New Stingrays head coach, Ryan Warsofsky (via @SCStingrays)
The South Carolina Stingrays ended weeks of suspicion today by announcing the promotion of Ryan Warsofsky from assistant coach to head coach. The seventh bench boss in Stingrays’ history becomes the first American to hold the job and takes over as the fifth youngest head coach in the ECHL at 28 years-old.
Spencer Carbery left the post to take the same position with the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League.
Ever since Rick Adduno replaced Rick Vaive in 1998, the Stingrays have kept with the pattern of promoting an assistant coach to the head coaching position. Warsofsky accepts the post knowing the challenges ahead.
“I am looking forward to the upcoming year and putting together a team that plays fast and hard, and is a group that our fans can be proud of every single night,” Warsofsky said.
Ryan played defense for Sacred Heart and Curry College for two seasons before turning professional in 2011-12. He bounced around from the Turnhout White Caps (Netherlands), to the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees (Central Hockey League), and the Cape Cod Bluefins (Federal Hockey League) before taking an assistant coaching job at Curry in 2012-13.
For the last three seasons, the North Marshfield, MA native crafted the Stingrays’ defense and special teams into league leaders. Last season, the power play finished fourth (19.6%), the penalty kill came in first (87.5%), and the team defense allowed a league-best 162 goals.
“Three years ago, Rob Concannon and Spencer Carbery took a chance on me and I will be forever grateful,” said Warsofsky. “I have learned so much from Rob in these past three years and he has supported me since day one… With Spencer, I learned from the best coach, GM, and person these past three years and I cannot thank him enough.”
Oddly enough, Warsofsky got a brief sample of his new job on November 1 when Carbery was absent from the game and Ryan got to serve as the head coach. The Stingrays defeated the Evansville IceMen 5-2, with two goals from Joe Devin.
Joseph Zakrzewski was unsurprised by the move. The one-time voice of the Stingrays now with the Ontario Reign of the American Hockey League “worked and skated with him many many times both in a Stingrays capacity and in men’s league and the pro skates. He is great to work with,” Zakrzewski said.
With Opening Night on October 22 against the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, Warsofsky will hit the ground running on ECHL free agency. The Stingrays have to replace players lost to Europe like Stephan Vigier (Lillehammer), Brett Cameron (Lillehammer), Spencer Humphries (Stavanger Oilers), Brendan Ellis (Gherdeina), Nick Jones (Stjern), and Jared Staal (Edinburgh) before the season begins.
