The ECHL announced today that Stingrays Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations Jared Nightingale is the 2024-25 recipient of the John Brophy Award as the ECHL Coach of the Year.
The John Brophy Award is the trophy presented annually to the ECHL coach selected to have contributed the most to his team's success, as selected by a vote of ECHL coaches, broadcasters, media relations directors, and media members. The trophy is named for John Brophy, who won a record three ECHL titles with Hampton Roads in 1991, 1992, and 1998 and was inducted into the ECHL Hall of Fame in 2009.
"This is a true team award," said Nightingale. "I would like to thank our owner, Todd Halloran, and our president, Rob Concannon, for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to coach this team. Their investments in our team have enabled us to succeed on the ice this year. I want to thank our players for their hard work and for being great teammates. They have been executing at a high level all year and have been very coachable and fun to work with. I want to thank our entire staff. They have been outstanding this year. I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with our assistant coaches, Scott Davidson and Mike Hamilton, our Head Athletic Trainer, Julia Phillips, and our Head Equipment Manager, Chuck Liebenrood. We have a great culture and a family atmosphere here, and it's fun to show up at the rink every day. I would also like to thank Jason Fitzsimmons, the Hershey Bears, and the Washington Capitals. This is my first head coaching job, and they have been very supportive and have always been a phone call away. Finally, I want to thank our fans for their support all year. They are a major reason for our success and create an incredible atmosphere at the North Charleston Coliseum."
Nightingale, 42, is the third Stingray to win the Coach of the Year award, joining Spencer Carbery (2013-14) and Steve Bergin (2019-20).
"Jared has done an excellent job recruiting a Stingrays team that has been very competitive and tough to play against every night. That is a testament to his hard work and building strong relationships with the players and his staff," said Stingrays president Rob Concannon. "We are very happy he was selected as the Coach of the Year and look forward to the Kelly Cup Playoffs."
The Stingrays hired Nightingale as their 12th Head Coach in franchise history on May 17, 2024.
In Nightingale's first season as a Head Coach, South Carolina exceeded their point total from the 2023-24 season by 24 points, and the team's overall performance improved significantly under his leadership. This season, Nightingale guided the Stingrays to a 52-15-5 record and 109 points in the standings. The 2024-25 Stingrays set franchise single-season records for points (109), wins (52), and home wins (29) and captured the Brabham Cup for the second time in franchise history for finishing with the best regular season record in the entire ECHL. The Stingrays are guaranteed to have home-ice advantage throughout the entire Kelly Cup Playoffs.
"Success is where hard work and opportunity meet, and Jared has worked so hard to develop a culture of hard work, teamwork, and excellent execution," said Stingrays Principal Owner Todd Halloran. "Rob, Jared, and his staff have worked tirelessly to get the Stingrays into a great position to compete for another Kelly Cup Championship."
Nightingale's Stingrays finished first in the ECHL in several statistical categories this season. A native of Jackson, Michigan, Nightingale oversaw the league's top penalty kill, as the Stingrays successfully killed off 208 of their opponents' 231 power play opportunities this season to finish with a penalty kill success rate of 86.3%.
The 2024-25 Stingrays had an ECHL-best +118 goal differential, leading the league with the most goals per game (3.88) and the fewest goals allowed per game (2.24).
Under Nightingale's guidance, several Stingrays players experienced individual success this season. Six players finished the regular season with more than 20 goals, and eight finished the 2024-25 campaign at +25 or better.
This year's Stingrays team has been known for their physicality on the ice, leading the ECHL with 1,325 penalty minutes.
Before joining the Stingrays, Nightingale spent the previous three seasons as an assistant coach with the American Hockey League's Rockford IceHogs after previously serving in assistant coaching roles with the Ontario Hockey League's Saginaw Spirit and United States Hockey League's U.S. National Under-17 Team and the Omaha Lancers.
Before coaching, Nightingale played 13 seasons of professional hockey, split between the AHL and ECHL. In 472 AHL games and 202 ECHL games, Nightingale accumulated 102 points (23 goals, 79 assists) and 1,534 penalty minutes.
The Stingrays, 2025 Brabham Cup Champions, now look forward to the beginning of the 2025 Kelly Cup Playoffs presented by Neal Brothers. They will face the Orlando Solar Bears in the South Division Semifinals. Game 1 of the best-of-seven series is Friday, April 18, slated for a 7:05 p.m. EST puck drop at the North Charleston Coliseum.
The Stingrays will give rally towels to the first 1,500 fans to arrive at Friday and Saturday's games! Friday's game will also be a Frothy Friday, where fans can get $5 beers from Frothy Beard Brewing from when doors open at 6:00 pm until the end of the first intermission.
Playoff Tickets Are On Sale Now for Games 1 and 2! Grab your tickets to the 2025 Kelly Cup Playoffs at Ticketmaster.