Dave Tippett was hired as the 19th coach in Stars franchise history on May 21, 2002, and has since posted a 235-127-48 record, the best record of any active NHL coach. He has led the club to two Pacific Division titles (2002-03 and 2005-06), five consecutive playoff appearances and the Western Conference Finals last season. Tippett was rewarded with a contract extension through the 2010-11 season on July 14, 2008 .       

Tippett coached in his 300th NHL game on February 6, 2007 vs. Minnesota and has posted the seventh best record in NHL history among coaches through their first 300 games.    

Dave Tippett’s teams have been near the top of the NHL standings since he took over as head coach, boasting the third-best record in the league since ‘02-03 and the second-best home record. Also, Tippett has guided Dallas to two, 50-win seasons during his tenure (23 teams have registered zero, 50-win campaigns since ‘02-03). 

Under Tippett’s leadership, the Stars have finished in the top-10 in goal scoring three times (ranking tied for eighth in goals in 2007-08, ninth in 2005-06 and tied for sixth in 2002-03). On the flip side, Dallas has finished no worse than sixth in goals against all four seasons under Tippett, including ranking in the top-three on three occasions (2006-07, 2003-04 and 2002-03).    

In his first NHL season as head coach, Tippett led Dallas to its sixth Division title in seven seasons. Registering a 46-21-15 mark for 111 points, Tippett posted the fourth-highest point total for a rookie coach in NHL history.   

Coming to Dallas after serving as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Kings the previous three seasons, Tippett used his vast experience by focusing on the offensive side of the ice. In all three seasons Tippett was in Los Angeles the Kings qualified for the playoffs while making the post-season just once out of the previous six seasons. 

Under Tippett's direction, the Kings’ power play two seasons ago led the entire NHL with a 20.7 percent success rate. In 2000-01, the power play ranked seventh and in 1999-2000 it finished 10th. The year before Tippett came aboard the Kings, in 1998-99, the Kings power play unit ranked 24th in the league. During the 2000-01 campaign Los Angeles tallied 245 goals which were the most the Kings had recorded since the 1993-94 season.     

Prior to becoming a coach, the 46-year old native of Moosomin, Saskatchewan, played 11 years as a     forward in the National Hockey League with the Hartford Whalers, the Washington Capitals, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers. In 721 career NHL outings, he registered 93 goals and 169 assists for 262 points with 317 penalty minutes.    

He ended his playing career in 1995 as a player-assistant coach with the Houston Aeros of the International Hockey League (IHL). He led the Aeros to the 1999 Turner Cup Championship while serving as general manager/head coach and he was also named IHL Coach of the Year that year as Houston earned the Fred A. Huber Jr. Memorial Trophy for the league's best regular season record (54-15-13). A highly regarded coach with tremendous work ethic, Tippett posted two 50-win seasons at Houston and had a 165-85 regular season record with 36 shootout losses. At the 1998 IHL All-Star Game, he was the co-coach of the victorious Western Conference squad.

During his career with Hartford, Tippett served as assistant captain and earned the Community Service, Unsung Hero, Mr. Hustle and Best Defensive Forward awards. Internationally, he captained the 1984 Canadian Olympic Team in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, and he earned a silver medal as a member of the Canadian Olympic Team in Albertville, France, in 1992. While at the University of North Dakota, he was a member of the 1982 NCAA Division I Championship squad. Dave and his wife, Wendy, have two daughters, Nicole and Natalie. The family resides in Plano.