Atlanta Gladiators Name Derek Nesbitt Head Coach; Promote Jeff Pyle

DULUTH, Ga. Alex Campbell has announced that Gladiators legend Derek Nesbitt has been named the team's sixth head coach in history. Jeff Pyle has been promoted to Director of Hockey Operations for the club.

"We're so excited to have Mr. Gladiator himself, Derek Nesbitt, as the next head coach of our storied franchise. When you think of the Atlanta Gladiators, you think of Derek Nesbitt, and his accomplishments while wearing a Gladiators jersey. We couldn't be more excited to have Derek at the helm beginning next season. With that said, we would like to sincerely thank Jeff Pyle, for not only setting an example of excellence on the ice, but also your ongoing commitment to the Gladiators in the past, present, and future. We are proud to have promoted him to become our next Director of Hockey Operations" said Gladiators majority owner, Alex Campbell.

Nesbitt, 41, takes over as head coach of the club after serving as an assistant coach for the Gladiators this past season. Prior to being an assistant with Atlanta, Nesbitt served as the team's captain for five seasons, including playing in 512 total games with the franchise, across eight total seasons. Nesbitt is the all-time leader in games played (512), goals (166), assists (258), and points (424) for the Atlanta Gladiators.