The Columbus Blue Jackets have finalized their coaching staff for the 2024-25 National Hockey League season, Don Waddell, the club’s president of hockey operations and general manager, announced today. The club has hired Mike Haviland and Scott Ford as assistant coaches, joining current assistant coaches Steve McCarthy and Jared Boll and goaltending coach Niklas Backstrom on head coach Dean Evason’s staff. The team also announced that former assistant coaches Josef Boumedienne and Mark Recchi will not return.
“In working with Dean, we identified Mike and Scott as two respected, dynamic and personable individuals for our club. Together with Steve, Jared and Nik, we believe we have a staff that will be an incredible asset to our players,” said Waddell. “We would also like to thank Josef and Mark for their contributions to the organization and wish them all the best in the future.”
“I’m excited to work with the assembled group,” said Evason. “They bring a wealth of experience as players and coaches, a deep understanding of the game, and the passion and strong work ethic that will help move our team forward.”
Haviland, 57, brings over two decades of coaching experience to the club and spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach with the Cleveland Monsters, the Blue Jackets’ American Hockey League affiliate team. Before that, he was head coach at Colorado College from 2014 to 2021 and the Norfolk Admirals (2005 to 2007) in the AHL. He also served as an assistant coach in the AHL with the Rockford IceHogs (2007 to 2008), Admirals (2012 to 2013) and Hershey Bears (2013 to 2014). He was an assistant coach with the Chicago Blackhawks from 2008 to 2012 and helped the club win the 2010 Stanley Cup.
The Middletown, New Jersey native began his coaching career in the ECHL as an assistant coach with the Trenton Titans from 1999-2001. He served as head coach of the ECHL’s Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies from 2001-2004 and returned to the Titans as head coach in 2004-2005, leading his teams to Kelly Cup championships in 2002-2003 and 2004-2005.
Ford, 44, joins the Blue Jackets after spending the past eight seasons as an assistant coach with the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL. Before that, he had an 11-year career as a professional player in the AHL and ECHL. As a defenseman, he scored 18 goals and 47 assists for 65 points with 762 penalty minutes in 522 AHL games with the Admirals, Peoria Rivermen, Bridgeport Sound Tigers, Providence Bruins and Cleveland Barons from 2005-15.
A native of Fort St. John, British Columbia, he played for Evason in Milwaukee from 2012 to 2015, captaining his team in three of his last four professional seasons. He was an assistant coach for Evason’s Admirals from 2015 to 2018. Before turning professional, he played four seasons at Brown University from 2000 to 2004.
