McDonald out at RIT

[stanleycup]

Looks like Scott McDonald is out at RIT, announced today on the team site. Lots of issues in the last few years. Hopefully the replacement can bring the program back to respectability.

[shelfit]

Looks like Scott McDonald is out at RIT, announced today on the team site. Lots of issues in the last few years. Hopefully the replacement can bring the program back to respectability.

Obviously I have made my opinion clear on this topic many times and include myself among those that feel this was long overdue. Let's just say it this way, he ran a very competitive D3 program.....for all these years. I have no idea why they waited so long to do this. I can only guess that the plan is for one of the assistant coaches to become the next head coach and then they'll search for a new assistant coach to replace that person.

[HockeyEast33]

Re: McDonald out at RIT

Obviously I have made my opinion clear on this topic many times and include myself among those that feel this was long overdue. Let's just say it this way, he ran a very competitive D3 program.....for all these years. I have no idea why they waited so long to do this. I can only guess that the plan is for one of the assistant coaches to become the next head coach and then they'll search for a new assistant coach to replace that person.

This does not read or sound like a firing to me. The website article is FAR too complimentary of him for that (almost annoyingly positive). And why would they fire him in the middle of the summer 8 weeks from the start of preseason? I think he resigned unexpectedly and they are unprepared. It does state that they will commence with a national search immediately - why bother with that nonsense if they are just going to promote an assistant? I bet they hire an outsider and move forward from there.

[WestsideTigersFan]

Re: McDonald out at RIT

This does not read or sound like a firing to me. The website article is FAR too complimentary of him for that (almost annoyingly positive). And why would they fire him in the middle of the summer 8 weeks from the start of preseason? I think he resigned unexpectedly and they are unprepared. It does state that they will commence with a national search immediately - why bother with that nonsense if they are just going to promote an assistant? I bet they hire an outsider and move forward from there.

Yes, the press release was positive and complimentary, but at the same time if he was "asked" to resign or resigned for another less than positive reason, I wouldn't expect the school to advertise it so to speak. It's a personnel matter, and employers have to be VERY careful with how they handle those. Also, no reason for the school to bring any negative inferences around the program itself. It is awfully unusual for a coach to simply resign 8 weeks before the season starts....

In the mean time, I would expect one of the assistants to be named interim head coach and handle those duties for the season as sort of an audition while the "national search" goes through the season and into the early off season and the musical chairs game gets underway in the coaching ranks.

[shelfit]

Yes, the press release was positive and complimentary, but at the same time if he was "asked" to resign or resigned for another less than positive reason, I wouldn't expect the school to advertise it so to speak. It's a personnel matter, and employers have to be VERY careful with how they handle those. Also, no reason for the school to bring any negative inferences around the program itself. It is awfully unusual for a coach to simply resign 8 weeks before the season starts....

In the mean time, I would expect one of the assistants to be named interim head coach and handle those duties for the season as sort of an audition while the "national search" goes through the season and into the early off season and the musical chairs game gets underway in the coaching ranks.

Exactly. This is a struggling program that can't really afford to show any negativity. They need to keep a positive spin on everything. It reads very professionally and that's just what they needed to do. This is a D3 school with no athletic scholarships available so it is a highly challenging situation. They need a coach who has a very positive personality and overall attitude, spmeone that is not going to yell at the players all the time, which would be a change for the better. For this program to become successful at the D1 level they need a coach who is going to either already have or will quickly earn a very positive reputation in order to attract better talent when recruiting. Scott's negative reputation ultimately caught up with him over the last several years of his time there and that's why recruiting and the program in general went downhill. His departure alone is going to be helpful to stop the bleeding so to speak. Having a positive person with a good reputation come in as his replacement will help turn things around.

[stanleycup]

Re: McDonald out at RIT

Exactly. This is a struggling program that can't really afford to show any negativity. They need to keep a positive spin on everything. It reads very professionally and that's just what they needed to do. This is a D3 school with no athletic scholarships available so it is a highly challenging situation. They need a coach who has a very positive personality and overall attitude, spmeone that is not going to yell at the players all the time, which would be a change for the better. For this program to become successful at the D1 level they need a coach who is going to either already have or will quickly earn a very positive reputation in order to attract better talent when recruiting. Scott's negative reputation ultimately caught up with him over the last several years of his time there and that's why recruiting and the program in general went downhill. His departure alone is going to be helpful to stop the bleeding so to speak. Having a positive person with a good reputation come in as his replacement will help turn things around.

Shelfit, your assessment of the situation is spot on. A new coach that can recruit more skill and build a positive team culture is needed. In spite of the scholarship situation at RIT, they can be very competitive with financial aid. They might not get the "top - top" talent, but can attract good players who want to go to an excellent school. The hockey facilities are outstanding and the school's academics are very high and its proximity to the huge base of very good players in Ontario is a benefit. The men's team does very well and recruiting good players without athletic scholarships is not a major barrier. Seems like a good job for the right candidate. Would not be surprised if former RIT Assistant Matt Woodard (currently an Assistant Coach at Yale) was interviewed. Does not seem that any of the current Assistants have enough experience.

[shelfit]

Shelfit, your assessment of the situation is spot on. A new coach that can recruit more skill and build a positive team culture is needed. In spite of the scholarship situation at RIT, they can be very competitive with financial aid. They might not get the "top - top" talent, but can attract good players who want to go to an excellent school. The hockey facilities are outstanding and the school's academics are very high and its proximity to the huge base of very good players in Ontario is a benefit. The men's team does very well and recruiting good players without athletic scholarships is not a major barrier. Seems like a good job for the right candidate. Would not be surprised if former RIT Assistant Matt Woodard (currently an Assistant Coach at Yale) was interviewed. Does not seem that any of the current Assistants have enough experience.

Scott had only been an assistant for the men's team before he became the head coach for the women's team. He had never coached women before, so the two current assistants are already ahead of him in that regard.

[Hockeyplayer82]

Re: McDonald out at RIT

Scott was not forced to resign. He has a job in another field (that is what I am told). No scholarship, no transfer rule and high tuition costs. RIT Women's hockey is a challenging position. The Men's team has been struggling at times as well with the no scholarship, high tuition costs and playing in what many consider the lowest skilled league. There are some major barriers for both programs. A president who is not happy with the amount of money going into the hockey programs and losing seasons. The future is a bit uncertain.

[shelfit]

Scott was not forced to resign. He has a job in another field (that is what I am told). No scholarship, no transfer rule and high tuition costs. RIT Women's hockey is a challenging position. The Men's team has been struggling at times as well with the no scholarship, high tuition costs and playing in what many consider the lowest skilled league. There are some major barriers for both programs. A president who is not happy with the amount of money going into the hockey programs and losing seasons. The future is a bit uncertain.

Maybe his wife put some pressure on him to find a regular job before the unevitable happened to his coaching job given the obvious decline of the program. Smart woman. If the future is uncertain for RIT hockey as you suggest I think it would be a shame if they decided to drop their hockey programs. Are they allowed to return to D3 status? That would probably be the best thing for both programs.

[joecct]

Maybe his wife put some pressure on him to find a regular job before the unevitable happened to his coaching job given the obvious decline of the program. Smart woman. If the future is uncertain for RIT hockey as you suggest I think it would be a shame if they decided to drop their hockey programs. Are they allowed to return to D3 status? That would probably be the best thing for both programs.

Yup. Since there are no scholarships, they might not have to go through the 4 year "cleansing" period before rejoining the UCHC (ECAC-West).

[shelfit]

I just went to the RIT website and found this about the Women's Hockey Coach position:

GRADE
123A

MINIMUM
$88,800.00

MIDPOINT
$115,500.00

MAXIMUM
$142,100.00

Assuming he was at least at the midpoint of this salary range, he must have found a really good regular job to have left that kind of a salary behind! I don't know much about it but that seems like quite a healthy salary range for a coach at a D3 school. Is it because it's a D1 team? Would the salary be the same if they were running a D3 hockey program?

[LtPowers]

Re: McDonald out at RIT

Are they allowed to return to D3 status? That would probably be the best thing for both programs.

Need I remind you that RIT is just three years removed from a regional semifinal game, and just two years removed from a league championship?


Powers &8^]

[joecct]

I just went to the RIT website and found this about the Women's Hockey Coach position:

GRADE
123A

MINIMUM
$88,800.00

MIDPOINT
$115,500.00

MAXIMUM
$142,100.00

Assuming he was at least at the midpoint of this salary range, he must have found a really good regular job to have left that kind of a salary behind! I don't know much about it but that seems like quite a healthy salary range for a coach at a D3 school. Is it because it's a D1 team? Would the salary be the same if they were running a D3 hockey program?

Assuming full time:
Starting: ~$50,000

Top range ~$80,000 (????)

Additional duties may increase those amounts.

[shelfit]

Need I remind you that RIT is just three years removed from a regional semifinal game, and just two years removed from a league championship?


Powers &8^]

Blah, blah, blah. Need I remind you that even a blind squirrel.....

[EastFan1]

Re: McDonald out at RIT

Blah, blah, blah. Need I remind you that even a blind squirrel.....

When 5 out of the bottom 6 teams in the ECAC are non-scholarship schools like Harvard and Yale, makes you appreciate what this guy did at RIT in getting to the NCAA tournament and winning the conference tourney twice. Not to mention the D3 title.