If there was a formula for finding and hiring a new head coach, based on years coached, winning percentage, players sent to the pros etc., the job would have been filled before the Fourth of July. Unfortunately, this task is as subjective and challenging as scouting and recruiting or drafting of players or filling out the brackets of the NCAA hoops tournament.
Twelve years ago, a sleepy D1 hockey program at Miami U. (Ohio) took a huge chance on an alumnus at the advanced age of 27 by the name of Enrico Blasi. Blasi had just three years of college (assistant) coaching experience and was asked to rebuild and revitalize a distinctly medicore program. After 12 seasons his record stands at 262-169-46. His 2010 team should have beaten bu in the national final, but found it difficult to overcome jack parker's deal with the devil.
Here are some comments made by the AD who hired him:
"Blasi made his debut as a collegiate head coach in 1999-2000, guiding the RedHawks to a 13-20-3 overall record and a ninth-place CCHA finish. His 13 wins were the second-highest total among first-year coaches in NCAA Division I hockey that season. Blasi also was able to return Miami to the CCHA playoffs after a one-year hiatus.
The first Miami hockey alumnus to return to his alma mater as the head coach, Blasi came to Miami after working four years--three as an assistant and one as a graduate assistant--under former Miami mentor George Gwozdecky at the University of Denver.
As the search went on for a candidate, I came to realize that there was a need to turn to someone with Miami ties," said Joel Maturi, former Miami Athletics Director, at the press conference for Blasi's hiring. "It's truly a pleasure to welcome home a member of Miami's Cradle of Coaches. No one in our applicant pool had such a passion for Miami and its ice hockey program.
You will be disappointed to learn that there is no head coach in the final round. I'm not sure that there are many head coachs that I would want to hire if they were willing to leave their programs in the lurch four weeks before practice was to begin (unofficially, of course). Among the five finalists, There are 3 very good (IMO) assistant coachs who can handle the job. That's how Head Coachs are born. How long they must serve as assistants is totally subjective. For example, Cavanaugh at BC has been York's assistant for 15 years and has applied for more HC jobs than he'd like to remember. I can't say if he applied for our job, but he was not a finalist, while two candidates with far less "time-in-grade" Sebastien and Darren Yopyk, made the cut.
The folks involved with the search expect to finish their interviews on Friday and make a decision that evening. I expect another week to pass while negotiations are completed along with the paperwork. I hope you are all enjoying this summer's entertainment.
I fully understand that there is no formula for selecting a head coach and that it's more about finding the perfect fit. I think you just might have missed my main point in that the only reason I feel that Sebastien shouldn't get the job is that I'm not sure how "attractive" he will seem to recruits. I don't doubt his coaching ability or his hockey intelligence one bit.
I fully understand that there is no formula for selecting a head coach and that it's more about finding the perfect fit. I think you just might have missed my main point in that the only reason I feel that Sebastien shouldn't get the job is that I'm not sure how "attractive" he will seem to recruits. I don't doubt his coaching ability or his hockey intelligence one bit.
I'd trust his recruiting skills considering what sort of talent he's been able to bring in already. I get your point that some recruits may want someone who can point to people they've coached and gone on to bigger and better things, but I think LaPlante can say he worked on development with a number of our players that have gone on into the AHL (and possibly NHL next year, we'll see).
Nature of the business, different mindset.. g'luck to 'em all. I personally would take care of the 'education' bit first but hopefully they make it & find a way then.
Sebastien LaPlante would make a great Head Coach at NU, if that's where the chips fall. Go Huskies
GO NU HOCKEY Always bullish on the future. We don't always win Hockey East or the Beanpot (#trilogy).. but when we do.. we are the Champions
Uncertainty is no fun! And NU is taking forever to name a new coach. Moving into August is difficult for players as there are deadlines for roster filings in many leagues, and for players seeking other college opportunities, many programs are also firming their rosters as well as have time limits for admissions, etc. I believe that Oleksiak was going to Major Junior anyways but the passage of time is certainly not helping. I wouldn't be too hard on him or any of the other decommits. Just my opinion.
So much for him owing it to NU to wait till there was a coach in place.
When the coaches, as in plural, show that they are not loyal to the program, why in the heck would an 18 year old kid with a pro future be expected to "wait" for anything?
Right now Northeastern looks like a train wreck and they are doing a very poor job in handling the program on the PR side. Not even a good rumor floating around.
He did not owe NU a thing outside his excellant play from last season. Good luck to him.
When the coaches, as in plural, show that they are not loyal to the program, why in the heck would an 18 year old kid with a pro future be expected to "wait" for anything?
Right now Northeastern looks like a train wreck and they are doing a very poor job in handling the program on the PR side. Not even a good rumor floating around.
He did not owe NU a thing outside his excellant play from last season. Good luck to him.
Good points all around from HD.
Originally posted by Greg Ambrose on 3/7/2010
The fact that you BC fans revel in the superiority of your team in an admittedly weak league leads me to believe you will be more sorely disappointed when the end comes than we will.
I cannot blame Oleksiak for leaving at all. This is what happens when the athletic department leaves the members of the team in flux. I talked to Anthony Bitetto a week ago and he also seemed frustrated with how long it was taking for the school to find a replacement. With all due respect to Laplante, if he gets the job I will be upset just for the fact that it took them this long to announce that an inside guy, who they probably pegged as their number one all along, will be running the show.
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