UNH Wildcats 2021/2022 - Return of the Champions of October?

[wildcatdc]

My biggest concern with this search is actually not whether the search firm will be able to identify excellent candidates. It’s whether we can get them to come aboard. With two previously top-flight programs missing the NCAA playoffs regularly now, this basketball debacle, the financial pressures, the deferred maintenance in some facilities, the salary, etc., I’m not convinced that the situation won’t turn off some strong people. I think a best-case scenario would be to grab a junior person from a top-flight D1 program (hopefully with a hockey team) who is hungry to prove himself/herself by effecting a turnaround.

[Darius]

My biggest concern with this search is actually not whether the search firm will be able to identify excellent candidates. It’s whether we can get them to come aboard. With two previously top-flight programs missing the NCAA playoffs regularly now, this basketball debacle, the financial pressures, the deferred maintenance in some facilities, the salary, etc., I’m not convinced that the situation won’t turn off some strong people. I think a best-case scenario would be to grab a junior person from a top-flight D1 program (hopefully with a hockey team) who is hungry to prove himself/herself by effecting a turnaround.

Especially the bold part. Please stop reading my mind.

[Patman]

Especially the bold part. Please stop reading my mind.

the problem is your leadership doesn't care. how could they if they've kept this guy around 15 years longer than he should have. They're happy with this scenario. Maybe not happy but they don't want to deal with the alternative so it requires external pressures and by then you're deeper in the pit than you were already. I think the solution is accurate in terms of "who". However, I don't think you know how to get there yet... clearly you have to attack the people in charge. Treat the AD as a dead duck. Blame the people keeping them there and bypass them. Any concerns you had with the AD, skip them, and go to the people who keep him in charge and let them know "I'm ignoring the biomass you call an AD and I'm talking to you, you're to blame."

[wildcatdc]

the problem is your leadership doesn't care. how could they if they've kept this guy around 15 years longer than he should have. They're happy with this scenario. Maybe not happy but they don't want to deal with the alternative so it requires external pressures and by then you're deeper in the pit than you were already. I think the solution is accurate in terms of "who". However, I don't think you know how to get there yet... clearly you have to attack the people in charge. Treat the AD as a dead duck. Blame the people keeping them there and bypass them. Any concerns you had with the AD, skip them, and go to the people who keep him in charge and let them know "I'm ignoring the biomass you call an AD and I'm talking to you, you're to blame."

Actually, the current leadership is extremely vested in making this change.

[HockeyRef]

Welp looks like UConn is heading to the Garden....wow. (Frankly not surprised)

[Chuck Murray]

Time to shrink the court.

Line of the day.

[Chuck Murray]

I know that this is a hockey board, but UNH Men's basketball is Hoopless (intended). UNLESS, they look to think as BIG as they can with what they have. Will take some short term investments and juggling, but it can be done.

Cant do this with the current 42% coach. Pay some dough to an up and coming REAL coach knowing full well that you will lose him soon enough and BRING BACK HOOPS TO THE WHITT. Dont tell me it cant be done, costs too much, too many headaches, blah, blah, blah. They played at the Whitt for 1 or 2 seasons and even sold the place out vs Florida. JUST DO IT!

FWIW I'm pretty sure Herrion is the all-time winningest coach in UNH Hoops history. Which is a much bigger indictment on UNH than it is on Herrion.

I've probably told this story before, but I'll share it again. When I was in HS my head football coach (who'd actually made it to one of the first-ever MIAA Super Bowls a few years earlier) was getting a lot of ink in the local newspaper as we started to close in on his 100th career win. There was no Internet around to track historical records back then, so yours truly (always the doubting Thomas, even then) approached one of our gym teachers about the gravity of the event. We knew Coach had been around awhile, and the simple math (x games per season for y seasons) wasn't playing out in a positive vein. The PE teacher laughed, said we were "on the right track", and told us out of earshot of others that Coach had comfortably lost at least 150 games already. Which kind of matched up with our impressions, as the program was posting losing records most of the seasons we were aware of its existence. Not surprisingly, when Coach retired a few years later, his son took over the job.

Coach was a decent guy and a good (not great) coach. I'm guessing Herrion is much the same.

[Chuck Murray]

Forbes magazine on the person leading our search: “One of the most influential people in college athletics”.

Chuck Murray: “I know better, because, because, well, just because”.

Never said that, 'dc. Just questioned a part of his bona fides that either he or you thought was important, but under just the barest of scrutiny and simple questioning, doesn't come across as quite as impressive as you (or he) thought it was. I have no reason or basis to question anything else beyond that, and for the 88th time I'll say I hope he helps UNH knock the AD hire out of the park. I want UNH Athletics to be successful over the next generation, as that will likely be my last stretch here on Earth to hope for UNH to enjoy high level success in athletics. That's WAY more important to me than whether my (trusted) sources are right or wrong.

Having said that ... I note with bemusement that you seem to be lining up excuses already as to why the candidate(s) to be identified by the search committee may not want to come to UNH.

Me? I see nothing but opportunity in the AD job here. The guy who's leaving may have let some of the previously prominent programs slide in the stretch run of his career, but those programs have achieved prominence before, so (unlike the empty slate that is Hoops) there is history that it can be done at UNH. And his predecessor did improve those facilities, so the new person shouldn't have too many distractions on that front to keep from hiring quality HC's to start churning out winners.

Anyway, let's see how it all turns out.

[Chuck Murray]

the problem is your leadership doesn't care. how could they if they've kept this guy around 15 years longer than he should have. They're happy with this scenario. Maybe not happy but they don't want to deal with the alternative so it requires external pressures and by then you're deeper in the pit than you were already. I think the solution is accurate in terms of "who". However, I don't think you know how to get there yet... clearly you have to attack the people in charge. Treat the AD as a dead duck. Blame the people keeping them there and bypass them. Any concerns you had with the AD, skip them, and go to the people who keep him in charge and let them know "I'm ignoring the biomass you call an AD and I'm talking to you, you're to blame."

Dean Dean has only been in charge for the last four years IIRC. Overall though, you make a fair point. I think the concern many of us have is that the "new" hire won't be so "new", and that may lead to a more extended period of mediocrity in the Hockey program that only digs the current hole deeper. MS7 has had 7 years in one capacity or another already, and as much as I'd hoped he would be the solution, the evidence in support of that is thin and getting thinner. Patience is running thin as well, and an extension would be extremely tone-deaf at this point. We'll find out soon enough ...

[wildcatdc]

Never said that, 'dc. Just questioned a part of his bona fides that either he or you thought was important, but under just the barest of scrutiny and simple questioning, doesn't come across as quite as impressive as you (or he) thought it was. I have no reason or basis to question anything else beyond that, and for the 88th time I'll say I hope he helps UNH knock the AD hire out of the park. I want UNH Athletics to be successful over the next generation, as that will likely be my last stretch here on Earth to hope for UNH to enjoy high level success in athletics. That's WAY more important to me than whether my (trusted) sources are right or wrong.

Having said that ... I note with bemusement that you seem to be lining up excuses already as to why the candidate(s) to be identified by the search committee may not want to come to UNH.

Me? I see nothing but opportunity in the AD job here. The guy who's leaving may have let some of the previously prominent programs slide in the stretch run of his career, but those programs have achieved prominence before, so (unlike the empty slate that is Hoops) there is history that it can be done at UNH. And his predecessor did improve those facilities, so the new person shouldn't have too many distractions on that front to keep from hiring quality HC's to start churning out winners.

Anyway, let's see how it all turns out.

You took a single portion of one line in a detailed summary I provided about the search tried (unsuccessfully) to undermine the credibility of this guy. I mentioned that he was a Chicago guy and that he was once in an exec role with the Bulls. Total throw-in comment that I thought would be interesting to people. Didn’t see the need to provide the guy’s 45-year work history.

1. You first said that if he worked with Krause, he was garbage. I believe it was a “good luck with that”. That turned out wrong.
2. Next, you claimed that whatever he did with the Bulls, based on his age and the timeframe, he had to have been nothing more than an assistant water carrier. That turned out wrong.
3. Next it was that he “led with this on his CV” (wrong) and that he was puffing his resume and likely not somebody to be impressed by. Something about whipped cream or something. That turned out wrong.

I’m just done with this. I feel like I’m debating with the cotton candy vendor in the concourse at Daytona about whether Kyle Busch should take two tires or four at the next pit stop. It’s a huge waste of time and not central to the mission here.

With regards to “lining up excuses”… No. They are simply concerns, valid reasons why someone would look hard at other options. My hope is that President Dean is able to sell past those types of objections, and grab an up-and-comer who would provide us with a 5-10-year “rehab and return” before moving into the big time. The recruit must feel confident that the conditions are there to effect such a turnaround.

[wildcatdc]

Dean Dean has only been in charge for the last four years IIRC. Overall though, you make a fair point. I think the concern many of us have is that the "new" hire won't be so "new", and that may lead to a more extended period of mediocrity in the Hockey program that only digs the current hole deeper. MS7 has had 7 years in one capacity or another already, and as much as I'd hoped he would be the solution, the evidence in support of that is thin and getting thinner. Patience is running thin as well, and an extension would be extremely tone-deaf at this point. We'll find out soon enough ...

I would add that Marty’s contract went through this June. I’m sure President Dean could do the calculus on ousting him prematurely. Juice likely would not have been worth the squeeze.

[wildcatdc]

Welp looks like UConn is heading to the Garden....wow. (Frankly not surprised)

There were some posters on the HEA tourney thread that were PRETTY confident about BU’s chances today. Whoops!

[wildcatdc]

In other hockey news, I escaped out to Minneapolis for a few days this week. Today is just the coolest hockey day in the country, IMO - State Championship Sunday in Minnesota at the Xcel Center. Great game in the Class A final this afternoon, another great one underway for the big guys (AA). The crowd sounds like an NHL playoff crowd. Nuts.

[Felger]

In other hockey news, I escaped out to Minneapolis for a few days this week. Today is just the coolest hockey day in the country, IMO - State Championship Sunday in Minnesota at the Xcel Center. Great game in the Class A final this afternoon, another great one underway for the big guys (AA). The crowd sounds like an NHL playoff crowd. Nuts.

The college game ain't too shabby tonight either - we've got 6 playoff games in overtime as I type this.

[wildcatdc]

The college game ain't too shabby tonight either - we've got 6 playoff games in overtime as I type this.

Awesome