After graduating their fourth coach onto the professional ranks, the Kootenay Ice don’t have to break a sweat gathering résumés for a new one.

After it was confirmed last week that head coach Mark Holick was moving on to lead the Anaheim Ducks’ farm team, there has been a deluge of CVs pouring into the Ice office and e-mail inboxes.

“You have no idea how many résumés I have. Much like last time, you get them from all areas of hockey — from pro hockey to college to Europe to junior A,” said Kootenay president and general manager Jeff Chynoweth.

“I think coaches see (Ice) coaches moving on, they see the success of the organization and they want to apply there. That’s very rewarding as well. We haven’t really been advertising much since last week, but boy the résumés sure have come in.”

Holick becomes the third consecutive Kootenay head coach to make the jump to the American Hockey League, following Ryan McGill (2002) and Cory Clouston (2007). Former assistant coach Brad Lauer left the same summer as Clouston, and is now his assistant on the Ottawa Senators’ staff.

“I’ll be honest with you: we’ve been very fortunate,” said Chynoweth, attributing the team’s success to three factors. “We’ve had some great coaches, some very good scouting and some good players.”

The Ice have made the playoffs every year since moving to Cranbrook in 1998, and have won more than 50 per cent of their games each of the last 11 seasons.

“We’ve been consistent for a long time. You know what to expect when you play for the Kootenay Ice, whether it’s Mark Holick or Ryan McGill coaching. It doesn’t matter the year, it’s the same sort of structure and environment that’s been in place since Day 1.”

Chynoweth said it’s a point of pride, and helps while recruiting.

“Young players want to know what type of coaching they’re going to get before making decisions to come play in the Western Hockey League. That definitely helps us, having moved four coaches on to pro hockey in eight years.”

Chynoweth said the Ice will ideally hire Holick’s replacement by Aug. 1.

When the Ice settled on him, Holick was one of five interviewees. Chynoweth said he’d like to talk to the same number of applicants this time.

While head-coaching experience is a top priority, the GM said the team would consider an assistant with years of experience at the professional level.

“I think a winning pedigree at some level, with consistency (is important),” he said.

“You look at Mark’s past record: before he came to us he’d been a coach for 13 years and his teams were very competitive every year and won some championships along the way. When we went through the process last time, that was one of the things that stuck out with Mark.”

As for the rest of the Kootenay coaching staff, assistant coach Kris Knoblauch is under still contract, while fellow assistant Scott Beattie and goalie coach Cardinal are also wanted back.

The Ice have 19 players from last year’s roster eligible to return, but Chynoweth said Knoblauch will not be their head coach.

“I’ve spoken to Kris. I think Kris has made great strides as an assistant coach under Mark in the last three years,” he said.

“Do I think he’s going to be a coach one day in the Western Hockey League? I certainly do. I just don’t think right now with the team we’re eligible to return that it would be fair to him to go from being the middleman to the hammer. That’s not an easy thing. With no head coaching experience, that’s not easy to jump into.”