Murray Wood: Going to seed, in a good way
Murray Wood says seed sales are taking off this spring. Food prices are likely convincing some to grow their own vegetab...
Despite making the playoffs and making things tough for the Medicine Hat Tigers, the Regina Pats will not be bringing back Brad Herauf as the team’s head coach.
The WHL club announced on Tuesday that it will not be extending the contracts of Herauf and assistant coach Ryan Smith.
“It was my decision. I think there were things throughout the course of the year that I feel it would have been nice to start fresh with a new voice and new direction,” Pats general manager Dale Derkatch said, noting a number of players will be back next season. “I think there was some, maybe philosphical things, that might not align between Brad and me. For the most part, I think I just want a fresh voice — someone new. He was with the organization a long time and a good man who built tons of relationships. I think it was just time for a new direction.”
Herauf was an assistant coach with the club from 2015 until he was promoted to the head coaching job in 2023. He signed an extension in 2024.
The team missed the playoffs in his first two seasons of his tenure, but went 25-34-7-2 and qualified for the postseason. They lost in five games to the second-seeded Tigers.
“He coached them the way they needed to be coached to get to where we got to. I don’t think there was anything wrong. Sometimes throughout the course of the year and 68-games, you’d like to play things a different way, but I think he had some style and plans that worked for us to help us be relatively successful this year. We wanted to make the playoffs, and we did. Now we’re looking for bigger and better things of course,” Derkatch said.
Along with Ken Schneider’s retirement, the team says the search is now underway for a new head coach and supporting coaching staff.
Derkatch said he didn’t have anyone in mind to take over the role.
“Haven’t talked to anyone. I’m looking for someone who aligns with my thoughts on how a team should play. That’s probably the biggest factor,” Derkatch said. “I’ll get to that. It’s not a rush. We want to take our time and make a good decision and that will take time.”
Derkatch said one of the things he is looking for is someone who communicates well.
“These days, young people, for whatever reason, need to know everything instead of back when I played. The coach would say you’re not playing tonight, and you usually knew why and you would self-reflect and should be sitting. For some reason, these days it needs to be talked about, which is fine. Times have changed. I have kids that age and around and it’s good that they know,” Derkatch said.
The incoming head coach will get to inherit a team that will have both Maddox Schultz and Liam Pue playing a full season for the first time in the WHL.
