Wisconsin Hockey 22-23 Empty Dreams & Empty Seats

[Sean Pickett]

BU had a less than successful head coach the past four seasons and after his first two seasons I compiled the coaching records of every DI head coach since WWII. When comparing said coaching records almost every successful coach had some level of success in his first four seasons, with Coach Berenson being the outlier, with a barely winning record his fourth season. Times have changed but overall I think four seasons is enough time to determine if a coach will be truly successful.

Fun fact: Sandelin had a losing record at UMD 6 of his first 8 seasons; took him 11 to win a NCAA championship. Not excusing Granato, just saying the road to success is sometimes a long one.

His run of success correlates closely to the B16 hockey conference starting. I think there was a 2 year overlap.

Coach Sandelin was able to take UMD to the WCHA semifinals in his third season (2002--03; 0.583%) and to both the WCHA semifinals and Frozen Flour in his fourth season (2003-04; 0.667%). He then suffered four losing seasons before winning the WCHA tournament and making the NCAAs in 2008-09 and he won the NCAAs in 2011, both several seasons before the formation of the Big Ten hockey conference. His postseason success did improve after the split, although a regular season title is still missing from his resume.

Here are the cumulative records for Coaches Johnson, York (at Clarkson, BC and BG), Sandelin, Granato and Berenson after four seasons:

First 4 Seasons		GC	W	L	T	Pct.
Bob Johnson	WI	125	82	41	2	0.664	Ŧ†
Jerry York	BG	159	84	65	10	0.560	!!*!†*≠
Jerry York	CLA	120	61	56	3	0.521	!
Jerry York	BC	151	70	67	14	0.510	!^?
Scott Sandelin	UMD	166	70	80	16	0.470	!!‡
Tony Granato	WI	146	62	72	12	0.466	≠
Red Berenson	MI	159	61	96	2	0.390

* League Regular Season Champion

! League Tournament Semifinals

≠ League Tournament Runner-Up

^ League Tournament Champion

‼ League Playoff Series/2nd Round/Regional Runner-up/2020 Semifinalist

Ŧ League Playoff Series/2nd Round Winner/Regional Champion

# National Invitational Hockey Tournament

₸ NIHT Runner-up

₹ NIHT Champion

† NCAA Tournament

(†) Probable 2020 NCAA Tournament/2021 Tournament (unable to participate due to COVID)

‡ NCAA Frozen Four

? NCAA Runner-up

ǂ NCAA Champion

As can be seen, Coach Johnson had already shown he could coach, while Coach York did his best with Bowling Green his first four seasons. Meanwhile Coach Berenson with only one barely winning season and a losing record overall still had a lot to prove. Here are each coaches records after six full seasons:

First 6 Seasons		GC	W	L	T	Pct.
Bob Johnson	WI	197	129	64	4	0.665	Ŧ†Ŧ†
Jerry York	BG	245	139	94	12	0.592	!!*!†*≠*!ǂ!
Jerry York	CLA	184	106	75	3	0.584	!*!
Jerry York	BC	236	126	91	19	0.574	!^?^‡≠?
Tony Granato	WI	214	92	106	16	0.467	≠*≠†
Red Berenson	MI	242	107	123	12	0.467	!
Scott Sandelin	UMD	244	96	122	26	0.447	!!‡

Coach Johnson has maintained his overall record and has made another NCAA tournament, while Coach York has improved his records at all thee schools and won his NCAA title at BG. Meanwhile, Coach Berenson has continued to improve his overall record, while Coach Sandelin, in the middle of his four straight losing seasons has backslide to the bottom and Coach Granato has remained flat. In reality Coach Granato improved his cumulative record before having it drop again last season. The season-to-season changes can be seen in the following graph:




As can be seen, Coach Granato's cumulative record has decreased every season except for the 2020-21, when it went up slightly. In comparison, Coach Berenson's record has slowly improved and is about to rapidly improve, while Coach York's records at BG and BC have strongly improved, while his record at Clarkson dipped, but then improved. It's possible that with more time Coach Granato could have better results like Coach Sandelin did, but of 82 coaches with a losing cumulative record after 6 seasons who coached for at least another season just 14 ended with a winning record or currently have a winning record:

Career		GC	W	L	T	Pct.
Red Berenson	MI	1366	848	426	92	0.654	!!†*≠‡!‡*^†*!‡*^ǂ*^‡!ǂ^†*!†≠‡*^‡^‡*≠†*^†!†≠†*^‡ ≠†^ †*!?≠†≠≠^†
Jack Riley	USMA	905	542	343	20	0.610	!!
Doug Ross	UAH	673	376	255	42	0.590	?D2ǂD2?D2ǂD2**^†
Casey Jones	CLA	403	200	152	51	0.560	≠†^†(†)
Enrico Blasi	MIA	785	398	311	76	0.555	!†*≠††≠†?*!‡^†!†*!†≠^†
Scott Sandelin	UMD	870	428	348	94	0.546	!!‡^†ǂ!††≠†^?!ǂ^ǂ(†)!‡^†
Chris Bergeron	BG	369	171	154	44	0.523	!!!!≠!≠†
Frank Serratore	AFA	926	436	394	96	0.523	!!!!^†^†*^†!^†*^†!^†^†
Craig Dahl	SCSU	699	338	309	52	0.521	†≠!!!†^†!††
Nate Leaman	UC	300	138	127	35	0.518	≠*†
James Fullerton	BRN	353	176	168	9	0.511	?≠‡!
Dan Farrell	MI	270	135	129	6	0.511	‼‼≠?
John Markell	OSU	603	280	267	56	0.511	≠‡!†!!†^†≠††
Paul Pearl	HC	659	296	294	69	0.502	^!*^†!*^†

Of course, beyond just the wins and losses is how a team plays for a coach. It was only one game, but the difference in the way BU played Saturday night compared to every game last season was encouraging. I'm looking forward to seeing how the team plays over the next several months, unlike last season. I hope that soon you will likewise be looking forward to watching Wisconsin play.

Sean

[Timothy A]

Actually both of this weekends OSU/UW games are on the B1G+ schedule. Perhaps you can watch them on your phone while at the women's games?

Hmmmm

[Timothy A]

Actually both of this weekends OSU/UW games are on the BTN+ schedule. Perhaps you can watch them on your phone while at the women's games?

The website didn't have anything listed for TV, but it does list b1plus in another spot, which I would call TV since I would cast it to my TV, so I missed that. It's great it is available. I will be too engrossed in the live game to watch on the phone.

[Timothy A]

Of course, beyond just the wins and losses is how a team plays for a coach. It was only one game, but the difference in the way BU played Saturday night compared to every game last season was encouraging. I'm looking forward to seeing how the team plays over the next several months, unlike last season. I hope that soon you will likewise be looking forward to watching Wisconsin play.

Sean

I appreciate the very thoughtful and objective analysis. Thanks for sharing that.

[digitalbooya]

The website didn't have anything listed for TV, but it does list b1plus in another spot, which I would call TV since I would cast it to my TV, so I missed that. It's great it is available. I will be too engrossed in the live game to watch on the phone.

I would pay more attention to a winning team too.

[WiscTJK]

BU had a less than successful head coach the past four seasons and after his first two seasons I compiled the coaching records of every DI head coach since WWII. When comparing said coaching records almost every successful coach had some level of success in his first four seasons, with Coach Berenson being the outlier, with a barely winning record his fourth season. Times have changed but overall I think four seasons is enough time to determine if a coach will be truly successful.


Of course, beyond just the wins and losses is how a team plays for a coach. It was only one game, but the difference in the way BU played Saturday night compared to every game last season was encouraging. I'm looking forward to seeing how the team plays over the next several months, unlike last season. I hope that soon you will likewise be looking forward to watching Wisconsin play.

Sean

Wow, that is a lot of data and good stuff. Thanks for sharing. Please pass this on to Chris McIntosh, AD, Wisconsin.....Actually he could have used it this past off-season.

[Hockeybuckeye]

The website didn't have anything listed for TV, but it does list b1plus in another spot, which I would call TV since I would cast it to my TV, so I missed that. It's great it is available. I will be too engrossed in the live game to watch on the phone.

When both the men & women are playing at the same time I cast the one I'm not at to my phone. I use earbuds to hear the play by play and turn my attention to the phone to watch the replay when there's a big play or goal.

[druzy192]

Wow, that is a lot of data and good stuff. Thanks for sharing. Please pass this on to Chris McIntosh, AD, Wisconsin.....Actually he could have used it this past off-season.

Ya no **** what an *******. McIntosh and King just don't give a f*ck.

[druzy192]

I hope that everyone here will email the incompetent Jason King after each and every series. He gets the emails and he responds. Don't know why he has a job still... but I would encourage you all to express to him in an email what you think about Wisconsin Hockey. Every week. Whether it is good or bad or in between. Just venting on here is worthless.

[druzy192]

JWK@athletics.wisc.edu this is the email of Jason King who overseas the joke that is UW Mens Badger Hockey

[Timothy A]

When both the men & women are playing at the same time I cast the one I'm not at to my phone. I use earbuds to hear the play by play and turn my attention to the phone to watch the replay when there's a big play or goal.

This weekend my wife is accompanying my daughter and to the games so I will have to pay attention to her as well. Twitter will have to do for updates. Apparently you can re-watch games on B1G+, I may do that as I am interested to see how they actually play.

Let's go RED!

[Timothy A]

I hope that everyone here will email the incompetent Jason King after each and every series. He gets the emails and he responds. Don't know why he has a job still...

Mark Johnson is why he still has a job. And yes he does respond. Maybe a terrible start to the season get's him a ticket out of town like Chryst. That leash was insanely short compared to TG's.

[WiscTJK]

Badger hockey digest and first behind the scenes UW production:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gslpq43rbn4

https://twitter.com/BadgerMHockey/st...74264343031809

[GoBucky18]

That analysis/data is actually pretty darn good and, to me at least, shows a direct correllation that if you dont start building winning records over initial 4-6yr window, it just isn't going to happen after that window either.

With hindsight being crystal clear, the three things that still irk me are:

1) TG/UW making such a big deal out of him taking classes to finish his degree.

No one cares. You were hired to coach a team and win, not be a celebrity alumni with a university fawning over you taking classes and time away from your top priority.

2) UW is just as guilty as TG but they went way out of their way to promote how many Badgers make it to or are in the NHL.

It's a cool talking point, and maybe it is a tertiary recruiting tool but means nothing outsode of cocktail parties. Are they an NHL minor league pipeline or a school in pursuit of championships?

3) TG coaching the olympic team.

This destroyed team chemistry, leadership and cohesion and took TG away from his top priority, coaching the hockey team for almost 2months, with selections. practices, planning, etc.

Summary: Those three things (in the first 3 years!!) were awful decisions by TG and UW. Off ice distractions that took away from the top priority of restablishing the program and left them milquetoast and listless like a glass of room temperature milk.

I think now that Mac has his feet under him, if it's a disastrous start, and it very well could be...TG may not even last the year. Ill be tuned in specifically to watch it all go down In the end the program needs a coach fully focused and dedicated to bringing in and developing talent solely in pursuit of championships and uncerimoniously eliminating obstacles that get in the way of that prime goal/directive. We are down to brass tacks and I think this year we will get long coveted insight into how the Ath Dept and univ truly view the hockey progm.

[solovsfett]

I hope that everyone here will email the incompetent Jason King after each and every series. He gets the emails and he responds. Don't know why he has a job still... but I would encourage you all to express to him in an email what you think about Wisconsin Hockey. Every week. Whether it is good or bad or in between. Just venting on here is worthless.

Granato, Osiecki and King need to go now. They can stay in a Columbus. Rohlik is kicking their asses.