Don Nachbaur has resigned as head coach of SC Bern Bears.
SC Bern, a 16-time champion of the Swiss National A League, announced last Tuesday the 61-year-old native of Kitimat was leaving the team. Both sides have agreed not to disclose the reason.
Nachbaur, a former NHL defenceman who grew up in Prince George, signed a two-year contract over the summer to take over from Kari Jalonen after the Bears faltered on ice last season, having won the league title three of the four previous years. At the time Nachbaur left, the Bears had a 4-8-0 record in the 12-team league.
Mario Kogler was hired as interim head coach, jumping up to the pro ranks after serving as head coach of SC Bern’s junior U-20 team.
Nachbaur is the third-winningest head coach in the Western Hockey League history. In 19 seasons as a WHL head coach with the Seattle Thunderbirds, Tri-City Americans and Spokane Chiefs he was behind the bench for 1,333 games and won 692 of them He coached last season for HKM Zloven of the Slovakia Tipsort Liga. Prior to that, he served 1 ½ seasons as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Kings and was head coach of Canada’s under-18 national teams in several European tournaments.
As an NHL centre, Nachbaur played 223 NHL games over eight seasons with Hartford, Edmonton and Philadelphia and wrapped up his 15-year pro career in 1994 after playing four seasons in Austria for Graz EC.
Nachbaur and his wife Kim make their home in Richland, Wash.
