RI’s Tim Army Named Head Coach of the AHL’s Iowa Wild

Former Providence College Friar star, Tim Army, has been named coach of the Iowa Wild, the American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL’s Minnesota Wild.

Tim, now 55, brings 30 years of coaching experience across the NHL, AHL and NCAA to the Wild. He joins Iowa from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, where he served as an assistant coach during the 2017-18 season to another RI native, Clark Donatelli. Ahead of his time with the Penguins, Army spent six seasons as an assistant coach with the Colorado Avalanche from 2011-2017.

Army’s last head coaching experience came from 2005-2011, when he led his alma mater, Providence College. Army reached the Hockey East Quarterfinals in each of his first three seasons with the Friars and had a winning conference record in two of those seasons.

The first head-coaching job of Army’s career was with the Portland Pirates of the AHL, where he manned the bench from 2002-2005. During his tenure with the Pirates, Army amassed a 99-89-26-6 record in 240 games. The Pirates reached the playoffs in two of his three seasons. During the 2003-04 campaign, Portland allowed the fewest goals in team history (160). In each season at Portland, Army finished with a record at or above .500.

Prior to his time with the Pirates, Army served as an assistant coach with the Washington Capitals (1997-2002), Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (1993-1997) and Providence College (1987-1993).

Army also has international coaching experience through work with Team USA in multiple capacities since 1991. In his international career, Army won a bronze medal with US Hockey at the 1996 and 2013 IIHF World Hockey Championships and finished second at the 2010 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup with the USA U-18 team.

Before moving behind the bench, Army played hockey at Providence College for four years, serving as captain his senior season. He finished a Hobey Baker Award finalist, earned an All-Hockey East First Team selection and was named an ACHA West First-Team All-American.

Tim was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in 1981.Army spent one season playing with Maine Mariners of the AHL, where he recorded 27 points on 11 goals and 16 assists in 68 games in 1985-86.

Tim, of course, is the grandson of the renowned RI Reds trainer, George Army, patriarch of one of our state’s most heralded hockey families. Tim and his wife, Sue, have two sons, Derek and Travis.