Guiding the ship for Nashville is Barry Trotz, the first and only head coach in club history.In his 11 seasons and 12 years as the Predators’ bench boss, Trotz’s mission has evolved from fielding a competitive and hardworking expansion club to directing a young, hungry, hard-working group that is perennially a playoff contender. \;He is only the second coach in NHL history to spend each of the first 10 seasons as a team’s head coach joining the New York Rangers Lester Patrick (13 seasons, 1926-39), and enters 2009-10 with the eighth-most victories (364) and games coached (820) with a single franchise.

Trotz is the second-longest tenured coach in the NHL behind only Buffalo’s Lindy Ruff, and has led the Predators to the sixth-most wins (181) and the third-most home wins (107) since the start of the 2005-06 season. His teams have made the playoffs in four of the past five seasons, averaging more than 97 points per season during that span (91 in 2003-04, 106 in 2005-06, 110 in 2006-07, 91 in 2007-08 and 88 in 2008-09).

On Nov. 4, 2008 at Vancouver, Trotz became just the 10^th coach to reach the 750 games coached mark with a single team, and the 31^st in league history. He capped off his 2008-09 season with a trip to Switzerland, where he served as an assistant coach on Canada’s silver-medal winning entry at the 2009 IIHF World Championships. It was the third time he has answered the call for Team Canada, also serving as an assistant coach at the 2002 and 2003 World Championships, winning a gold medal in 2003.

The Trotz-led Predators soared to its highest level yet in 2006-07, finishing the season with the second-most points in the Western Conference and tied for the third-most points in the entire National Hockey League. The Predators established franchise records in points (110), wins (51), road wins (23) and goals (272). Based on the club’s success, Trotz finished fourth place in balloting for the 2007 Jack Adams (as voted on by the NHL Broadcasters' Association), given each season to "the NHL coach adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success." He also served as an assistant coach for the Western Conference All-Stars at the 2007 NHL All-Star Game, and was named the NHL’s Coach of the Year by The Sporting News, an honor determined through a vote of his peers.

reached his goal of becoming an NHL head coach when he was named to his current position on Aug. 6, 1997. After a year aggressively scouting talent in North America and Europe, Trotz and his staff made the most of their opportunity by leading the inaugural edition (1998-99) of the Predators to a 28-47-7 record. Starting with a 3-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Oct. 13, 1998, the Predators’ 28 wins were the third-most in expansion history.

On March 1, 2003, Trotz coached his 392nd game with the Nashville Predators, establishing a league record for most games coached by a team’s original coach since the NHL’s first expansion in 1967. He surpassed current Nashville broadcast analyst Terry Crisp’s mark of 391 games coached as the Tampa Bay Lightning’s first coach from 1992-97.

Prior to joining the Predators, Trotz spent five seasons (1992-97) as the head coach of the Washington Capitals' primary developmental affiliate in the American Hockey League. He was named head coach of the Baltimore Skipjacks in 1992 after one season as an assistant coach. Following the franchise’s relocation to Portland, Maine in 1993, he led the Portland Pirates to two Calder Cup Finals appearances over the next four seasons. In 1994-95, Trotz coached Portland to a Calder Cup Championship and a league-best 43-27-10 record and captured AHL Coach of the Year honors. In 2006, he was honored with election to the Pirates’ Hall of Fame.

Trotz began his coaching career in 1984 as an assistant with the University of Manitoba. He then served two seasons (1985-87) as the head coach and general manager of the Dauphin Kings junior hockey club before returning to the University of Manitoba as the head coach in 1987. In January 2001, Trotz was inducted into the University's Hall of Fame.

During the 1987 campaign, Trotz also served as a scout for the Spokane Chiefs (WHL) and a part-time scout for the Capitals. In 1988, he joined Washington as a full-time western scout, and the next season he became the Caps' chief western scout.

Before coaching, Trotz played junior hockey for Regina (WHL) from 1979-83, capturing a WHL championship in 1979-80. The defenseman registered 102 points (19g-83a) and 490 penalty minutes in 204 games.

The popular head coach and his family are active in a variety of service and charitable initiatives in the Middle Tennessee community. This commitment was recognized when Trotz was honored with the Community Spirit Award (in recognition for community service) at the 2005 O’Charley’s Dinner of Champions, presented by the Nashville Sports Council. For the past several seasons, the Trotz’s have donated $500 to My Friend’s House (a United Way agency) for each Nashville victory. He is an active board member for the Williamson County YMCA and the United Way, and in 2004-05, Trotz coached Nashville high school student-athletes. He also works closely with Best Buddies of Tennessee, a  nonprofit organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Barry and his wife, Kim, reside in Brentwood along with their four children: Shalan, Tyson, Tiana and Nolan


Trotz's Head Coaching Record