BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — The Bowling Green State University hockey team has a new head coach and it's a familiar face for the Falcons.
Dennis Williams, who served as interim head coach for the Falcons during the 2009-10 season, is returning to take over the program following BGSU's decision to part ways with Ty Eigner after five seasons at the helm.
Williams signed a six-year contract with an annual base salary of $325,000.
Williams, 44, is an alumnus of BGSU and played four seasons with the Falcons NCAA Division I team. He joins BGSU with over 15 years of head coaching experience across junior and college levels.
He previously served as graduate assistant head coach for the team in 2002-03 and assistant head coach from 2007-09.
Following a season at BGSU as interim head coach where the Falcons finished 5-25-6 and were eliminated in the first round of the CCHA playoffs, Williams moved to coaching junior hockey. He worked his way up to the highest level of major junior hockey and was named head coach of the Western Hockey League's Everett Silvertips in 2017.
In his first season with the Silvertips, Williams led the team to a conference championship. He was named WHL Western Conference Coach of the Year in 2018 and 2020. In July 2021, Williams was promoted to the dual position of general manager and head coach of the Silvertips. Since 2017, the Silvertips have been the winningest team in the WHL.
In addition to coaching the Silvertips, Williams, from Stratford, Ontario, has served as coach for Canadian junior hockey national teams. Williams has won under-20 World Junior Championship gold twice with Team Canada, as an assistant coach in 2022 and head coach in 2023.
The Falcons finished the season 13-22-1 under former head coach Eigner and ended the year with six straight losses. The Falcons were swept in the CCHA Mason Cup Quarterfinals earlier this month.
Williams was formally introduced at a press conference on Thursday at 9 a.m.