Dave Tippett was named as the 19th head coach in Dallas Stars franchise history on May 21, 2002, and he led the club to a Pacific Division title and a Western Conference-best 111 points in his first season behind the bench.

In Tippett’s first season, Dallas went 46-17-15-4, which is by far the best start for a Stars coach in his first 82 games. The Stars’ 111 points in his first campaign are the fourth-highest in NHL history for a first-year head coach.

He led the Stars to a six-game victory over Edmonton in the opening round of the playoffs before falling at the hands of eventual Western Conference champion Anaheim in the conference semifinals.

Tippett made his NHL coaching debut in a 1-1 tie at Colorado on Oct. 9 and he earned his first NHL win on Oct. 11, as the Stars defeated the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim 4-2 in their home opener.

Tippett came to Dallas from Los Angeles, where he helped turn the Kings into perennial playoff contenders. Serving as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Kings the prior three seasons, Tippett used his vast experience by focusing on the offensive side of the ice. In all three seasons Tippett was in Los Angeles, the Kings qualified for the playoffs while making the post-season just once out of the previous six seasons.

Prior to becoming a coach, the 44-year old native of Moosomin, Saskatchewan, played 11 years as a forward in the National Hockey League with the Hartford Whalers, the Washington Capitals, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers. In 721 career NHL outings, he registered 93 goals and 169 assists for 262 points with 317 penalty minutes.

He ended his playing career in 1995 as a player-assistant coach with the Houston Aeros of the International Hockey League (IHL). He led the Aeros to the 1999 Turner Cup Championship while serving as general manager/head coach and he was also named IHL Coach of the Year that year as Houston earned the Fred A. Huber Jr. Memorial Trophy for the league’s best regular season record (54-15-13).

A highly regarded coach with tremendous work ethic, Tippett posted two 50-win seasons at Houston and had a 165-85 regular season record with 36 shootout losses. At the 1998 IHL All-Star Game, he was the co-coach of the victorious Western Conference squad.

During his career with Hartford, Tippett served as assistant captain and earned the Community Service, Unsung Hero, Mr. Hustle and Best Defensive Forward awards. Internationally, he captained the 1984 Canadian Olympic Team in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, and he earned a silver medal as a member of the Canadian Olympic Team in Albertville, France, in 1992. While at the University of North Dakota, he was a member of the 1982 NCAA Division I Championship squad.

Dave and his wife, Wendy, have two daughters, Nicole and Natalie. The family resides in Plano, TX.