Brendan Taylor Named Saginaw Spirit Head Coach
OHL Saginaw Spirit

Brendan Taylor Named Saginaw Spirit Head Coach

Published on July 29, 2026 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Saginaw Spirit News Release


Saginaw, Mich. - The Saginaw Spirit have hired Brendan Taylor as the 11th head coach in team history, General Manager Dave Drinkill announced Wednesday.

"I want to start by welcoming Brendan to Saginaw," said Drinkill. "He has earned this opportunity through his work ethic and a commitment to hockey. Brendan has worked his way up every step of the coaching ladder - nothing has been handed to him. He's put in the time, continued to grow, and consistently proven himself by developing top-end NHL talent."

Taylor, 37, arrives in Saginaw with ten years of coaching experience in the Ontario Hockey League. Most recently, he spent four seasons as an assistant coach with the Soo Greyhounds. Taylor helped guide the Greyhounds to three straight playoff appearances from 2024 to 2026. He brought gold to Canada in 2025, serving as an assistant coach for Team Canada Red at the U17 World Hockey Challenge along with Drinkill, who was Team Canada Red's director of operations.

"It was a privilege to work alongside Brendan with Hockey Canada and to win together," said Drinkill. "That gave me a firsthand look at how he leads, prepares, and conducts himself every day. Players respect him because he's genuine, he's demanding, and he invests in their development. It stood out to me throughout this process how closely his vision aligns with ours when it comes to developing players and how we want to play the game."

Prior to joining the Greyhounds, the Oakville, Ontario native was an assistant coach with the Mississauga Steelheads for five seasons (2017-2022). Taylor joined the Steelheads for the 2016-2017 season as a video coach.

In nine seasons as an assistant coach in the OHL, Taylor has aided in the development of more than 30 NHL drafted or signed players between the Steelheads and Greyhounds. In 2026 alone, the Greyhounds saw four players picked in the NHL Draft, including defenseman Chase Reid to the Seattle Kraken at seventh overall.

"On behalf of Dick Garber, we are thrilled to welcome Brendan to the Saginaw Spirit family," said President and Managing Partner Craig Goslin. "He's demonstrated throughout his career great coaching ability and high character, plus he's a Spirit alumnus. His daily focus on developing elite student athletes into successful people on and off the ice makes him a great addition to the Spirit family. Brendan's success and congruency with GM Dave Drinkill will make them a very strong leadership team for our players, all stakeholders, and overall hockey operations success."

Taylor's coaching career officially began in 2014 when he was announced as an assistant coach for the Jr. A Oakville Blades of the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL). He spent two seasons with the Blades before breaking into the OHL with Mississauga.

"I'm very excited to take the head coaching position here in Saginaw," said Taylor. "I've enjoyed getting to know the organization throughout this process. I'm excited to get to know the city and our fan base, and to get started with a really talented group of players."

Taylor's position in Saginaw is somewhat of a homecoming. In his playing days, he appeared in 30 games as a forward for the Spirit during the 2007-2008 season, making him the first Spirit alum to serve as the team's head coach. Taylor's 120-game OHL career also saw stops with the Peterborough Petes and Belleville Bulls.

An introductory press conference for Saginaw's new head coach is scheduled for Tuesday, August 4th at 3pm at the Dow Event Center (303 Johnson St.). The press conference will be open to the public.

Brendan Taylor's arrival in Saginaw is dependent on U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services approval.

Check out the Saginaw Spirit Statistics

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from July 29, 2026


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