A native of Milton, Ontario, French played college hockey at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario, serving as assistant captain for three years there and received the prestigious "212 Degrees" annual award all four seasons, presented to the athlete who demonstrates leadership, commitment and excellence on the ice.
He became an assistant with the American Hockey League's (AHL) Hershey Bears in January 2008 and was named the franchise's 23rd head coach in 2009 following the promotion of Bob Woods to the Washington Capitals. In his first season, French guided the Bears to an AHL record 60 wins and the team's eleventh Calder Cup. French coached in Hershey for four seasons, compiling a 180–100–32 record. As of 2020[update], he ranked third in AHL history in winning percentage among coaches with at least 300 games.[1]