| Dan Muse | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born | (1982-07-21)July 21, 1982 (age 43) | ||
| CurrentNHL coach | Pittsburgh Penguins | ||
| Coaching career | 2005–present | ||
Dan Muse (born July 21, 1982) is an American professionalice hockey coach who is thehead coach of thePittsburgh Penguins of theNational Hockey League (NHL).
Following four years playingcollege ice hockey, Muse began coaching at the high school and college levels, winning anNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) national championship as an assistant coach atYale in2013. Muse subsequently won aClark Cup championship with theChicago Steel of theUnited States Hockey League (USHL) in 2017, his first head coaching job, before spending three seasons as an assistant with the NHL'sNashville Predators. He then spent three further seasons in various head coaching roles with theUSA Hockey National Team Development Program (NTDP), winning a gold medal at the2023 World U18 Championships, before returning to the NHL as aNew York Rangers assistant in 2023. Ahead of the2025–26 NHL season, Muse was named head coach of the Penguins.
Muse was born inCanton, Massachusetts, on July 21, 1982.[1][inconsistent] Muse played ice hockey from a young age, despite limited opportunities during part of his childhood living on a farm innorthern California; following his family's move toAlabama, Muse was partly mentored at aBirmingham Bulls youth camp by minor-league defensemanPaul Marshall.[2] Muse's family also spent time inChicago andWorcester, Massachusetts, before moving to Canton when Muse was in eighth grade.[2][3] After playing high school ice hockey atVermont Academy,[4] Muse subsequently attendedStonehill College, playing four years atNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)Division III level for theChieftains/Skyhawks under head coachScott Harlow and serving as an alternate captain his senior year.[2][3] Following his time at Stonehill, Muse nearly attendedlaw school, and briefly taught history atArchbishop Williams High School inBraintree, Massachusetts.[2][3]
During his time as a teacher at Archbishop Williams, Muse also served as an assistant coach forMilton Academy's ice hockey team in nearbyMilton.[2][3][5] He subsequently left his teaching career to coach full-time, spending the2007–08 season working as an assistant coach at Division IIIWilliams College underBill Kangas, before jumping toNCAA Division I withSacred Heart of theAtlantic Hockey conference for the2008–09 season.[2][3][5] One year later, Muse was hired as an assistant coach underKeith Allain for theYale Bulldogs of theECAC Hockey conference. In six seasons with Yale, Muse helped the team to fourNCAA tournament appearances, a conference championship in2011,[6] and the program's first national championship in2013.[2][3][5] In his final season, Muse was promoted to associate head coach.[7]
Following the2014–15 season, Muse departed the Bulldogs to take his first head coaching job with theChicago Steel of thejunior-levelUnited States Hockey League (USHL).[3][7] In the2016–17 season, Muse led the Steel to the best record in the Eastern Conference, with the team ultimately winning their firstClark Cup championship.[3][7]
Following the Steel's Clark Cup championship, Muse was hired by theNashville Predators of theNational Hockey League (NHL) as an assistant coach underPeter Laviolette.[8] In three seasons with Nashville, Muse primarily ran the team'spenalty kill,[5][7] helping the Predators to aPresidents' Trophy regular season title in2017–18.[3] After Laviolette's mid-season firing during the Predators'2019–20 campaign, Muse's contract was not renewed by the Predators following their elimination from the2020 Stanley Cup playoffs.[3]
Shortly after his departure from Nashville, Muse joined theUSA Hockey National Team Development Program (NTDP) as a coach.[3][5] Muse initially served as head coach of the under-18 team during the2020–21 USHL season and2021 World U18 Championships,[3][7] before switching to the under-17 team for the2021–22 season.[7][9] Upon his return to the under-18 team for the2022–23 season, Muse led the team to an NTDP record-setting 16 wins over NCAA opponents, with 15 over Division I opponents.[7][9] Muse was praised for his time with the NTDP byNHL entry draft prospects includingRyan Leonard,Oliver Moore, andWill Smith,[10] and coached multiple other future NHL players, includingLogan Cooley andRutger McGroarty.[5]
Ahead of the2023–24 season, Muse rejoined Peter Laviolette as an assistant coach with theNew York Rangers.[10][11] Once again coaching the penalty kill,[5] Muse helped the Rangers to the Presidents' Trophy in his first season,[7] though Laviolette was again fired following the2024–25 season.[12] Despite this, Muse was reportedly offered the opportunity to interview with the new Rangers coaching staff.[12][13]
On June 4, 2025, Muse was named head coach of the NHL'sPittsburgh Penguins, succeedingMike Sullivan as the 23rd head coach in franchise history.[7][5][14]
Muse's first work withUSA Hockey came at the2013 World Junior Championships with theUnited States men's junior team, where he served as video coach; after the U.S. won the gold medal, he subsequently reprised the role for the2014 tournament.[2][7] Later, as part of his responsibilities with the NTDP, Muse coached the U.S. teams at the2021 and2023 World U18 Championships,[3][15] winning a gold medal in the latter.[7] Muse spent the 2021–22 season coaching the under-17 national team.[7][9]
As of 2020, Muse resided inNashville, Tennessee, with his wife and their four children.[3]
| Award | Year | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| NCAA Division I –ECAC Hockey | ||
| Conference champion (as assistant coach) | 2011 | [6] |
| National champion (as assistant coach) | 2013 | [3] |
| USHL | ||
| Clark Cup champion | 2017 | [3] |
| International | ||
| World Junior Championship gold medal (as video coach) | 2013 | [7] |
| World U18 Championship gold medal | 2023 | [7] |
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|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins 2025–present | Incumbent |
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