GLENDALE, Ariz. - Wayne Gretzky is set to coach the Phoenix Coyotes, who hope the most prolific scorer in NHL history can revive a team that has not advanced past the first round of the playoffs since 1987.

This is a March 8, 2005 file photo showing Wayne Gretzky. The NHL's Phoenix Coyotes are expected to introduce Wayne Gretzky as their new coach at a news conference Monday Aug. 8, 2005. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Gretzky, the Coyotes' managing partner and hockey operations director and still the sport's most prominent figure, was expected to be introduced at an afternoon news conference Monday.

The Arizona Republic said Gretzky had agreed to expand his duties with the team to include coaching. The team did not confirm the move but said it had scheduled a "major announcement."

"I'll be honest with you, when I was 22, 23, 24, I never thought I'd be a coach in the NHL," Gretzky said in Monday's Republic. "But I'm excited about the challenge . . . . The last couple of weeks I've been following my son's baseball team around and I kind of got the itch to coach, as silly as that sounds."

Several media outlets reported Sunday that Gretzky had agreed to coach the perennially disappointing club that has been in Phoenix since 1996. He is in the final year of a five-year contract with the team.

Gretzky, Coyotes co-owner Steve Ellman, general manager Mike Barnett and captain Shane Doan did not respond to calls from The Associated Press.

There had been speculation for more than a year that Gretzky would expand his front-office duties to include his first stab at coaching. Barnett, his former agent and longtime friend, originally asked Gretzky in June 2004 if he were interested in doing so.

But the nine-time MVP wanted to wait until the NHL had a new collective bargaining agreement before deciding. That happened last month.

Despite his on-ice accomplishments, Gretzky would have to prove he can make a difference as a coach without any professional experience.

His legions of believers point to the 2002 Winter Olympics, when Canada won its first men's ice hockey gold medal in 50 years with Gretzky as executive director. He has committed to the same position for Canada at the 2006 Turin Games.

Barnett has said he believes Gretzky will be able to coach and serve Canada's Olympic interests without conflicts. The Coyotes don't play between Feb. 12 and March 2 because of the NHL's Olympic break.

Gretzky proved that NHL franchises could succeed in warm-weather cities after the Edmonton Oilers traded him to the Los Angeles Kings in 1988.

He already has been a hockey savior in Phoenix. The franchise was tottering amid near-weekly reports that it might be sold to Portland, Ore., billionaire Paul Allen when Gretzky decided to throw his influence behind Ellman in 2000.

Gretzky, Ellman and Jerry Moyes — now the majority owner — acquired the club in 2001 with a promise to keep the franchise in Arizona.

Since Gretzky's arrival on the Phoenix sports scene, the team has moved into a new $220 million, 18,000-seat arena and adopted a new logo and redesigned uniforms. The Coyotes opened the Glendale Arena in December 2003 and have yet to play a full season there or even a season opener.

Gretzky also told the Republic that former Detroit Red Wings associate coach Barry Smith, former Coyotes player Rick Tocchet and Coyotes interim head coach Rick Bowness would be his assistant coaches.

Bob Francis was fired as coach of the Coyotes on Feb. 24, 2004, and Bowness filled in for the remainder of the season.

Gretzky retired in 1999 after 20 seasons in the NHL. He helped the Edmonton Oilers win four Stanley Cups and set 61 NHL records, including career goals (894), assists (1,963) and points (2,857).