{{short description|American ice hockey player and coach}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox person | name = Jay Varady | birth_name = <!-- only use if different from name --> | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1977|09|16}} | birth_place = Cahokia, Illinois, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | other_names = | occupation = Assistant coach of the Philadelphia Flyers | education = Union College | years_active = | known_for = }} '''Jay Varady''' (born September 16, 1977) is an American former ice hockey player and current assistant coach for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Prior to joining the NHL coaching ranks, Varady coached the Sioux City Musketeers in the United States Hockey League (USHL), the Kingston Frontenacs in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and the Tucson Roadrunners in the American Hockey League (AHL). He played college ice hockey for the Union Dutchmen.
==Early life and education== Varady grew up in St. Louis and played midget hockey in Chicago for the Chicago Young Americans. He graduated to the Dubuque Fighting Saints in the United States Hockey League (USHL) for two years before entering Union College.<ref name = "Q+A">{{cite web |title=Q&A: Jay Varady, Kingston Frontenacs Head Coach |url=https://www.neutralzone.net/mens/2017/12/26/qa-jay-varady-kingston-frontenacs-head-coach/ |website=neutralzone.net |access-date=September 17, 2019 |date=December 26, 2017}}</ref> At Union, he played three seasons with their Division I hockey team from 1997 to 2000 before joining the coaching staff after a critical neck injury.<ref name = ":1">{{cite news |author1=Ken Schott |title=Ex-Union hockey's Varady named Kingston (OHL) head coach |url=https://dailygazette.com/blogs/parting-schotts/ex-union-hockeys-varady-named-kingston-ohl-head-coach |access-date=September 17, 2019 |publisher=The Daily Gazette |date=July 13, 2017}}</ref> Prior to his injury, Varady served as team captain for the 1999–00 season.<ref>{{cite web |title=UNION SET TO OPEN SEASON AT ICE BREAKER INVITATIONAL AGAINST CC |url=https://muse.union.edu/newsarchives/2005/10/07/union-set-to-open-season-at-ice-breaker-invitational-against-cc/ |website=muse.union.edu |access-date=September 17, 2019 |date=October 7, 2005 |quote=He is the first junior to wear the "C" for Union since Jay Varady was named captain for the 1999-00 season}}</ref>
==Coaching career== After graduation, Varady coached the Chicago U16 AAA Team for the 2001 season.<ref name = "Q+A"/> He then joined the coaching staff of the Pittsburgh Forge, from the North American Hockey League, for the 2002–03 season. The following year, he was an assistant and associate head coach with the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League (WHL).<ref name = ":1"/> In 2009, Varady was named Team USA's Video Coach for their 2010 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships team.<ref>{{cite web |title=Silvertips' Jay Varady Named to USA Hockey's National Junior Team Coaching Staff, Tyler Maxwell to Attend USA Development Camp |url=https://whl.ca/silvertips-jay-varady-named-to-usa-hockey-s-national-junior-team-coaching-staff-tyler-maxwell-to-attend-usa-development-camp |website=whl.ca |access-date=September 17, 2019 |date=June 15, 2009}}</ref>
Varady stayed with the Silvertips until 2010, when he took two years off to coach in France's Ligue Magnus.<ref name = "USA">{{cite web |title=Jay Varady Tabbed Head Coach of U.S. Junior Select Team |url=https://www.usahockey.com/news_article/show/703432-jay-varady-tabbed-head-coach-of-u-s-junior-select-team |website=usahockey.com |access-date=September 17, 2019 |date=September 29, 2016}}</ref> Upon his return to North America, Varady took over the Sioux City Musketeers, where he helped lead them to a 136-88-16 record during his coaching seasons.<ref name = ":1"/> This made him the third winningest coach in Musketeers’ history.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Giese |first1=Jerry |title=Varady having a hard time leaving Musketeers |url=https://siouxcityjournal.com/sports/hockey/amateur/musketeers/varady-having-a-hard-time-leaving-musketeers/article_eae645d4-702a-567a-9e6b-4117a6fd448e.html |access-date=September 17, 2019 |publisher=Sioux City Journal |date=July 25, 2017}}</ref> As a result, Varady was awarded the 2017 USHL Coach of the Year Award.<ref>{{cite web |title=USHL Announces Coach and General Manager of the Year |url=https://www.ushl.com/news_article/show/781430-ushl-announces-coach-and-general-manager-of-the-year |website=ushl.com |access-date=September 17, 2019 |date=April 10, 2017 }}{{Dead link|date=December 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref> He was also selected by Team USA to coach their 2016 World Junior A Challenge team.<ref name = "USA"/>
The following year, Varady joined the coaching staff of the Kingston Frontenacs in the Ontario Hockey League. He led Kingston to a record of 36–26–6–3, helping them reach the OHL Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history.<ref>{{cite web |title=Jay Varady Gets The Call to Coach in the AHL with the Tucson Roadrunners |url=https://kingstonfrontenacs.com/article/jay-varady-gets-the-call-to-coach-in-the-ahl-with-the-tucson-roadrunners |website=kingstonfrontenacs.com |access-date=September 17, 2019 |date=July 2, 2018}}</ref>
In 2018, Varady was named head coach of the Tucson Roadrunners of the American Hockey League (AHL), the affiliate of the Arizona Coyotes of the National Hockey League.<ref>{{cite web |title=Coyotes Name Varady Head Coach of Tucson Roadrunners |url=https://www.nhl.com/coyotes/news/coyotes-name-varady-head-coach-of-tucson-roadrunners/c-299391598 |website=NHL.com |access-date=September 17, 2019 |date=July 2, 2018}}</ref> In his second season as coach in Tucson, the Roadrunners were named the division champions when the season was curtailed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the postponed start of the 2020–21 season, Varady joined the Coyotes' staff as an assistant coach. In his two seasons as head coach, Tucson held a 70–45–6–5 record.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/coyotes-add-jay-varady-to-coaching-staff-for-2020-21-season/n-5660685 |title=Coyotes Add Jay Varady to Coaching Staff for 2020-21 Season |website=oursportscentral.com |date=January 14, 2021}}</ref> Once the abbreviated AHL season was complete, he returned to Tucson on a three-year contract as head coach beginning with the 2021–22 season. He led the Roadrunners to a 93–84–11–6 record in four seasons.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/coyotes-name-jay-varady-as-tucson-roadrunners-head-coach/n-5716476 |title=Coyotes Name Jay Varady as Tucson Roadrunners' Head Coach |website=oursportscentral.com |date=July 7, 2021 |access-date=July 7, 2021}}</ref>
On July 18, 2022, Varady was named assistant coach for the Detroit Red Wings for the 2022–23 season.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nhl.com/redwings/news/jay-varady-hired-as-assistant-coach/c-335018822 |title=Red Wings hire Jay Varady as assistant coach |website=NHL.com |first=Thomas |last=Roth |date=July 18, 2022 |access-date=July 18, 2022}}</ref>
After three seasons in Detroit, Varady was hired as an assistant coach for the Philadelphia Flyers on June 5, 2025.<ref>{{cite web |title=Flyers Name Jaroslav Svejkovsky & Jay Varady Assistant Coaches |url=https://www.nhl.com/flyers/news/flyers-name-jaroslav-svejkovsky-jay-varady-assistant-coaches |website=Philadelphia Flyers |access-date=June 18, 2025 |date=June 5, 2025}}</ref>
==Personal life== Varady married Joy, a nurse practitioner.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gallagher |first1=Tim |title=PINK FOR A PASSION |url=https://siouxcityjournal.com/news/local/sioux-city-hockey-coach-s-wife-helps-wage-war-on/article_ca85a9ea-0540-5aa4-84f2-1ea833b45736.html |access-date=September 17, 2019 |publisher=Sioux City Journal |date=October 25, 2014}}</ref>
==Coaching record== ===American Hockey League=== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2"|Team !! rowspan="2"|Year !! colspan="6"|Regular season !! colspan="1"|Postseason |- ! G !! W !! L !! OTL !! Pts !!Finish !! Result |- !Tucson Roadrunners||2018-19 |68||34||26||8||76||5th in Pacific||Did not qualify |- !Tucson Roadrunners||2019-20 |58||36||19||3||75||'''1st in Pacific'''||Playoffs cancelled due to COVID-19 |- !Tucson Roadrunners||2021-22 |68||23||39||6||52||8th in Pacific||Did not qualify |- align="centre" bgcolor="#dddddd" !Tucson totals!!2018–2022!!194!!93!!84!!17!!203!!1 Division Title!!0–0 (0.000) |}
===Ontario Hockey League=== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2"|Team !! rowspan="2"|Year !! colspan="6"|Regular season !! colspan="1"|Postseason |- ! G !! W !! L !! OTL !! Pts !!Finish !! Result |- !Kingston Frontenacs||2017-18 |68||36||23||9||81||2nd in East||'''Won in conference quarter-finals (4-1 vs. NB)''' <br> '''Won in conference semi-finals (4-2 vs. BAR)''' <br> Lost in conference finals (1-4 vs. HAM) |- align="centre" bgcolor="#dddddd" !Kingston totals!!2017–2018!!68!!36!!23!!9!!81!!0 Division Titles!!9–7 (0.563) |}
===United States Hockey League=== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2"|Team !! rowspan="2"|Year !! colspan="6"|Regular season !! colspan="1"|Postseason |- ! G !! W !! L !! OTL !! Pts !!Finish !! Result |- !Sioux City Musketeers||2013-14 |60||38||19||3||79||3rd in Western||'''Won in conference semi-finals (3-1 vs. OMA)''' <br> Lost in conference finals (1-3 vs. WAT) |- !Sioux City Musketeers||2014-15 |60||38||17||5||81||'''1st in Western'''||Lost in conference semi-finals (2-3 vs. SF) |- !Sioux City Musketeers||2015-16 |60||20||39||1||41||8th in Western||Did not qualify |- !Sioux City Musketeers||2016-17 |60||40||13||7||87||'''1st in Western'''||'''Won in conference semi-finals (3-0 vs. DM)''' <br> '''Won in conference finals (3-2 vs. WAT)''' <br> Lost in Clark Cup finals (2-3 vs. CHI) |- align="centre" bgcolor="#dddddd" !Sioux City totals!!2013–2017!!240!!136!!88!!16!!288!!2 Conference Titles!!14–12 (0.538) |}
===Ligue Magnus=== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2"|Team !! rowspan="2"|Year !! colspan="7"|Regular season !! colspan="1"|Postseason |- ! G !! W !! OTW !! L !! OTL !! Pts !!Finish !! Result |- !Ducs d'Angers||2011-12 |26||14||2||8||2||34||5th in League||'''Won in preliminary round (3-0 vs. CAE)''' <br> Lost in quarter-finals (1-3 vs. BRI) |- !Ducs d'Angers||2012-13 |26||21||-||2||3||45||'''1st in League'''||'''Won in quarter-finals (3-2 vs. LOU)''' <br> '''Won in semi-finals (3-1 vs. EPI)''' <br> Lost in finals (3-4 vs. ROU) |- align="centre" bgcolor="#dddddd" !Ducs d'Angers totals!!2011–2013!!52!!35!!2!!10!!5!!79!!1 Division Title!!13–10 (0.565) |}
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-sports}} {{succession box | before = Martin Lacroix | title = Head Coach of Ducs d'Angers | years = 2011–2013 | after = Simon Lacroix}} {{succession box | before = Brett Larson | title = Head Coach of the Sioux City Musketeers | years = 2013–2017| after = Luke Strand}} {{succession box | before = Paul McFarland | title = Head Coach of the Kingston Frontenacs | years = 2017-2018| after = Kurtis Foster}} {{succession box | before = Mike Van Ryn | title = Head Coach of the Tucson Roadrunners | years = 2018–2020| after = Steve Potvin}} {{succession box | before = Steve Potvin | title = Head Coach of the Tucson Roadrunners | years = 2021–present| after = Steve Potvin}} {{s-end}}
== External links == *{{icehockeystats|elite=86792}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Varady, Jay}} Category:1977 births Category:Living people Category:American men's ice hockey forwards Category:Detroit Red Wings coaches Category:Dubuque Fighting Saints players Category:Kingston Frontenacs coaches Category:People from Cahokia, Illinois Category:Philadelphia Flyers coaches Category:Sportspeople from St. Clair County, Illinois Category:Tucson Roadrunners coaches Category:Union Garnet Chargers men's ice hockey players