Schinkel led the Penguins to a 34-33-13 record in 1976-77, his only full season as coach. The Penguins qualified for the playoffs but were again defeated in the first round by Toronto. Schinkel was replaced by Johnny Wilson and returned to the front office for good. He held a variety of positions, including assistant general manager and scouting director in overseeing the drafting of Mario Lemieux in 1984. He stayed with the Penguins through 1989, then followed Eddie Johnston to the Hartford Whalers, where he remained in the front office for the rest of his hockey career. Schinkel coached the Penguins for 203 games, with a record of 83-92-28 for a winning percentage of .478.