Jay Varady

Jay Varady enters his first season as an assistant coach with the Red Wings. Varady was named to his current position on July 18, 2022 after spending the last four seasons as a coach in the Arizona Coyotes organization, including three seasons as the head coach of the American Hockey League's Tucson Roadrunners from 2018-20 and 2021-22.

Varady, 44, compiled a 93-84-11-6 record during his tenure with the Roadrunners, leading the team to its first-ever Pacific Division title in 2019-20 with a 36-19-1-2 mark. He also served as the head coach of the Pacific Division at the 2020 AHL All-Star Classic. Before returning for his second stint with the Roadrunners in 2021-22, Varady made his debut behind an NHL bench as an assistant coach for the Coyotes during the 2020-21 campaign, helping the team to a 24-26-6 record.

Prior to joining the Coyotes organization, Varady worked one season as the head coach of the Ontario Hockey League's Kingston Frontenacs in 2017-18, guiding the team to a 36-23-6-3 record and a berth in the Eastern Conference Final for the first time in franchise history. Varady arrived in Kingston after spending the previous four seasons as the head coach and director of hockey operations for the United States Hockey League's Sioux City Musketeers from 2013-17, where he posted a 136-88-10-6 record. While with Sioux City, Varady was named the USHL's Coach of the Year in 2016-17 after the Musketeers clinched the Anderson Cup as the league's regular-season champion with a 40-13-5-2 mark and reached the Clark Cup Final. In all, Varady led Sioux City to the postseason in three of his four seasons at the helm, earning two appearances in the Western Conference Final and a pair of Western Conference regular-season titles.

Prior to beginning his coaching career, Varady recorded eight points (3-5-8) and 100 penalty minutes in 73 games at Union from 1997-00, serving as team captain during his junior campaign. Varady also played two seasons with the USHL's Dubuque Fighting Saints from 1995-97, logging 14 points (5-9-14) and 389 penalty minutes in 95 appearances.