Ron Rolston has been named the new head coach of the Springfield Falcons, who will begin its partnership as the AHL affiliate of the Arizona Coyotes in 2015-16, Coyotes general manager Don Maloney announced on Thursday.

Rolston's NHL head coaching experience encompasses a 51-game stint with the Buffalo Sabres between the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons. Beyond that, Rolston led the AHL's Rochester Americans to a 79-55-13-5 record in two seasons, including back-to-back berths in the Calder Cup playoffs.

Prior to being named the Falcons' head coach, Rolston had been working as a professional scout within the Coyotes organization.

Rolston's hiring brings some continuity to Springfield, as the AHL club's general manager is Coyotes assistant general manager and longtime Buffalo Sabres general manager Darcy Regier.

"We are very pleased to name Ron as our new head coach for the Springfield Falcons," said Maloney. "Ron is an experienced head coach and a great communicator. He has an excellent track record for developing players we are confident that he is the right coach to lead our top prospects."

A native of Fenton, Mich., Rolston attended Michigan Tech before eventually coaching with several different NCAA programs, including winning two national titles as an assistant at Lake Superior State. Rolston has also coached with Boston College, Clarkson, Harvard and USA Hockey's National Team Development Program.