Road Warriors Give Update on Coaching Search and More
June 18, 2015 - ECHL (ECHL)
Greenville Swamp Rabbits News Release
Greenville, SC - It's been nearly 70 days since the Greenville Road Warriors' 2014-15 season came to a close, and exactly nine weeks since the search for a new head coach began.
Those events have led to a very busy and unique offseason for Executive Vice President and General Manager Chris Lewis and the rest of the team's front office. Along with the search process, the club has been working non-stop this spring attaining new season ticket holders and corporate partners, and continuing to keep the team visible in the Greenville community and beyond.
So where do the Road Warriors currently stand? First, the ongoing hunt for a new head coach.
"We've entered the home stretch of our search process and expect to have an announcement after the league meetings in the near future," Lewis said. "We had dozens of applicants and conversations, and formally interviewed more than a dozen candidates who brought experience from all levels of pro hockey as well as NCAA, CIS (Canadian college hockey), U.S. Junior A and Canadian Major Junior teams."
Lewis continued, "The candidate pool has been extremely strong."
The ECHL Marketing Meetings will take place next week in Las Vegas, so it's realistic the team could make an announcement in the near future.
"We're taking every step possible to ensure we make the right choice and find the best fit," Lewis expanded. "Our affiliates in New York and Hartford have each contributed to the search process. We want there to be a strong relationship and synergy from both the player development perspective and the communication perspective between our coach and the personnel in New York and Hartford. Both the Rangers and Hartford have conveyed that it is important we get the right coach for our organization and community."
While the search process continues to be the most talked about item this spring, it is not the team's only order of business. Increasing season ticket and sponsorship sales have also been a high priority for the Road Warriors' front office since the 2014-15 campaign ended on April 11th.
"We've been having a good offseason and are currently tracking ahead of this time period last year for season ticket sales," Lewis said. "Our sales team has been doing a great job of having conversations, and getting people and businesses excited for hockey and to be a part of the great entertainment experience that games at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena provide."
In addition, fans on the Road Warriors' Official Facebook and Twitter pages may have noticed a steady flow of new corporate partners that have signed on as well.
"Sponsorship is another area where we are having some great conversations and have been able to introduce some new partners to the mix," Lewis continued. "We will continue to convey the vision for building the organization into a well-integrated community entity that will be entertaining fans for the next five years and beyond. We are very excited to welcome back partners such as Bon Secours St. Francis Health System, Sandlapper Securities and the Hilton Greenville, as well as welcome our new partners to the mix."
Finally, the Road Warriors have made a concerted effort this offseason to continue their visibility and support in the Greenville community. Nearly a dozen appearances with Rowdy, the Road Warriors' mascot, and the team's front office have been scheduled for the coming months, including 5k runs at Furman University and downtown Greenville, an ice cream social at the Greenville Zoo this Saturday, a Road Warriors' night with the Carolina Cobras in July and more.
"Staying involved in the community is extremely important to us," Lewis said. "We have been active at a variety of events so far this offseason and will be continuing that involvement as we move through the summer."
The club will also announce the date(s) and time(s) for its third annual Hockey Demo Day in the next few weeks.
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