Glasgow Clan head coach Pete Russell has left the club to move to German DEL2 side EHC Freiburg just weeks after signing a three-year contract.

The Clan said the 44-year-old had decided to jet off to accept a job offer in Germany and, following completion of negotiations, the Clan confirmed it has “reluctantly” accepted his resignation.

Russell is currently with the Great Britain team in Slovakia as they participate in the World Championships but will leave the club after only a year in charge with the Clan already focusing on finding a replacement.

Clan’s Chief Operating Officer Gareth Chalmers revealed moves to bring in a replacement began immediately once it became clear Russell had decided to move on.

READ MORE: Pete Russell signs three-year deal with the Clan

“It’s always important to have a back-up plan in case a situation like this arises and as soon as the news came through that Pete was deciding to take the Freiburg job, I moved quickly and reached out to a number of options,” Chalmers told British Ice Hockey. “The positive aspect is we’re further ahead of the game and the discussions are at a good point.

“We’ve been aware of the situation for a week or two now, but couldn’t make any statements publicly as we’ve had to go through the negotiation process with Pete’s new club.

“Regarding a new head coach, I can’t put a timeline on any announcement as discussions will continue to progress with our targets.”

Russell departs after a successful year with the Braehead side, joining from Milton Keynes Lightning last summer to lead the Clan to a fourth place finish in the Elite League while also guiding them to a Challenge Cup semi-final at the beginning of the year.

And while Chalmers insists Russell’s exit was ‘bitterly disappointing’, the focus is now all about finding the right coach to take the Clan forward.

He added: “While we’re bitterly disappointed at what’s happened, it’s not a time to dwell. We just need to make sure we get the right guy to come in that will complement the core group of players we’ve already got signed here and build on what we achieved last season.

“Not one person makes this club of course. It’s the people and the fans that do and we’re taking the positives out of this situation. It’s a big hole to fill, but we move on and we’ll find the right guy to lead the club forward.”

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