 wins on home ice, but failed to qualify for the postseason.

“I would like to take this time to thank Hershey Entertainment and Resorts and Doug Yingst for the opportunity to coach the Hershey Bears,” Haviland said. “It was a true pleasure to be a part of the most historic franchise in the American Hockey League.”

As an American Hockey League head coach, Haviland has compiled a record of 176-104-36 in 316 career games.

The search for the Bears’ next head coach is currently underway.