New Colorado Eagles Head Coach Named and Fans are Excited

The Colorado Eagles and the Colorado Avalanche have been extremely busy this off-season as they prep for big 2023-24 seasons. The off-season busy work includes the announcement of a new Colorado Eagles head coach, and Eagles and Avs fans alike are pretty excited about the news.

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Colorado Eagles Announce New Head Coach Ahead of 2023 Season

When you think of the Colorado Eagles head coaches over the years, besides Coach Greg Cronin, our most recent head coach who left after the 2022-23 season to coach the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks, two names stand above the rest. Chris Stewart and Aaron Schneekloth are the two most winning head coaches in Eagles history, and one of them is stepping back into the head coaching position this upcoming season.

Aaron Schneekloth Named Colorado Eagles Head Coach

The Colorado Avalanche announced today that Aaron Schneekloth has been named head coach of the organization’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Colorado Eagles.

As a fan favorite, Eagles Country is overjoyed at the news that “Schneeks” has been bumped back into the head coach chair, as hardcore fans believed this was the plan the entire time after learning under Coach Cronin.

Schneekloth has spent the last 10 years on the Eagles’ coaching staff, which included a pair of championship seasons as the team’s head coach while the Eagles were Colorado’s ECHL affiliate. He led the Eagles to back-to-back Kelly Cup titles in 2016-17 and 2017-18, posting a 95-38-11 (.698) combined regular-season record followed by a 32-12 playoff mark. The Calgary, Alberta, native finished runner-up for ECHL Coach of the Year in both campaigns.

Including his final seven years as a player, the upcoming 2023-24 campaign will mark Schneekloth’s 18th consecutive season with the Eagles organization.

Avalanche Assistant General Manager Kevin McDonald said:

Aaron has been a valuable member of the Eagles’ coaching staff for a decade now. He has head coaching experience, is passionate about development and teaching and brings a championship mentality having won both as a coach and player. We are excited to have him lead our group up north.

On the new promotion, Schneekloth said:

I am very grateful to both the Avalanche and Eagles for this opportunity. The Eagles organization and Northern Colorado have been my home for nearly 20 years and I am proud of everything we have accomplished there. Thank you to the Kroenke family, Joe Sakic, Chris MacFarland, and Kevin McDonald for their trust in me and for giving me the chance to lead their AHL franchise. I would also like to thank Martin Lind, Ryan Bach, and the entire Eagles organization for their many years of support and friendship. I am excited and ready for this challenge and look forward to the season.

On Schneeks taking the reigns again, Eagles President Ryan Bach said:

I couldn’t be happier for Aaron and his new role in the Eagles organization. I feel he has every quality the Colorado Avalanche is looking for in a head coach for its AHL affiliate. He will have an opportunity to build an environment and culture of high performance, hard work, and accountability. He is a character individual who is perfect to lead the Colorado Eagles.

The Colorado Eagles will kick off the season at the new Blue Arena (formerly Bud Events Center) on Oct. 20, and with Coach Schneeks in control, it’s certain to be an incredibly exciting season.