(Courtesy of the Memphis RiverKings)
SOUTHAVEN, Miss - The Memphis RiverKings announced today that former San Jose Sharks Head Coach Jim Wiley has been named the eighth head coach in RiverKings franchise history. Wiley replaces Doug Shedden, who earned back to back President's Cup Championships for the RiverKings in 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 prior to accepting a head coaching position with the American Hockey League's St. John's Maple Leafs.
Wiley's more than 30-year history in hockey includes five years of play for the NHL Pittsburgh Penguins and Vancouver Canucks, and playing experience in the American Hockey League, East Coast Hockey League, the International Hockey League, the old Central Hockey League, and the United States Hockey Junior A League. Wiley played AHL champion Hershey Bears and was a national collegiate champion as a player with Lake Superior State University in 1972.
Wiley spent 11 years with the San Jose Sharks, and was named the Sharks. interim head coach on December 2, 1995. Wiley lead the Sharks to a 17-37-3 record. He also served as a Sharks assistant coach and pro scout. He was also head coach and general manager of the Des Moines Buccaneers for six years, head coach of the Kansas City Blades (IHL) for three years and head coach of the Kentucky Thoroughblades (AHL) for two. Last year Wiley served as head coach of the Lexington Men O. War (ECHL). Wiley led the Men O. War to a 34-31-7 record and qualified for the playoffs. Wiley was an assistant coach on the Kansas City Blades Turner Cup Championship team in 1990-91. In 1994-95 he was the head coach when the Blades lost in Turner Cup Finals.
Wiley received his bachelor's degree in psychology and history from Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and his master's degree in athletic administration from the University of Tulsa in Tulsa, Ok. He taught in the Masters Program and the Division of Health, Physical Education and Recreation as a graduate assistant at Tulsa, where he was also a doctoral candidate.
In his four years as a player with the Lake Superior State Lakers, Wiley tallied seasons of 24, 38, 37, and 56 points in his four seasons. He capped his career by helping the Lakers to a national championship while being named to the NCAA West All-American Team during his senior year in 1972. Following an impressive senior year at Lake Superior State, the Pittsburgh Penguins signed Wiley as a free agent. Although he spent the majority of the 1972-73 season with the Hershey Bears of the AHL, Wiley made his NHL debut with the Penguins, playing in four games and totaling one assist. Wiley played in 22 games with the Penguins but spent the better part of the season with Hershey, capturing the 1974 AHL Calder Cup before he was claimed in the 1974 Intra-League Draft by the Vancouver Canucks. Wiley played in only one game with the Canucks during the 1974-75 season. He spent the majority of the season with the Seattle Totems of the Central Hockey League. In the 1975-76 season, he played one more game for the Canucks and then had a banner year in the CHL, leading the Tulsa Oilers of the Central Hockey League to a first-place finish during the regular season and to the CHL championship. He also captured the scoring championship and was named a CHL First Team All-Star.
Following his year in Tulsa, Wiley split his time with the Canucks and Oilers in 1976-77, where, in 34 games with Vancouver, he scored his first NHL goal on December 23rd, 1976 against St. Louis, finishing the season with ten points before returning to Tulsa for the next three seasons. Wiley was a member of the front office staff with the Tulsa Oilers in 1977-78 before returning to the Oilers' lineup the following season. After a year in the front office, he returned to the Oilers in 1978-79 and led them in scoring before deciding to call it quits at the end of the 1979-80 season. In 62 career NHL games, Wiley scored four goals and added ten assists for career 14 points.
Wiley and wife Christine have one son, Jim, who played professional baseball for the New York Yankees. Wiley's son, daughter-in-law Tiffanee and grandson Tanner live in Fort Smith, Ark.
