Columbus Is Blowing Up the Coaching Staff and Sixth Straight Miss Has Don Waddell Out of Patience
The Columbus Blue Jackets are making moves, and they're not subtle about it. On Friday, the organization announced that assistant coaches Mike Haviland and Scott Ford are done after the 2025-26 season. Video coach Aron Augustitus is also getting shown the door. All three had contracts through the end of the season they just finished, but that didn't matter. When you miss the playoffs for the sixth consecutive year, patience runs out fast.
The Coaching Carousel Keeps Spinning
Haviland and Ford both arrived before the 2024-25 season, so they didn't get much time to prove themselves. Augustitus has been around longer, joining the organization way back in 2018, but tenure doesn't matter when the results aren't there. The decisions came from president of hockey operations and general manager Don Waddell and head coach Rick Bowness, who took over mid-season after Dean Evason and assistant coach Steve McCarthy were fired on January 12.
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👉 Claim Your Free $10 at KalshiBowness actually had decent success after stepping in, going 21-11-5 to close out the campaign. But even that couldn't save the season. Columbus finished with a 40-30-12 record and 92 points, which landed them fifth in the Metropolitan Division and outside the playoff picture for another year.
Waddell Isn't Mincing Words
"Following our end of season meetings, Rick and I determined that changes to our coaching staff would be in the best interest of our club moving forward," Waddell said in a statement. He made sure to thank Haviland, Ford, and Augustitus for their work, but the message was clear: something has to change, and it starts with the people drawing up the plays.
The Blue Jackets are already getting to work. "We will begin the process of reviewing candidates to join our staff in the very near future," Waddell added. When you've missed the playoffs six years running, you don't waste time rebuilding.
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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.