Just because I'm now invested into this thing, and have nothing better to do this morning ...
I'll give you a few reasons why it might make sense. The first is timing. It's the middle of May and a lot of coaches are already in their positions for next year. I love the Bangor area as much as anyone but $80k a year to be there probably isn't super attractive to a lot of talented assistants. It's even less attractive when they can make twice as much someplace else.
After following this saga on here for over a month now, I thought the cost of living in the Downeast was a selling advantage to lure coaches for lower-than-market salary? More than one (probably including you) boosted this as a reason why UMaine would be able to lure a new untested HC to the area. Now, all of a sudden, it's an albatross, so let's keep the status quo?!?
The next one is Maine's budget. If Barr wants to get rid of one or both the money might have to come from another line item. Obviously Maine has financial issues without that hit so making that move could be very unappealing.
See above. UMaine probably saved some money with the Barr hire, and now they will likely be axing one (if not two) of the existing salaried assistants, probably bringing in new guys for less. I can only imagine what your checkbook looks like, with this line item weirdness you're proposing here ...
The next one is continuity in the program and knowledge transfer. Both coaches obviously have a lot of knowledge on the program and perhaps more importantly how to navigate the politics around the school. One of the tricky parts for Barr is going to be dealing with all the administrative bs he didn't face when he was an assistant. By keeping Guite maybe it means Barr has more time for recruiting and working with the current players which would obviously be helpful.
Note to Drew: Barr already knows Ken Ralph. Cited it as a key to him agreeing to come to Orono. I'm sure Ken will be able to help him "navigate" the way between the MHHC office and the AD's office after a single visit to the campus. Barr seems to be pretty bright that way. I'm guessing he may even be able to make the walk between the 2 offices and chew gum, too.
I think having both of them probably makes it easier to hold on to the current recruits Barr wants to keep (my guess would be out of 15 he probably wants to keep half a dozen or so) and they can sell the school and area a little more easier than Barr can at this point. If Barr can bring in someone better and it will work financially he def should but not sure if that is feasible or not.
Barr has already said that he doesn't plan to "beg" players to come who don't already want to be here (now Orono) of their own volition. Barr seems quite capable of making those connections and decisions himself. There's even an outside chance he might already know a couple of them already from his own prior journeys? This is where I would think you guys would want to give Barr some latitude, and rather than needlessly saddling him with the prior failed regime's recruits, let him start from scratch with guys of his own choosing, no?!?
In the past, Barr has managed to recruit players to come to exotic locales like Troy NY, Schenectady NY, Providence RI and Kalamazoo MI before he reached the relative Nirvana that apparently is/was Amherst MA. I'm pretty confident he will get his pitch down for Orono/Bangor ME pretty quickly and effectively, without needing a whole lot of help from the folks who drove the program into its current recruiting ditch over the last half-decade or so.
Maybe I asked the wrong question earlier in wondering if you were related to the Gendrons, because the way you're going now, it sounds like you may be a blood relative of Guite instead ...