Wisconsin Hockey 22-23 Empty Dreams & Empty Seats

[srkbadger]

Osieski is delusional. He says they are better than their record. No, your record is who you are after a full season. Now, it's that they don't have a Cole Caufield. No more. Tony and Mark, thanks for everything over the years, always a Badger. Please no Rohlik. Go find a non-badger. We've done alumni the last two times with limited success. Badger alumni are not the only people who know how to coach college hockey.

[UCBadger]

Osieski is delusional. He says they are better than their record. No, your record is who you are after a full season. Now, it's that they don't have a Cole Caufield. No more. Tony and Mark, thanks for everything over the years, always a Badger. Please no Rohlik. Go find a non-badger. We've done alumni the last two times with limited success. Badger alumni are not the only people who know how to coach college hockey.

Does he mean that the team underachieved?

[GoBucky18]

If he is saying they underachieved, then yes...absolutely.

Hastings is off the table with his current contract. No way he leaves. No Canadian Major Junior coach is going to coach NCAA hockey. Too many things to worry about woth academics and recruiting violations.

[Almington]

Does he mean that the team underachieved?

It’s the only constant from the last 20 years.

[GoBucky18]

All I can say is that I saw Mac after the game in the concourse....and he looked like he had business to conduct. My guess is the cleanout/season wrap is tomorrow with the team and the meeting with TG and staff is on Monday to let them go.

Wisconsin is in search of an identity, a soul. They need a coach dedicated to finding and developing that. Committed to team excellence....not individual talent.

[UCBadger]

It’s the only constant from the last 20 years.

Because perhaps (hahaha) the coaching staff also underachieved?

[Stauber1]

... Please no Rohlik. Go find a non-badger. We've done alumni the last two times with limited success. Badger alumni are not the only people who know how to coach college hockey.

It would be idiotic to consider someone just because they're a former Badger, but it would be even more idiotic to disqualify someone just because they are a former Badger.

I'm not saying Rohlik will be or should be your next coach, but the guy knows the conference landscape, knows the recruiting landscape, has had success in both with less than what will be available to him at Wisconsin, and virtually every year his teams exceed the expectations put on them by the rest of the college hockey world.

If the people responsible for pulling the trigger aren't giving a long hard look toward Columbus y'all are in even more trouble than you think.

[J.D.]

Ya just as an outsider here I don't know how you can ignore what Rohlik has done at a school that doesn't know it has a hockey program. If you are looking for college hockey success, Rohlik's resume blows Eaves and Granato away. Honestly I am not even sure what was so great about Tony's resume to begin with. I am super impressed by Rohlik though. If you want a proven college coach would someone like Shawhan get a call? Too old? Maybe outside the box, but HC of Alaska was a HC in the state of Wisconsin.

[srkbadger]

I'm not going to disparage Steve Rohlik, a lot of nice years. I'm sure he'd do well. However, as in the past, due to emotional alumni ties, we would hang on to him too long. And that time always comes. It's hard enough making that change without the alumni connection (see Jeff Sauer). Rohlik would be fine, but if it's really the best we can do I'll agree with Stauber1 that we are in more trouble that we think.

[J.D.]

I'm not going to disparage Steve Rohlik, a lot of nice years. I'm sure he'd do well. However, as in the past, due to emotional alumni ties, we would hang on to him too long. And that time always comes. It's hard enough making that change without the alumni connection (see Jeff Sauer). Rohlik would be fine, but if it's really the best we can do I'll agree with Stauber1 that we are in more trouble that we think.

You're saying hang on to him too long as if he's destined to fail. Why is that? Surely it's easier to win in hockey at Wisconsin than it is Ohio State. Worrying about hanging on to him too long seems a bit odd.

[srkbadger]

You're saying hang on to him too long as if he's destined to fail. Why is that? Surely it's easier to win in hockey at Wisconsin than it is Ohio State. Worrying about hanging on to him too long seems a bit odd.

Maybe so, but past is prologue. We've done that 3 consecutive times now with a decidedly downward spiral. You might not like Eaves' coaching style, but he did bring us back after the last Sauer years to win a NCAA championship as well as a second place; more hardware than Steve has collected. His downfall was on the people side.
The two to three years of hanging on too long really drives the program in the dirt. If Steve's the man, then hire him. I just have an extremely hard time believing that throughout the hockey landscape, Steve Rohlik is the the best available choice. He might be the safest and most convenient choice, but as I say we've already used that model and here we are.

[J.D.]

Maybe so, but past is prologue. We've done that 3 consecutive times now with a decidedly downward spiral. You might not like Eaves coaching style, but he did bring us back after the last Sauer years to win a NCAA championship as well as a second place; more hardware than Steve has collected. His downfall was on the people side.
The two to three years of hanging on too long really drives the program in the dirt. If Steve's the man, then hire him. I just have an extremely hard time believing that throughout the hockey landscape, Steve Rohlik is the the best available choice. He might be the safest and most convenient choice, but as I say we've already used that model and here we are.

Do you have a preference on profile? Would proven college HC be your top priority? Anyone in particular you have in mind? The coach of Alaska would intrigue me. Sure, only one breakthrough season. But that program was dead. He's 36 years old and was a HC at Marian in Wisconsin.

[srkbadger]

I won't even pretend to understand the coaching landscape throughout North America. With Wisconsin's vast alumni network there is surely a wealth of knowledge about what talent would be available. As a 40+ year devotee of the program I'm just offering my 2 cents, and you may think it's worth less than that and you may be right. I thought the initial inception of this staff would be successful, it appears it might have been but the wrong Granato left. I like Tony a lot. His freshman year he lived on the same dorm floor as me, and I got to know him well. His entire family would show up after games and we got to know them a little. With his room full of people, we would drink beer and watch replays of the games on PBS with his added commentary of what was really going on. All that was great, but it clouded my objectivity about the program under his watch. Wisconsin ADs appear to have trouble making coaching changes with this program. Maybe it's all about money and not alumni ties. McIntosh cut Chryst at the first signs of rot and hired Fickell over Leonard. I like Jim, but I think we did better. Fickell hasn't coached a game in Madison yet so we shall see. At least it seems McIntosh won't default to the next alumni up.

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

And now we wait

[J.D.]

Srkbadger, your opinion is definitely not worthless. Seems like a lot of people are against Rohlik. All I will say is Granato and his staff was seen as a homerun for you but nothing on Granato's coaching resume is all that impressive. What Rohlik has done at Ohio State is.