Coaching experiment at Princeton failing?

[kdiff77]

Re: Coaching experiment at Princeton failing?

I was under the impression that this was a bona fide rebuilding year for Princeton, and that ANY success would be somewhat surprising. Not to say they've overachieved, but they don't seem to be such a huge disappointment to me. They looked pretty decent when I saw them play Brown in Providence in January. Although outplayed, they were able to turn great goaltending and opportunistic offense into a victory.

[rightwing]

Re: Coaching experiment at Princeton failing?

He is way over his head at a top academic school. Gadowsky knew how to motivate the kids at such a place but Prier seems to alienate them. I don't believe that he is a good fit there Maybe another university would be a different story.

[bcuafmsu2]

Re: Coaching experiment at Princeton failing?

Im sure he is a great guy in a social setting, but try to get one of his current players to say something positive about him. They seem very discouraged

“It’s been great,” (Michael) Sdao said of the transition. “There’s been some changes in our system, and it took a while to get used to. [Now that we're used to it] I think we’ll have a great last 15 to 20 games.”

http://www.uscho.com/2012/01/24/sdao...on-gets-better

[TimU]

Re: Coaching experiment at Princeton failing?

He is way over his head at a top academic school. Gadowsky knew how to motivate the kids at such a place but Prier seems to alienate them. I don't believe that he is a good fit there Maybe another university would be a different story.

Right, that makes perfect sense. They should have gone back to what worked with Gadowsky, and found someone who understands the subtleties of coaching at a top-flight academic institution like Alaska-Fairbanks. Prier's spent the past ten years working with those ECAC dummies at St. Lawrence and . . . what was that other school? Oh yeah, PRINCETON.

You're making less and less sense the more you say.

[rightwing]

Re: Coaching experiment at Princeton failing?

You must agree that it is a big jump from assistant to head coach and is always a gamble. He may be an example of a good career assistant who is unable to transition to the top job.

[tiger]

Re: Coaching experiment at Princeton failing?

Agree- seems as if this may be the case

[TimU]

Re: Coaching experiment at Princeton failing?

You must agree that it is a big jump from assistant to head coach and is always a gamble. He may be an example of a good career assistant who is unable to transition to the top job.

Career assistant unbale to transition to the top job? You can discern this after 25 games? The hiring of a head coach is an "experiment" the results of which can be seen after less than one full season? You have to be able to see how crazy that is.

Please look again at Guy Gadowsky's record in his first season - 8-20-3 - and the criticisms you've made of Bob Prier. Gadowsky's first team had a good goaltender in his third season, had slightly more experience, and had worse average GF and GA numbers than this year's team. Gadowsky's prior experience was at UAF and coaching roller hockey. Bob Prier has a master's degree in education, was an assistant at Denver and Princeton, and was an assistant and associate head coach at SLU for almost ten years.

Look at the youth on your roster. Look at the injuries. Look at the roster changes from last year: you lost 45% of the team's scoring to graduation! When you lose half your scoring, field a younger team, and bring in a new head coach, to demand the results you seem to expect is completely unreasonable.

[Sycamore]

Re: Coaching experiment at Princeton failing?

I know someone close to the goings on at Princeton, and the word I got from him/her is that Prier is a complete maniac. I've heard stories of screaming tantrums, military-like workouts, breaking sticks and chairs, incoherent ramblings......not good. Seems the program is spiralling of control. If they keep Prier, they better get a good shovel to dig the team out of the ground....because it looks like he's burying it. TimU, you must not know anyone who's played for him.

[cornellgradyalefan]

Re: Coaching experiment at Princeton failing?

I am confused. Many who post on this thread are saying that Prier is in his first season of coaching at Princeton but the Princeton Hockey website says that this is his third season. I don't know enough about the situation there to comment on whether he is a good coach, but if your argument is that he is not succeeding because it's his first year, you better get another argument.

[ibanezist00]

Re: Coaching experiment at Princeton failing?

Or maybe they're dealing with a lot of injuries. Maybe they're dressing 7 defensemen because they don't have enough healthy bodies to fill 4 forward lines. Maybe they're showing a lot of character by competing through some very tough circumstances, with the full support, admiration, and gratitude of their new coach. Maybe this type of criticism is ridiculous after less than one season.

Just look at the user name. I'm betting that they still use the "EZAC" moniker.

[ibanezist00]

Re: Coaching experiment at Princeton failing?

BTW, Are you sure the guy wasn't talking about Coach Bennett at union?

RPI clearly started that fight and cleared the bench, Appert just said something to aggravate Bennett to the point of assault, etc. etc. ALL RPI'S FAULT

[ibanezist00]

Re: Coaching experiment at Princeton failing?

TimU: I don't think you should be arguing with someone who feels that sufficient arguments are anecdotal ones expressed in one or two sentences and feels as though their user handle has to imply political leanings. Just leave it be, they don't realize that every league has their stinker team every season, and Princeton was the ECAC's.

[StayPuftMMcu]

Re: Coaching experiment at Princeton failing?

TimU: I don't think you should be arguing with someone who feels that sufficient arguments are anecdotal ones expressed in one or two sentences and feels as though their user handle has to imply political leanings. Just leave it be, they don't realize that every league has their stinker team every season, and Princeton was the ECAC's.

If I'm not mistaken, TimU's last post in this thread was almost two years ago.

[Ralph Baer]

Re: Coaching experiment at Princeton failing?

If I'm not mistaken, TimU's last post in this thread was almost two years ago.

Actually over two years. It wouldn't surprise me if he has changed his opinion.

[ibanezist00]

Re: Coaching experiment at Princeton failing?

If I'm not mistaken, TimU's last post in this thread was almost two years ago.

Oh wow. I am a perceptive one. I thought this was recent. Thanks for bringing me back to Earth, sir. I'm going to go hide now.