Chuck Weber Accepts College Coaching Position

DULUTH, Ga. – The Atlanta Gladiators announced Tuesday that Head Coach and General Manager of Hockey Operations, Chuck Weber has accepted a coaching position at a Division I NCAA School and will not return for the 2018-19 season.

“Switching to the college ranks is something I’ve been looking at for a number of years and the timing was right to make the change,” said Weber. “Not only will this be a new challenge for myself after 19 years in professional hockey but it will add a stability for me and my family which is hard to get in the pro game.”

“We want to thank Chuck for all his hard work and dedication to success this past season,” said Team President Scott Henrichsen. “He always did things the right way and with the upmost class and not only got us back to the playoffs but planted the seed for further growth of the organization.”

Weber led the team back to the playoffs after a four-season absence before falling to the Eastern Conference Champion Florida Everblades in the South Division Semifinals. The New York Native lead the team to the post-season even with over 300 man games lost to injury during the year.

“What Chuck did with all the countless big time injuries not only to us but our parent club is truly incredible,” added Henrichsen. “He got the most out of his players night in and night out when on many occasions we were outmatched and even at times outnumbered.”

The school in which Weber has accepted his new position at will be announced at a later date. The Gladiators are now actively searching for the franchise’s sixth Head Coach and General Manager of Hockey Operations.

“Last year was a transition year for not only the team but front office as well and Chuck did an amazing job reestablishing this organization among the upper echelon of the ECHL,” said Henrichsen. “We are excited to expand on the precedent that was set and take the team to the next level of contention with our next coach along with new owner, Dan Orlich.”

In a non-related announcement, Assistant Coach Brady Leisenring will also not return for the upcoming season as he has accepted a new position at the St. James Sports Complex, a brand new sports facility in Springfield, VA.

The 16th season of Atlanta Gladiators hockey begins at the Infinite Energy Arena on Friday, October 19th against the Greenville Swamp Rabbits at 7:35 PM. For ticket information, visit the official team website at www.atlantagladiators.com or call the main office line at 770-497-5100.

The Gladiators are members of the ECHL, the nation’s premier "AA" hockey league. All home games are played at the 10,867-seat Infinite Energy Arena, located just off I-85 on Sugarloaf Parkway in Duluth – where parking is always free. The Gladiators have established an unrivaled commitment to excellence, maintaining a distinctive reputation for affordable and family-friendly sports entertainment and consistently ranked as one of the top “Things To Do” in the Atlanta area and across the North Georgia region.For all the latest team news, contests, and more visit AtlantaGladiators.com, or “like” the Gladiators on Facebook (www.facebook.com/AtlantaGladiators), follow the team on Twitter (www.twitter.com/ATLGladiators), Instagram (www.instagram.com/atlgladiators) or Snapchat (www.snapchat.com) at "gladshockey".

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