The San Jose Sharks have fired head coach Ron Wilson after a disappointing playoff run. The Sharks won the Pacific Division, but an early and unexpected exit in the postseason seemed to be the last straw for Wilson.

Wilson was hired by the Sharks in December 4, 2002, and holds franchise records for wins (206), winning percentage (.535) and postseason games coached (52). Under Wilson, San Jose was 206-134-45 in the regular season and a 28-24 playoff record. They advanced to the Western Conference finals in 2004, but could never get over the hump to make an appearance in the Stanley Cup finals.

Under Wilson, the 2007-08 San Jose Sharks accumulated 49 wins and set a franchise record with 108 points. The Sharks won the Pacific Division for the third time this season, but expectations were high and anything less than a Stanley Cup win was unacceptable.

San Jose escaped the Calgary Flames in seven games in round one. They went down 3-0 to Dallas in the semifinals before trying to battle back, but fell short in six games. San Jose’s season ended in a four overtime marathon in Dallas on May 4th.

Wilson has coached three different teams: San Jose, Washington Capitals and Anaheim Ducks. He coached the Capitals to the Stanley Cup finals in 1998, but Washington was swept by the Detroit Red Wings. His 518 victories are the eighth most in NHL history, and he’s ninth with 1,091 career games coached. The announcement came on Monday and the search for a replacement would begin immediately.

"Ron helped foster a new era in San Jose Sharks hockey with some record-setting regular season performances," said general manager Doug Wilson in a release. "However, ultimately we have decided that it is time for a different voice and a different approach to lead this team."

Some likely candidates that will be considered are former Avalanche head coach Joel Quenneville, who was fired by Colorado this week. Former Sharks player Tony Granato, who spent five seasons as a player with San Jose, has some coaching experience with the Avalanche and might be brought in as a youthful, fresh face. Paul Maurice is also available and he might be able to get the talented Sharks over the hurdle.

As for Wilson, his options are unlimited. Toronto, Atlanta, Colorado, and Florida are all in need of a coach. Wilson has the experience all of those teams are looking for and he has the ability to get young players to play for him. His first choice might be Toronto, as he is a native of Windsor, Ontario.