She got the job because she was an Assistant Coach in Coachella Valley, which has gone to the Calder Cup Final two years in a row. Their head coach, Dan Bylsma, just got promoted to be Seattle's Head Coach. She was really good on his staff and they worked well as a coaching team. They have a record of success in the AHL and know the team's prospects.Yeah, I agree that good coach and good player aren't the same thing, and here is the question, did they appoint her because she's a good coach or because she's a woman?
Seattle has a lot riding on the improvement of highly-drafted Shane Wright. He struggled in the NHL, and was sent to Coachella Valley, where the Firebirds did a very good job of getting him contributing and thriving. Wright is making the jump to the NHL this upcoming season, and both Bylsma and Campbell have a recent history of getting the most out of him (as well as other Seattle prospects about to get promoted to the NHL).
So that has a lot to do with the hire. That's a direct link to pro development in the organization, and more earned than a lot of other hires.