List of Toronto Marlies head coaches

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Sheldon Keefe (pictured) is the only Marlies coach to win a Calder Cup. Calder Cup Final - (06.14.18)-53 (41216020450).jpg
Sheldon Keefe (pictured) is the only Marlies coach to win a Calder Cup.

The Toronto Marlies are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL), based in Toronto, Ontario. A member of the North Division in the Eastern Conference, the team has served as the top minor-league affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs since its establishment in 2005, following the relocation of the St. John's Maple Leafs. The Marlies play their home games at Coca-Cola Coliseum, situated on the grounds of Exhibition Place. [1]

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Throughout the franchise’s history, the Marlies have employed eight head coaches. Sheldon Keefe is the most successful of these, holding the franchise's highest winning percentage at .672 across 319 games coached from the 2015 to 2019 seasons, prior to being promoted to the NHL as head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs. [2] The following day, Keefe signed a three-year contract with the Maple Leafs. [3] He also coached the most games in franchise history. Under Keefe’s leadership, the Marlies achieved unprecedented success, including capturing their first Calder Cup championship during the 2018 Calder Cup playoffs. Keefe was known for his structured systems and development-focused approach, helping transition many young players, such as Travis Dermott, Andreas Johnsson, and Timothy Liljegren, into NHL-ready talent. His tenure is widely regarded as the most dominant period in Marlies franchise history, setting organizational records for wins, points, and playoff victories.[ citation needed ]

In contrast, Greg Moore recorded the lowest winning percentage (.538) among coaches who served more than one full season, guiding the team in 213 games during his tenure. [4] Moore, who took over midway through the 2019–20 season, faced several challenges, including roster instability and the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite flashes of promise, Moore’s teams struggled to maintain consistency, and the development of prospects under his watch was considered steady but less impactful compared to his predecessors.[ citation needed ]

Despite the team’s consistent competitiveness, no Marlies coach has yet won the Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award, which is presented annually to the league’s most outstanding coach. [5] [n 1]

The current head coach is John Gruden, appointed on July 4, 2023. [6]

Coaches

#Number of head coaches. Coaches with multiple terms are only counted once.
GCGames coached
WWins
LLosses
TTies
OTOvertime/shootout losses
Win% Winning percentage
†Spent entire AHL head coaching career with the Marlies
#NameTermRegular seasonPlayoffsAwardsReference
GCWLT/OTWin%GCWLWin%
Toronto Marlies
1 Paul Maurice † 2005–06 80412910.575514.200 [7] [8] [9]
2 Greg Gilbert 2006–2009 2401238928.571251114.440 [8] [9]
3 Dallas Eakins 2009–2013 31215711441.569251610.615 [8] [9]
4 Steve Spott † 2013–14 7645256.63214104.714 [8] [9]
5 Gord Dineen 2014–15 7640279.586523.400 [8] [9]
6 Sheldon Keefe † 2015–2019 [n 2] 3191998931.672593821.644 Calder Cup (2018) [13] [8] [9]
7 Greg Moore † 2019 [n 2] –2023 2131079115.538734.429 [8] [9]
8 John Gruden † 2023–present144714924.576514.200 [8] [9]

Note: Statistics are correct through the 2024–25 season. [8] [9]

Notes

    1. ↑ Marc Crawford received the award in the 1993 season as head coach of the St. John's Maple Leafs, the franchise's predecessor.[ citation needed ]
    2. 1 2 On November 20, 2019, Keefe was announced as Mike Babcock's successor after Babcock was relieved of his duties by Maple Leafs' president Brendan Shanahan. [10] The following day, Keefe signed a three-year deal with the club. [11] Marlies assistant coaches Rob Davison and A.J. MacLean jointly assumed coaching duties in the interim, managing the bench until Greg Moore was appointed as interim head coach on December 1. [12]

    References

    1. ↑ "Tenants of Exhibition Place - Exhibition Place". www.explace.on.ca. December 17, 2020. Archived from the original on April 7, 2025. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
    2. ↑ "Maple Leafs fire head coach Mike Babcock - Sportsnet.ca". sportsnet.ca. Retrieved April 24, 2025.
    3. ↑ "Maple Leafs sign new coach Sheldon Keefe through 2022". sportsnet.ca. November 21, 2019.
    4. ↑ "Greg Moore Coaching Record". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved April 23, 2025.
    5. ↑ "AHL Award Winners". theahl.com. American Hockey League. pp. 24–25. Retrieved April 23, 2025.
    6. ↑ "Toronto Maple Leafs Announce John Gruden as Head Coach of the Toronto Marlies". Toronto Marlies. July 4, 2023. Retrieved April 24, 2025– via www.marlies.ca.
    7. ↑ "Paul Maurice". Hockey-Reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. Archived from the original on November 30, 2024. Retrieved April 23, 2025.
    8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "2024-25 AHL Guide & Record Book". American Hockey League. Retrieved April 23, 2025.
    9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Toronto Marlies Season-by-Season Results". hockeydb.com. HockeyDB . Retrieved April 23, 2025.
    10. ↑ "Maple Leafs fire head coach Mike Babcock - Sportsnet.ca". sportsnet.ca. Retrieved April 24, 2025.
    11. ↑ "Maple Leafs sign new coach Sheldon Keefe through 2022". sportsnet.ca. November 21, 2019. Retrieved April 24, 2025.
    12. ↑ "Chicago Steel's Greg Moore Named Head Coach of Toronto Marlies (AHL)". SportsEngine. December 1, 2019. Retrieved April 24, 2025.
    13. ↑ "Sheldon Keefe". Hockey-Reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. Retrieved April 23, 2025.
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