CARLYLE - The Carlyle Cougars have turned to an long-time coach in southeast Saskatchewan hockey circles to guide the team during the 2023-24 Big Six Hockey League season.
Brad Pierson has been hired as the Cougars' head coach. While this will be his first head coaching gig in the Big Six, he brings more than 20 years of coaching experience.
Pierson started coaching youth teams in Estevan when he was 16 years old. Two years later, he had his own youth team and then resurrected the Estevan U18 AA Bruins program in 1996. He spent a couple of years as an assistant coach with the Estevan Bruins junior team, then bounced around different levels of teams.
He's been out of coaching for the past eight years while he focused on his family.
Pierson is looking forward to getting back into coaching.
"I've always preferred [coaching] the older age groups, but just haven't been looking hard or looking at all. When this opportunity arose, and then combined with both of my kids now being done their collegiate sports careers, it just made it a bit easier," said Pierson.
Pierson said he decided to coach the Cougars after chatting with long-time friend and veteran Cougars' defenceman Tyler Fleck, whom Pierson coached with the Estevan Bruins.
"I've been friends with him for the last 25 years, and with his family, and he mentioned it [the Cougars' coaching vacancy] in the spring and revisited it a couple of weeks ago," said Pierson. "It caught my attention and it started to look interesting, so it came together."
Pierson had a taste of coaching in the Big Six nearly 20 years ago when he helped out with the Bienfait Coalers, and it was different than coaching young players. But even in his first meetings with the Cougars, the players were receptive to him and he's excited about the potential for the team.
"I went and watched all the Cougars' … provincial home games, and watched a few other league games during the year," Pierson said.
So many players that he has coached over the years are still in the Big Six, so Pierson follows the league because he wants to know how they are doing.
Pierson believes the Cougars look very strong, and the players are excited to have him there.
The Cougars finished sixth in the league standings last season with a 9-10-1 record. They were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Moosomin Rangers
The Cougars added some players for provincials and made it to the Sask. senior B final, falling to Wadena.
Carlyle will open the 2023-24 regular season on Nov. 3, when they host the Midale Mustangs at 8 p.m.
