Mark French has resigned as head coach of the Wheeling Nailers. Former assistant coach Derek Army has replaced French on an interim basis.

According to a release from the team, which serves as the Penguins’ ECHL affiliate, French resigned out of family concerns. Due to the pandemic and the closure of the border between the United States and Canada to non-essential travel, French has been unable to visit his famly in Prince Edward Island for the past six months.

Hired on June 8, 2020, French became the 19th coach of the franchise since it moved to Wheeling, W.Va. in 1992. Over 46 games, French directed the club to a 16-24-5-1 record.

“I appreciated my time in Wheeling and the relationships I was able to develop in a short amount of time, but right now, I felt like I needed to put my family first,” French said in a statement. “Getting to know Derek as a person and as a coach, I am confident that he will do a great job for the organization.”

Army, a former forward for the Nailers in the mid-2010s, was hired as an assistant coach on June 19, 2020.

The Nailers’ next game is a road contest against the Fort Wayne Komets on Friday, 8 p.m.

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