Extends Longest Coaching Tenure in Team History

Press Release

When P.K. O’Handley was named head coach of the Waterloo Black Hawks hockey team in 2002, he set out to make the junior franchise as professional as possible, while at the same time hoping to create a family-like atmosphere throughout the organization.

“Since day one here, I’ve told the players, ‘you play here, and you always have a place here’ and I think you look at it over time, and that’s held pretty true,” said Waterloo’s coach and general manager.

After a successful decade, O’Handley’s place at the helm of the Black Hawks has been secured through the 2016-2017 season, with the announcement Saturday of a five year contract agreement between coach and team.

“We could not have asked for more than what P.K. has done,” said Black Hawks owner Butch Johnson. “He has helped the Black Hawks to great success on the ice while teaching our players about being good citizens in the community. There’s not a better coach, or person, for this job.”

In 2011-2012, O’Handley led the Black Hawks to the Clark Cup finals for the fourth time, following a 35-19-6 regular season. On December 16th, a 2-0 victory against the Des Moines Buccaneers gave him 300 regular season wins in Waterloo. O’Handley’s Black Hawks record currently stands at 324-228-48, plus 38-29 in the postseason. No coach in franchise history can match those numbers. Leading the club to the playoffs for the ninth time in ten years, the United States Hockey League named O’Handley it’s General Manager of the Year on Friday for the second time since 2002-2003. He has also won the league’s Coach of the Year award twice. Under O’Handley’s watch, the Hawks claimed the only Clark Cup (2004 playoff title) and Anderson Cup (2006-2007 regular season title) championships during the franchise’s modern junior era.

“This building, this hockey team - just the whole package - you get lucky once in awhile,” O’Handley remarked. “There’ve been ups and there’ve been downs, and there’ll continue to be ups and downs, but this is a good place, a really good place.”

Among the former Hawks O’Handley has coached are NHL’ers Joe Pavelski, Craig Smith, and JT Brown. Under his watch, Waterloo has consistently turned out top college talent. Six of the last seven National Champions have had an O’Handley-coached Black Hawk on their roster. Seventeen members of the 2011-2012 Waterloo squad have a future college commitment.

(Nathan can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)