ADRIAN, Mich. (SESN) — Adam Krug, the head coach of Adrian College’s NCAA men’s hockey team, has resigned to accept an assistant coaching position with the Bakersfield Condors, the AHL affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers. Krug, an Adrian College alumnus (’12), led the Bulldogs for ten seasons, amassing a career coaching record of 229-52-14.
“I’d like to thank President Jeffrey Docking, Vice President Frank Hribar, Vice President Jim Mahony, Athletic Director Craig Rainey, and the rest of the administration for their support of my career and Bulldog Hockey,” Krug said. “Leaving Adrian College is not an easy decision, as it’s a special place to my family. It’s where I met my wife, Lindsay, and where we’ve raised our three children for the past ten years.”
Krug will join the Condors, who finished the 2023-24 season with a 39-27-4-2 record and made the Calder Cup Playoffs. The Edmonton Oilers, their NHL affiliate, won the Western Conference last season before falling in game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals to the Florida Panthers.
“I would like to thank Coach Krug for all the hard work and effort he has put into Adrian College and our NCAA men’s hockey program,” said Athletic Director Craig Rainey. “It is a bittersweet day at Adrian College as we see one of our best coaches step away for an opportunity in professional hockey. His legacy at Adrian will live here forever. We are happy for Coach Krug and his family and wish them the best as they continue their hockey journey. We know there are many more outstanding achievements ahead for him.”
During his tenure, Krug achieved an .800 winning percentage, the highest among active head coaches in all divisions of NCAA hockey. He holds the record for the most wins in the program’s history and led the Bulldogs to five NCAA Division III Frozen Four appearances. Krug’s teams won nine NCHA Peters Cups and five NCHA Harris Cups. Under his leadership, the Bulldogs claimed their first NCAA National Championship in 2022. Thirty-one of Krug’s players went on to sign professional contracts.
“Telling the players on Tuesday evening was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do,” Krug said. “Outside of my family, those guys are my life. I love them. I’m proud of them. This year’s team is set up to make another run and hopefully add another NCAA trophy to the trophy case inside the Arrington Ice Arena.”
Krug was a member of the inaugural Adrian College NCAA men’s hockey team in the 2007-08 season, serving as captain. In his two seasons as a player, Krug totaled 52 goals and 77 assists for 129 points in 57 games. He then pursued a professional playing career in the ECHL and other leagues before transitioning to coaching.
“I’ve always been a college hockey guy and coaching at the professional level was not really on my radar as a career route,” Krug said. “Over the past year or two, I’ve had some great opportunities to observe at the NHL level and even interview for a couple of other jobs. These opportunities piqued my interest, and this move seems like the right fit at the right time. I’m grateful to the Edmonton Oilers organization for their interest in my services, and our family is extremely excited to get to Bakersfield and join Colin Chaulk’s staff and get to work.”
Krug expressed gratitude to those who have supported him throughout his time at Adrian College. “I wish I could call the hundreds of people that made this all possible but there are just so many,” Krug said. “So, I’m saying thank you to all of the people we’ve crossed paths with at Adrian College over the last 18 years. The players, our alums, my assistant coaches through the years, their families, our passionate fans, our boosters, and everyone else associated with Adrian College and Bulldog Hockey – thank you. This is forever our home, and we look forward to coming back as much as we can in the future.”
Adrian College will soon begin the search for a new head coach for its NCAA men’s hockey program.
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