Bill Gilligan

William " Bill" Gilligan (* August 5, 1954 in Beverly, Massachusetts ) is a retired American professional ice hockey player and current coach. In the 2005/06 season to go, he took over as coach for the Swiss NLA Club Rapperswil -Jona Lakers. Since the 2008/ 09 season Gilligan 's coach of the Graz 99ers. At the same time it is since August 2009 coach of the Austrian national team, and thus followed Lars Bergström after.

2.1 As a coach

Career

Bill Gilligan graduated as a player 301 games as a right- wing in the U.S. professional leagues and universities, as well as in the Austrian first league. He was, among other things for the Cincinnati Stingers in the World Hockey Association and the Hampton Gulls in the American Hockey League on the ice. He scored 217 goals and recorded 271 thereby assists.

Coaching career

At the age of 31 years, Bill Gilligan took over Austria in his first coaching job at the Austrian record holder KAC and won four times the Austrian title ( 1985-1988). He then moved to SC Bern in Switzerland, where he three-time champion and was runner-up once in four years. Then Bill Gilligan coached the U20 national team of Switzerland and then the senior team.

Then Bill Gilligan returned to the United States where he worked at the University of Massachusetts as a coach. But he came back to Europe in 2005 and coached until 2007 the Swiss National League A club Rapperswil -Jona Lakers.

Since the 2008/ 09 season, Gilligan is at the Graz 99ers under contract, the first time made it under his leadership after four years in the playoffs and also won the first playoff game in club history. In the 2009/10 season the team decided the regular season of the Austrian League in first place for the first time.

In addition, Bill Gilligan has been training since August 2009, the Austrian national team.