Dallas Eakins Will Not be the Next Head Coach of the Anaheim Ducks
Dallas Eakins is the perfect candidate to take over as the Anaheim Ducks next head coach. He already knows the kids, and how to best utilize their flaws and their strengths. In San Diego, he did a fantastic job helping them progress in their development and grow in their confidence. Plus, the Samueli’s and Bob Murray know him and his character. He is everything the Anaheim Ducks could want in a coach and more.
However, while he may be the coach they want, he may not necessarily be the coach they need. From the way things are transpiring, it seems as though Bob Murray may have come to that conclusion himself. If he was confident in Eakin’s abilities to take over as head coach of the Anaheim Ducks, wouldn’t he have done that already? Instead, he’s interviewing at least three other candidates.
If Randy Carlyle had remained with the Anaheim Ducks until the end of the season, I have no doubt that Bob Murray would have announced Dallas Eakins as the new head coach as soon as the San Diego Gulls Calder Cup run was over. Nevertheless, GMBM had the unique opportunity to coach his team and get to know the players on a deeper level and really learn how they operate.
While no one can put all of the blame on Dallas Eakins for what transpired in Edmonton during his two-year tenure as their head coach, the facts still need to be examined. He went in with guns blazing and really had nothing to show for it. He may have only had two years to prove himself, but he has one of the worst coaching tenures in Edmonton’s recent history. What does that prove? If he can’t coach a team like Edmonton at their worst, can he coach a team like the Anaheim Ducks at theirs?
Murray knows what this team needs to right the ship, and while the Samueli’s are pushing for Eakins, GMBM is making sure that he leaves no stone unturned because it is very likely that this will be his very last coaching hire as General Manager of the Anaheim Ducks. He may have doubts, and rightfully so.
Confidence in Prediction: 5/10