Glasgow Clan head coach Pete Russell has left the club to move to German DEL2 side EHC Freiburg – with the Clan already focusing on finding a replacement.
The 44-year-old is currently with the Great Britain team in Slovakia as they participate in the World Championships and leaves his native Scotland after only a year in charge.
However, Clan’s Chief Operating Officer Gareth Chalmers revealed moves to bring in a replacement began immediately once it became clear Russell had decided to move on.
“It’s always important to have a back-up plan in case a situation like this arises and as soon as the news came through that Pete was deciding to take the Freiburg job, I moved quickly and reached out to a number of options,” Chalmers said.
📰 STATEMENT 📰: Head Coach Pete Russell has informed the club that he is leaving the Clan one season into his three season contract.
MORE 👉🏻 https://t.co/eLjk2RcmWx#PurpleArmy | #Glasgow | #EIHL pic.twitter.com/1STo5lx9bT
— Glasgow Clan 🏒💜 (@ClanIHC) May 13, 2019
“The positive aspect is we’re further ahead of the game and the discussions are at a good point.
“We’ve been aware of the situation for a week or two now, but couldn’t make any statements publicly as we’ve had to go through the negotiation process with Pete’s new club.
“Regarding a new head coach, I can’t put a timeline on any announcement as discussions will continue to progress with our targets.”
Russell leaves a year after taking over from John Tripp, joining from Milton Keynes Lightning and led the Clan to fourth place in his first season and a Challenge Cup Semi Final.
Clan’s Chief Operating Officer Gareth Chalmers says he’s been in talks with replacements already (PHOTO: Al Goold)
His departure, since the announcement, has brought mixed reaction from fans across the league as Clan now look for a third coach in three seasons.
Chalmers insists while Russell’s exit is ‘bitterly disappointing’, the focus is now all about bring someone in quickly, but also bringing in the right someone.
He added: “While we’re bitterly disappointed at what’s happened, it’s not a time to dwell. We just need to make sure we get the right guy to come in that will complement the core group of players we’ve already got signed here and build on what we achieved last season.
“Not one person makes this club of course. It’s the people and the fans that do and we’re taking the positives out of this situation. It’s a big hole to fill, but we move on and we’ll find the right guy to lead the club forward.”
