Wranglers’ Gulutzan takes step up

Glen Gulutzan never reached the NHL as a player, but he hopes to get there as a coach.

Gulutzan, the only coach in the six-year history of the ECHL's Las Vegas Wranglers, took a step toward realizing that goal Tuesday, leaving the team to become head coach of the expansion Texas Stars of the American Hockey League.

The Texas franchise, located in Austin, will be the AHL affiliate of the Dallas Stars.

"Whenever you get an opportunity to be a head coach at a higher level, in the second-best league in the world, you have to take it," Gulutzan, 37, said at the Orleans Arena. "Ultimately you want to coach in the NHL, but you have to go through a progression, especially a guy like myself, who has never played in the NHL or (AHL)."

Gulutzan, who guided the Wranglers to the ECHL Kelly Cup Finals in 2008, said he has turned down AHL assistant coaching offers in past years and that this was his first AHL head coaching offer.

"This is a big difference, between head coach and assistant," said Gulutzan, a married father of four. "It's a great opportunity for myself and my family, but it's very sad in some regards. Our kids go to school here, and people have treated me tremendously."

Gulutzan took the Wranglers' reins in 2003, a year after retiring as a player with the ECHL's Fresno Falcons, a now-defunct franchise that retired his number after he had 425 points in six seasons.

He coached the Wranglers to a league record three straight 100-point seasons from 2005 to 2008 and a 254-124-55 (.650) mark overall, including 18 consecutive victories in 2006-07.

Gulutzan guided Las Vegas to the playoffs five times and was voted ECHL Coach of the Year in 2005-06, when the Wranglers went 53-13-6.

Team owner Charles Davenport expressed appreciation for Gulutzan in a statement that read in part, "Although we are sad to see him leave, we are delighted that he has earned this opportunity. ...

"We have already begun the search for a new head coach and we hope to be making an announcement about Glen's successor in the next couple of weeks."

Under Gulutzan, the Wranglers lost to Cincinnati in six games in the 2008 Kelly Cup Finals. This season he led Las Vegas to the conference finals after it barely broke .500 (34-31-8) in the regular season.

"I'd leave here with a much bigger smile on my face had we won a championship," he said. "Make no mistake, that will linger with me. I really wanted to bring the city of Las Vegas a championship. We came close, and we had two or three teams that could've won a championship, but it just didn't work out that way."

Gulutzan said he received about 15 phone calls Tuesday from people showing interest in the Wranglers' vacancy.

"I don't see Vegas missing a beat. I see them being a contender next year," he said. "That's not me putting pressure on whoever comes in, it's just a fact of the matter. They have a great facility, a great city and a great owner. They'll get someone good in here and the team will pick right up where they left off with me."

But Wranglers president Billy Johnson said it will be difficult to replace Gulutzan.

"Gully's shoes are giant," he said. "If they have size 25 shoes, that's what's got to be filled."

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0354.