Prior to his stint with Wheeling, Papaioannou served as both the General Manager and head coach of the Brooks Bandits in the BCHL/AJHL, occupying the dual role from 2008–09 to 2024–25. He collected five AJHL titles and one BCHL championship during this span of time. In his time with the Bandits, Papaioannou also coached Colorado Avalanche star Cale Makar.
