Marty Raymond returns for his 8th season as Condors Head Coach

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – The Bakersfield Condors, official ECHL affiliate of the Minnesota Wild, have announced Marty Raymond will return as head coach for the 2011-12 season. It will be his 8th full season as head coach of the Condors, and 10th full season with the organization.

Raymond, 46, is the second-longest tenured head coach in the ECHL (following Jeff Pyle with Gwinnett/Mobile), and surpassed Condors career milestones of 500 games and 250 wins in 2010-11. He guided the team to its second consecutive, and only two, Pacific Division titles in 2009-10 and 2010-11, and racked up over 40 wins for the fourth time in the seven campaigns under his guidance.

“I’m happy to be back,” said Raymond. “I want to thank the players and the organization for their dedication in winning a second division championship. It was a great season but we have unfinished business in the playoffs. We feel we are up to the challenge of not only defending our division titles, but making a long playoff run, which is always the ultimate goal.”

The Drummondville, Quebec native has compiled a 265-200-56 record in 521 games at the helm of the Condors. He ranks 10th in ECHL history in games coached, and 12th in wins. In 2011-12, Raymond could climb as high as 6th in league history in games coached, while only seven coaches have reached the 300-win plateau, also within reach. He was selected to coach in the ECHL All-Star Classic in Ontario, Calif., during the 2009-10 season.

Raymond has led the Condors to the post-season in each of his seven seasons, and only four coaches in league history have been to the playoffs more times. Meanwhile, 23 of the 26 all-time Condors playoff wins have come with Raymond as head coach, plus two additional playoff wins coming while he served as associate coach from 2002 – 2004. In February, 2002, Raymond joined the Condors as associate coach, a position he held until the 2003-04 season, when he took over after the resigning of Paul Kelly.

“Marty has led this team to some of our biggest moments, not the least of which are our back-to-back division titles,” said Condors President Matthew Riley. “While our early exit in this season’s playoffs was a disappointment, he’s earned the chance to build on what we’ve done and take this team to the next level.”

Raymond began his coaching career in France, where he spent two seasons before returning to North America to guide the Tucson Gila Monsters (1997-99) and Phoenix Mustangs (1999-01) in the West Coast Hockey League. At the helm of the Mustangs in 2000, he won a Taylor Cup Championship, which included an opening round elimination of the Condors en route to the title.

Opening Night is Oct. 15
The Countdown has officially begun! Opening Night for the Condors 2011-12 campaign will be Saturday, Oct. 15, just 158 days away. Game time is 7 p.m. A complete schedule, including opponent and start times will be announced at a later date.

Get Tickets:
Ticket packages for the 2011-12 season are now on sale, starting at just $48. The Condors will battle the rival Stockton Thunder in Bakersfield in preseason action on Saturday, Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. Visit www.BakersfieldCondors.com or call 324-PUCK(7825) for more information.

If you followed the Condors on twitter you would have already known about Marty Raymond’s return! Follow the team throughout the offseason with team news, player signings, promotions and more on twitter (@Condors) and facebook (facebook.com/BakersfieldCondors). Be the first to know!