Former Petes assistant coach willing to return to be head coach
An OHL assistant coach for 14 seasons, Grimes has also had past success as a head coach
Jake Grimes says his move to the Guelph Storm last season was about progressing his coaching career and he’d love the next progression to be a return to the Peterborough Petes as head coach.
Grimes, 45, talked with GM Mike Oke by phone about his interest in the Petes job. He served as assistant coach in charge of the Petes defence for the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons before taking an associate coach role with Guelph. There he was reunited with George Burnett who was his boss with the Belleville Bulls for 11 years.
His two years with the Petes were their most successful of their past 12. He’d like to think he contributed to that success and has a familiarity with many of the players and with the organization to make for a seamless fit.
“I was fortunate to spend two very recent and decently successful seasons there so I have a finger on the pulse,” Grimes said.
“I enjoyed my two years there and had no intentions of leaving but there was a better opportunity. Sometimes you have to respond to those opportunities to show the world you are interested in progressing.”
After 14 years as an assistant, Grimes says it’s time to take the next step in his career.
He’s turned down opportunities in the past because they weren’t the right move for his family which maintains a residence in Belleville. Now that his children are a little older he’s prepared to make a move and Peterborough is an ideal spot.
“I enjoyed how we worked at coaching (in Peterborough),” Grimes said.
“I enjoyed the relationship between the coaches and general manager. I enjoyed the city itself. The whole thing.”
Sometimes coaches get pigeonhold as assistants. Grimes noted he’s had success when given a head coaching opportunity. He was the Western Junior B Coach of the Year with the Petrolia Jets in 2003-04. He led Ontario’s Under-17 team to gold (2011) and silver (2010) medals as head coach at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. He feels he’s paid his dues.
“I’m competitive and I fight to get better all the time,” he said.
“I’m always looking for new solutions and ways to counter new systems and to create new systems and new drills. I’ve always been very resourceful.
“I think players would let you know there is a nice combination of a guy they can trust and who has their back. A guy who has the ability and will to step out of himself to work on something that player may need to better themselves and who will have the tough conversations as well.”
Grimes sees potential in the group of players the Petes have. He says when he was with the Petes he felt Oke did a good job to add players to improve the team.
“It’s time for the Petes to make the next step at becoming a force that can hopefully be a force on a regular and consistent basis and, as time goes on, earns the right to compete for championships,” he said.