Mike Sullivan has been head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins since Dec. 12, 2015, and is a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the club.
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Ahead of the 2024-25 season, he is the second-longest tenured head coach in the NHL, just two years behind Jon Cooper of the Tampa Bay Lightning, a multi-time Stanley Cup winner.
Sullivan is from Marshfield, Massachusetts, and will be the head coach of Team USA at the upcoming 4 Nations Face-off in February. He is one of eight American-born head coaches in the league today.
Mike Sullivan has been announced as the head coach of Team USA for the 4 Nations Face-Off and 2026 Men’s Olympic Team 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/RqAgWKcoHy
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) May 18, 2024
American-born head coaches represent 25% of the league’s demographics, a by-product of USA Hockey’s successes in the NCAA, AHL, and minor hockey over the past couple of decades.
Here’s a look at bench bosses from the United States and their hire date with their current teams:
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John Tortorella (Philadelphia Flyers) June 17, 2022
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Derek Lalonde (Detroit Red Wings) June 30, 2022
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Greg Cronin (Anaheim Ducks) June 5, 2023
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Peter Laviolette (New York Rangers) June 13, 2023
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John Hynes (Minnesota Wild) Nov. 27, 2023
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Dan Bylsma (Seattle Kraken) May 28, 2024
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Ryan Warsofsky (San Jose Sharks) June 13, 2024
Among American-born head coaches in NHL history, Sullivan ranks third behind Laviolette (807 wins) and Tortorella (742 wins) with 445.
Overall, the 56-year-old ranks 36th all-time and could surpass Brian Sutter (451), Roger Neilson (460), and Bob Hartley (463) this season. He’d need 30 wins to catch Randy Carlyle (475).
