AUSTIN, MN – The Austin Bruins, proud members of the North American League, announced on Friday that Kyle Grabowski will not be returning as head coach/general manager for the 2017-18 season, and will be pursuing other opportunities.
Grabowski had served as the bench boss of the Bruins for two seasons, becoming the second head coach in team history upon his hiring in the summer of 2015. The Bruins finished the 2015-16 season 29-27-4, the #3 seed in the Central Division. After upsetting #2 Minot in four games, the Bruins fell one win short of their third consecutive Robertson Cup Tournament appearance, dropping the Central Finals to Bismarck in five games. This past season, the Bruins struggled to find consistency (24-27-9), finishing in 6th place and missing the playoffs for the first time since their inaugural season of 2010-11. Grabowski’s squad finished the year strong – picking up points in their final seven games; but had a rough second half overall, losing 19 of 25 games in the months of January, February, and March.
The Bruins will retain assistant coaches Keenan Kelly and Brad Clayton as they interview candidates to fill the head job and would like to thank Kyle for his hard work and dedication over the past two years.
