Loyalty, success and a phenomenal second half weren't enough to save Dave Baseggio's job as Bridgeport Sound Tigers coach, nor did they save assistants Pat Bingham and Lane Lambert. The trio, who led the Sound Tigers back to the playoffs after a first-half struggle and numerous injuries, were let go Thursday.

The New York Islanders had a June 1 deadline to exercise options on their contracts, making them casualties of the team's ongoing general manager search. Baseggio got the news in a morning meeting with Bridgeport team president Howard Saffan.

"We're proud of what we did this year. I'm proud of what I've done the past five years," Baseggio said. "I'll let that do my talking."

That work, helping develop players like Rick DiPietro, Trent Hunter, Sean Bergenheim, Chris Campoli and Eric Godard for the Islanders, spoke plenty.

But Saffan said the move was made to give the coaches "flexibility" while waiting out the Islanders' ongoing general manager search. He said the Islanders' candidates have all asked to pick their own coaching staffs.

"It's no reflection on them, and that's the hardest thing to get across," said Saffan, adding it's conceivable the new GM could hire this staff back. "You and I both know they did an outstanding job."

Baseggio was the team's assistant coach for the first four seasons; after coach Greg Cronin left in April 2005, Baseggio was the obvious choice to replace him. Negotiations took a while and were bumpy, but he finally

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was given the job on June 29.

Baseggio brought in Lambert, a former head coach in juniors, and Bingham, who had been an ECHL coach of the year, to assist him.

The Sound Tigers started out 11-18-2-0 before a big win over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton that sparked a 17-4-1-2 run, putting Bridgeport in solid playoff position. The team held onto fourth place despite injuries and recalls that decimated the roster in April.

"They had an ECHL team at the end of the year," Saffan said.

When Yale came calling in April, Baseggio turned down his alma mater's advances, saying he couldn't go after that job while preparing his team for the playoffs.

"I guess I was optimistic they'd pick up the option and I'd continue to be coach here," Baseggio said Thursday.

The Sound Tigers won three games at Wilkes-Barre but couldn't take the fourth, falling 5-4 in Game 7.

"Dave, Pat and Lane are tremendous human beings," Saffan said. "It's thoroughly a move out of friendship and respect, respect for three men who've done an outstanding job."