Gladiators Jeff Pyle ECHL Coach of the Year

The ECHL on Tuesday announced that Jeff Pyle of the Atlanta Gladiators is the 2021-22 recipient of the John Brophy Award as the league’s Coach of the Year.

“I can’t think of anyone more deserving of this award than Jeff Pyle,” said Gladiators Team President Jerry James. “He has been a cornerstone of this organization for decades, and this season he has built one of the franchise’s most successful teams. I am certain that Jeff would have received this recognition earlier if we didn’t have a shortened 2019-20 season.”

 

Pyle is the second Gladiators coach to win the award but the first Gladiators coach to win sole possession of the mantle. John Wroblewski was named a co-recipient of the ECHL’s Coach of the Year award following the 2011-12 season.

Pyle has compiled an overall ECHL record of 580-452-122 in 16 seasons with Mobile, Evansville and Gwinnett/Atlanta and ranks second all-time in ECHL history with 1,137 games coached and 580 wins. In addition to his ECHL coaching experience, he has also served as head coach for the American Hockey League’s Texas Stars and the Southern Professional Hockey League’s Evansville Thunderbolts.