BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Sabres hired former USA Hockey National Team Development Program coach Seth Appert to take over as coach of their minor league affiliate, the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League, on Tuesday.

Appert spent the past three seasons with USA Hockey and previously spent 11 seasons coaching at the college ranks at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The 46-year-old has no previous experience coaching at the professional level.

He replaces Chris Taylor, who was abruptly fired in June as part of a major Sabres shakeup in which the franchise also fired general manager Jason Botterill, his staff and numerous scouts as part of a cost-cutting purge.

Appert had a combined 43-29-7 record in splitting time between USA Hockey’s Under-17 and -18 teams. He was also an assistant coach on the U.S. team which won the 2017 world junior championship, and head coach of the silver medal-winning U.S. Under-18 Team.

Appert also had brief experience coaching NHL-level players as an assistant coach on the U.S. National team, which competed at the 2017 world championships.

Appert spent his four college seasons playing goal at Ferris State University, and previously served as an assistant at the University of Denver.

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