Coulee Region Chill owner Michelle Bryant believed interim coach A.J. Degenhardt was the best choice to move the team forward as the 2012-13 season came to a close last month.

Bryant said she kept an open mind through interviews with a select pool of candidates, but on Wednesday the Chill announced that Degenhardt, 30, was promoted to coach and general manager.

Degenhardt was an assistant coach for the first half of last season before taking over as interim coach on Jan. 3 after John Hamre was fired.

“It wasn’t a hard decision,” Bryant said. “A lot of what we look for in our staff philosophies and how to move the franchise forward are in alignment with A.J., and they have been since we hired him as an assistant coach.”