Adrian, Michigan – Adrian College NCAA Men's Hockey Head Coach, Adam Klug '12announced his resignation. Krug has served as head coach for the past 10 seasons, with a career coaching record of 229 wins, 52 losses and 14 ties.
“I would like to thank President Jeffrey Docking, Vice President Frank Rivers, Vice President Jim Mahoney, Athletic Director Craig Rainey and other members of the university community for their support in my career and Bulldog hockey,” Klug said. “Leaving Adrian College was not an easy decision. It is a special place for my family; it is where I met my wife, Lindsay, and where we have spent the last 10 years raising our three children.”
Krug was recently named assistant coach for the Bakersfield Condors, the AHL affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers. The Bakersfield Condors finished the 2023-24 season with a record of 39 wins, 27 losses, four ties and two draws and made the Calder Cup Playoffs. The Edmonton Oilers won the NHL's Western Conference last season but lost to the Florida Panthers in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.
“We want to thank Coach Krug for all the hard work he has put into Adrian College and our NCAA men's hockey program,” said Adrian College athletic director Craig Rainey. “It is a bittersweet day for Adrian College as one of our best coaches leaves to pursue an opportunity to play professional hockey. His accomplishments at Adrian College will live on forever. We are happy for Coach Krug and his family and wish them the best as they continue their hockey journey. We are sure he has many great accomplishments ahead of him.”
Krug posted an .800 winning percentage, the highest among active head coaches in all divisions of NCAA hockey, during his career at Adrian. He holds the most wins in program history as a head coach and has led the Bulldogs to the NCAA Division III Frozen Four five times. Krug has won the NCHA Peters Cup nine times and the NCHA Harris Cup five times. Krug was at the helm of the team when the Bulldogs won their first NCAA National Championship in school history in 2022. During his time as coach at Adrian, 31 of Krug's players signed professional contracts.
“Telling my players on Tuesday night was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do,” Krug said. “Outside of my family, my players are my life. I love them and I'm proud of them. This year's team is primed to give it another go and hopefully add another NCAA trophy to the trophy case at Arrington Ice Arena.”
Prior to becoming a coach, Krug was a member and captain of Adrian College's first ever NCAA men's hockey team in the 2007-08 season. In his two seasons as a player for the Bulldogs, Krug appeared in a total of 57 games, scoring 52 goals and 77 assists for a total of 129 points. After college, Krug began his professional career in leagues such as the ECHL before becoming a coach.
“I've always been a college hockey fan and never really considered coaching at the professional level as a career path,” Krug said. “Over the last year or two, I've had some great observational opportunities at the NHL level and have interviewed for other jobs. These opportunities piqued my interest and I feel this move was just the right choice at the right time. I'm grateful to the Edmonton Oilers organization for their interest in my position, and my family and I are excited to come to Bakersfield, join Collin Chalk's staff and get started.”
“I wish I could call the hundreds of people who made this all possible, but there are so many,” Krug said. “So I want to say thank you to everyone who has been involved with Adrian College over the last 18 years. To the players, the alumni, my longtime assistant coaches, their families, our very passionate fans, benefactors and everyone associated with Adrian College and Bulldog hockey, thank you. This will forever be our home, and we look forward to returning as often as we can in the future.”
Adrian College will soon begin searching for a new head coach for the Adrian College NCAA men's hockey program.
