We Cannot Have Nice Things: Michigan Tech 2010-2011 Season Thread: Part Tre

[bigblue_dl]

Re: We Cannot Have Nice Things: Michigan Tech 2010-2011 Season Thread: Part Tre

I agree with what shirtless said regarding coach Russell. There is no point in canning him unless we can get someone better. Would you rather have an alum, that is obviously committed to the program and truly cares about the success of the program or an outsider who wants to use Tech as a stepping block, if they will end up getting the same results? Stick with Russell unless the program is willing to go out and get someone who will be an improvement.

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

Re: We Cannot Have Nice Things: Michigan Tech 2010-2011 Season Thread: Part Tre

Let's all keep in mind, Suzanne really has only two options:

1. Extend Russell's current contract by 1-2 years

2. Scrape together the money to buy out his last year and start forming a search committee

[Flashy Man]

Re: We Cannot Have Nice Things: Michigan Tech 2010-2011 Season Thread: Part Tre

I think more value could be found in keeping Russell and one of the assistants at their current salary and bring in someone would be considered an associate head coach, where a salary may be in the area of $80k compared tot he $45k to $60k we've paid assistants in the past. Much of our problem has been with developing the talent of players once they reach campus, a task that is generally attributed to the assistants. We have certainly not seen the player development improve as we would have liked. Many other schools have an associate head coach position that offers a title with a larger base salary that may be attractive to higher end coaching talent.

[The_Commissioner]

Re: We Cannot Have Nice Things: Michigan Tech 2010-2011 Season Thread: Part Tre

Put yourself in Coach Russell's shoes for a minute.

Coaches generally:

1) Get fired
2) Retire or leave coaching for a different career (includes 'promotion' to AD, Development, etc.)
3) Quit for a better coaching opportunity

Granted, I don't know the fellow so it's hard to say what is running through his mind but viewing the future through the lens of his won/lost record alone, is he all that marketable to other D1 or pro hockey programs especially if the tailspin continues unabated? Unfortunately he inherited a program infected with a Perpetual Losing Culture but after eight seasons he hasn't, for whatever reasons including bad luck, been able to maintain his early progress. Perhaps he is the eternal optimist, but how long does someone jeopardize their career by sticking with a failure, especially when the situation isn't all of your own making?

[Biddco]

Re: We Cannot Have Nice Things: Michigan Tech 2010-2011 Season Thread: Part Tre

I thought the general consensus was that his contract was over after this year? Is that not so?

[The Rube]

Re: We Cannot Have Nice Things: Michigan Tech 2010-2011 Season Thread: Part Tre

I agree with what shirtless said regarding coach Russell. There is no point in canning him unless we can get someone better. Would you rather have an alum, that is obviously committed to the program and truly cares about the success of the program or an outsider who wants to use Tech as a stepping block, if they will end up getting the same results? Stick with Russell unless the program is willing to go out and get someone who will be an improvement.

Honestly, how can the team get worse? It sucks, I know, but there is really nowhere to go but up. Try and find a gem of a coach, or failing that, just hope you get lucky.

[bronconick]

Re: We Cannot Have Nice Things: Michigan Tech 2010-2011 Season Thread: Part Tre

I agree with what shirtless said regarding coach Russell. There is no point in canning him unless we can get someone better. Would you rather have an alum, that is obviously committed to the program and truly cares about the success of the program or an outsider who wants to use Tech as a stepping block, if they will end up getting the same results? Stick with Russell unless the program is willing to go out and get someone who will be an improvement.

Western had this with Culhane for a dozen years. Honestly, if Blashill's here for only 4-5 years before some other school lures him away with more money because he's had success in turing an 8 win team into a 15-20ish win team that occasionally can get NCAA consideration (16th right now after winning 18 games in the last two years combined), I'll take that easily. That means when that day comes, there's a stronger program in place with more fan support and getting that next coach will probably be easier. A stepping stone is a better place to be than a doormat.

[bigblue_dl]

Re: We Cannot Have Nice Things: Michigan Tech 2010-2011 Season Thread: Part Tre

Western had this with Culhane for a dozen years. Honestly, if Blashill's here for only 4-5 years before some other school lures him away with more money because he's had success in turing an 8 win team into a 15-20ish win team that occasionally can get NCAA consideration (16th right now after winning 18 games in the last two years combined), I'll take that easily. That means when that day comes, there's a stronger program in place with more fan support and getting that next coach will probably be easier. A stepping stone is a better place to be than a doormat.

I agree, but in order to make that jump, you need to be able to get a coach that will be a marked improvement, like I said in my last sentence. If they go fire Russell and end up hiring a no-name assistant from Union, who can't get more out of this team than Jamie, what's the point?

[bronconick]

Re: We Cannot Have Nice Things: Michigan Tech 2010-2011 Season Thread: Part Tre

I agree, but in order to make that jump, you need to be able to get a coach that will be a marked improvement, like I said in my last sentence. If they go fire Russell and end up hiring a no-name assistant from Union, who can't get more out of this team than Jamie, what's the point?

True. But kind of like what Brent said, at this point what you see is what you get in Russell, and you're not going to know who will even be interested in the job until it's open, so it's just a question of when you want to ask the question.

I don't know how your attendance is, but by the end of the Culhane era, there was a decent chunk of the hockey alumni fanbase that basically said they weren't setting foot in Lawson again until a new coach was brought in. There were STH's that never used the seats. That sort of thing alone might be worth making the move sooner rather than later.

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: We Cannot Have Nice Things: Michigan Tech 2010-2011 Season Thread: Part Tre

True. But kind of like what Brent said, at this point what you see is what you get in Russell, and you're not going to know who will even be interested in the job until it's open, so it's just a question of when you want to ask the question.

I don't know how your attendance is, but by the end of the Culhane era, there was a decent chunk of the hockey alumni fanbase that basically said they weren't setting foot in Lawson again until a new coach was brought in. There were STH's that never used the seats. That sort of thing alone might be worth making the move sooner rather than later.

A lot of us have a huger hang up on things because the injuries have been crazy for 3 seasons...maybe its Russell...but they are not trending injuries, not the same thing over and over...I just wish I could see what Russell can do if he actually got to coach the majority of the players he recruited...

[bigmrg74]

Re: We Cannot Have Nice Things: Michigan Tech 2010-2011 Season Thread: Part Tre

I think the WCHA is going to have to be a lot more aggressive than they are right now or the money they get will drop like a rock.
I know that st cloud was considering cutting hockey and the students taxed themselves in order to keep it. Also there are a couple of D1 schools here in Michigan who are considering dropping hockey all together depending on how things turn out. Money is a big issue all over.
I think whoever is the coach down the road, no matter who he is, deserves a significant raise as does the assistants.

Actually, St. Cloud was looking at dropping football, not the hockey programs there.

[melmac]

Re: We Cannot Have Nice Things: Michigan Tech 2010-2011 Season Thread: Part Tre

On more reason to wonder how John Hill has a job right now...

We all wonder about that one.

Post 6,000... still keeping with thousand post tradtions and putting it in the Tech thread.

[The Rube]

Re: We Cannot Have Nice Things: Michigan Tech 2010-2011 Season Thread: Part Tre

We all wonder about that one.

Post 6,000... still keeping with thousand post tradtions and putting it in the Tech thread.

I'll trade Hill for Jamie right now. Hell, I'll buy every Fooper a growler of KBC too.

[manurespreader]

Re: We Cannot Have Nice Things: Michigan Tech 2010-2011 Season Thread: Part Tre

I think you have to differentiate what it is you want from a coach. There's a lot of coaches out there who get a 7 or an 8 on a scale of ten. They run a clean program, have a lot of knowledge of the game, do all the things that admin wants done, are respected by their peers,and win the title once in a while.
There are very,very few 10's though. Guys like coach K, or coach MacInnes, who not only do all the background things required, but also finds ways to get the players to play extra hard for him every night, and who's players worship the ground he walks on. I don't see many of them in college hockey.
I'm sure that guy is out there somewhere, however it's problematic identifying him and getting him, especially given the fiscal limits of what can be done. I know for a fact these fiscal issues are being discussed, but its complicated and difficult when all the factors are considered.

[MTUHOCKEY]

Re: We Cannot Have Nice Things: Michigan Tech 2010-2011 Season Thread: Part Tre

western had this with culhane for a dozen years. Honestly, if blashill's here for only 4-5 years before some other school lures him away with more money because he's had success in turing an 8 win team into a 15-20ish win team that occasionally can get ncaa consideration (16th right now after winning 18 games in the last two years combined), i'll take that easily. That means when that day comes, there's a stronger program in place with more fan support and getting that next coach will probably be easier. A stepping stone is a better place to be than a doormat.

i agree!!!