The American Hockey League’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers have announced the hiring of Pat Bingham as an assistant coach. Bingham joins the staff of Sound Tigers head coach Dave Baseggio, who was promoted to the top position in June after serving as an assistant during the team’s first four years of play.
Bingham, 36, comes to Bridgeport from the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers. The Vancouver, B.C., native was Wheeling’s head coach for the past two seasons, winning ECHL Coach of the Year honors after leading the Nailers to their best season in franchise history with a 51-17-4 record in 2003-04. Bingham also served as an assistant coach in Wheeling in 2001-02.
He was head coach of the United Hockey League’s Adirondack IceHawks in 2002-03 and Asheville Smoke, whom he led to the playoff finals, in 2000-01. Bingham was a head coach with the Central Hockey League’s Huntsville Channel Cats in 1999-2000 and an assistant coach for them in 1998-99 when they won the Levins Cup championship.
Bingham played four years, 1985-89, of major junior hockey and seven years, 1989-1996, professionally, including 24 AHL games with the Binghamton Whalers as a rookie in 1989-90.
“Pat’s accomplishments, including ECHL Coach of the Year, speak for themselves,” said Baseggio. “He has continuously achieved a tremendous level of success and is a proven leader who brings a wealth of hockey knowledge and skill to the Sound Tigers organization.”
Bingham will assume his duties with the Sound Tigers in the next few weeks. The Sound Tigers also expect to announce the hiring of a second assistant coach within the next week.
