The Barr Has Been Raised at UMaine

[Ma#1ne Hky]

They're two different people. He had Tyler with his first wife and Sean with his second wife.

My mistake on that, my bad.

 

[Chuck Murray]

I was very confident Barr would accept the job and was obviously right(I said a couple weeks before he was hired that the odds were 90%). $230K with a lot of perks is completely different than $80K and limited to no perks. Barr is an awesome fit for Maine and it made all the sense in the world for him to come here. Is there an assistant out there in the same boat? Maybe there is but I'm not sure exactly who it is.

OK so here's the deal with D-1 assistants ... 90% of them want to be a head coach somewhere at some point, and that will drive them to pursue AC jobs virtually anywhere, so long as they perceive it's getting them a step closer to where they want to end up (HC). AC's with backgrounds in successful programs sell better as HC candidates than those who have been with middling programs (examples Guite and Souza, who nonetheless got the UNH HC job). Given Barr's own track record, there will be no shortage of assistants out there who will want to attach themselves to his rising star, hopefully benefitting from his continuing success. Barr attached himself to guys like Bennett, Leaman, Murray and Carvel. Most young AC candidates will be flexible with their desired locations and salary expectations, so long as they believe they're moving towards their ultimate goal of becoming HC somewhere. As a young AC, you can talk yourself into sacrifice to justify lots of different opportunities.

It's possible, but I tend to doubt Barr will want to hire older assistants. Most likely they'll come from his peer pool or from younger candidates. Now if someone like Standbrook were to offer to come out of retirement, Barr would be foolish to say no, and Mrs. Barr didn't raise any fools out in Faribault MN (or wherever). But likewise it's unlikely an older assistant would want to hitch his wagon to Barr's star, because if you plan to succeed someone who might move on (and it's unfair to raise that discussion when the ink on his contract is barely dry), that usually works way better when you are younger than the incumbent, not older.

I'm not aware of any D-1 program struggling to fill AC slots, because the dream lies deep within nearly every AC out there that the next HC opening will have their name written all over it.

 

[Drew S.]

I found someone I would be happy with, Kevin Sneddon. It looks like he isn't coaching right now and would be great in helping Ben transition to being a head coach. I see him helping in some of the areas Ben could potentially struggle with and stuff a lot of people on here overlook. To me someone with that sort of background would bring a lot more value than some random 30 year old. I'm not sure if he would be interested but I doubt he would ever be in the mix for another head coaching job in Hockey East and at his age it might be something to get the competitive juices flowing again.

 

[amkirby10]

Sean Walsh is/was Video Coordinator and Statistical Analyst for UMaine Hockey.

https://goblackbears.com/sports/mens...sean-walsh/514

FYI



I doubt this is a role that Barr is going to care too much about replacing with one of his "own", so I suspect Sean will be able to stay on if he wants.

Sean's a good kid, I had a couple classes with him at UMaine and got to know him a bit. He at first tried to deny he was even related to Shawn, I think on some level he dosen't want to be seen as "taking credit" for him or something like that. He's well liked with the team as well, I'd expect he stays as video coordinator if he wants.

 

[NorthMike]

I found someone I would be happy with, Kevin Sneddon. It looks like he isn't coaching right now and would be great in helping Ben transition to being a head coach. I see him helping in some of the areas Ben could potentially struggle with and stuff a lot of people on here overlook. To me someone with that sort of background would bring a lot more value than some random 30 year old. I'm not sure if he would be interested but I doubt he would ever be in the mix for another head coaching job in Hockey East and at his age it might be something to get the competitive juices flowing again.

Ok now I know Drew really isnt serious with some of these comments, only dropping this stuff to get a rise out of folks.

 

[BassAle]

I found someone I would be happy with, Kevin Sneddon. It looks like he isn't coaching right now and would be great in helping Ben transition to being a head coach. I see him helping in some of the areas Ben could potentially struggle with and stuff a lot of people on here overlook. To me someone with that sort of background would bring a lot more value than some random 30 year old. I'm not sure if he would be interested but I doubt he would ever be in the mix for another head coaching job in Hockey East and at his age it might be something to get the competitive juices flowing again.

lol

maybe we could bring Tim Whitehead in as an associate head coach?

 

[BassAle]

Ok now I know Drew really isnt serious with some of these comments, only dropping this stuff to get a rise out of folks.

you underestimate how brain damaged Drew is.

 

[Wayuphere]

I found someone I would be happy with, Kevin Sneddon. It looks like he isn't coaching right now and would be great in helping Ben transition to being a head coach. I see him helping in some of the areas Ben could potentially struggle with and stuff a lot of people on here overlook. To me someone with that sort of background would bring a lot more value than some random 30 year old. I'm not sure if he would be interested but I doubt he would ever be in the mix for another head coaching job in Hockey East and at his age it might be something to get the competitive juices flowing again.

Umm, NO. Just, NO.

 

[Sean Pickett]

Hiring Ben Barr was one if not the most positive direct consequential event to have occurred for the hockey program in a long time, very long time. Im optomistic good things will result. Im giving Barr five + years to see what he can do, its only fair. Improvements will take time, being there in two to three years just isnt realistic, thinking annual incremental improvements.

I think it's great you're willing to wait 5 seasons, I just hope others are as patient. Here is a chart showing the cumulative winning percentage of 9 current and former coaches; 6 considered very successful, and 3 considered successful so far. As can be seen all but one had a record below 0.400 after one season, but after the fifth season 7 had records above 0.500 and 2 had records over 0.600:

I didn't identify the coaches by name as it's summer and I thought it might be fun to see if anyone can identify them. In no particular order the 9 coaches are:
Red Berenson
Jerry York
Eric Lang
Rand Pecknold
Shawn Walsh
Scott Sandelin
Greg Carvel
Ron Mason
Nate Leaman

As for Drew S.'s previous statement about needing to know where the program had been when a coach took over here is where they were:
Red Berenson: Michigan - two decades of mediocrity, with only one league and one NCAA runners-up eight seasons earlier, two consecutive losing seasons below 0.400
Jerry York: BC - three consecutive losing seasons and a mess with scholarships
Eric Lang: AIC - 22 consecutive losing seasons
Rand Pecknold: Quinnipiac - 13 of 19 losing seasons, 5 consecutive losing seasons
Shawn Walsh: Maine - a young program with three consecutive losing seasons
Scott Sandelin: UMD - 14 seasons of mediocrity, with only one regular season and one FF appearance eight seasons earlier, two consecutive losing seasons
Greg Carvel: UMass - 18 losing seasons out of 22, ten consecutive seasons at or below 0.500
Ron Mason: MSU - 30 seasons of mediocrity, 13 seasons removed from a surprise NCAA title and 12 seasons removed from a surprise return to the FF, three consecutive losing seasons
Nate Leaman: PC - 15 seasons of mediocrity, 11 seasons removed from a league runners-up and NCAA appearance, five consecutive losing seasons

So, yes, you will need to be patient, ,but if Coach Barr is the right coach for Maine he should have the program headed solidly in the right direction after five seasons.

 

[AMC]

I found someone I would be happy with, Kevin Sneddon. It looks like he isn't coaching right now and would be great in helping Ben transition to being a head coach. I see him helping in some of the areas Ben could potentially struggle with and stuff a lot of people on here overlook. To me someone with that sort of background would bring a lot more value than some random 30 year old. I'm not sure if he would be interested but I doubt he would ever be in the mix for another head coaching job in Hockey East and at his age it might be something to get the competitive juices flowing again.

I'd rather have people who are good at coaching hockey.

 

[DavidNardolillo]

If the RPI job opens up again, it might be the only D-1 job Barr considers leaving UMaine for ... ?

Trying to wind the RPI fans up? Some still upset RPI passed up the chance to hire Barr 3 years ago.

 

[Chuck Murray]

I found someone I would be happy with, Kevin Sneddon. It looks like he isn't coaching right now and would be great in helping Ben transition to being a head coach. I see him helping in some of the areas Ben could potentially struggle with and stuff a lot of people on here overlook. To me someone with that sort of background would bring a lot more value than some random 30 year old. I'm not sure if he would be interested but I doubt he would ever be in the mix for another head coaching job in Hockey East and at his age it might be something to get the competitive juices flowing again.

Holy crap, just when you thought it couldn't get worse, he comes up with ... Kevin Sneddon.

Kevin Sneddon, five years of non-winning hockey at Union, followed by about seventeen more seasons of mediocrity at UVM, never won anything. Not a single regular season title, not a single conference tourney title, and never even close to a D-1 national title. Makes Dick Umile look like Vince Lombardi by comparison. Plus, he's now 51 years old, retired from UVM, and running his own hockey training program in Essex VT, so it's clear he's settled in to the Burlington VT area for the long haul. He looks to have come to terms with whatever "competitive juices" issues he harbored up to his retirement.

Apparently his best qualification for the AC gig at UMaine is "he isn't coaching right now", and would bring more value to the UMaine program than "some random 30 year old". Keeping in mind, of course, that "random 30 year olds" like Ben Barr (at Union) and Shawn Walsh (UMaine) were doing pretty well in their gigs by the time they hit 30. And if Barr struggles with transitioning to HC, I think he's a call away from former mentors Bennet, Leaman, Murray and Carvel - two of whom aren't even coaching in the same conference as Barr this coming season, and all of whom are superior to Kevin Sneddon.

And before you try to give Sneddon the big let-off for coaching at two middle of the pack programs, keep in mind that Union managed to win a D-1 title about a decade after the Sneddon Era ended in Schenectady (with lots of help from this random 30 year old assistant named Ben Barr), and UVM had been to the Frozen Four a few years before the Sneddon Era began in Burlington. So those places both had potential ... which Sneddon never managed to capture and realize.

All of this doesn't even touch upon why Sneddon (a Harvard guy) would consider uprooting himself to relocate to Orono to work for a guy a dozen years younger than he is.

UMaine just won the biggest coaching hire of the season, now you're determined to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Take a kind word of advice from a stranger, and let Barr do his job, OK?

 

[Drew S.]

Hook, line, and sinker

 

[amkirby10]

"I was only trolling"

 

[AMC]

Hook, line, and sinker

Here I just thought you had a hard-on for coaches with a .438 career winning percentage.

 

[Fishman'81]

Respectfully, people said the same sh-- about bringing a top coaching candidate to Orono and they just brought in who was considered to be one of the top assistants & best HC candidates in the nation. I have full faith that Barr has developed connections under the tutelage of some of college hockey's best minds. I'm personally of the opinion that the only current Assistant that will stay is Alfie - and that's a big if. Guite, was just the interim HC & interviewed for the same position, so while he might be a solid assistant there's a conflict of interest and ultimately Barr maintains the right to bring in whoever the hell he wants.

I get the sentimental UMaine connection, but let's get the best people here for the job and win.

Seems to me that Alfie has earned at least a 1-3 year extension, anyway.

 

[Fishman'81]

Respectfully, people said the same sh-- about bringing a top coaching candidate to Orono and they just brought in who was considered to be one of the top assistants & best HC candidates in the nation. I have full faith that Barr has developed connections under the tutelage of some of college hockey's best minds. I'm personally of the opinion that the only current Assistant that will stay is Alfie - and that's a big if. Guite, was just the interim HC & interviewed for the same position, so while he might be a solid assistant there's a conflict of interest and ultimately Barr maintains the right to bring in whoever the hell he wants.

I get the sentimental UMaine connection, but let's get the best people here for the job and win.

Ben was a decent to good college player, and hung around the NHL for a while... None of that makes him an effective NCAA coach/recruiter. The evidence is clear on that point.

 

[umhockey91]

If it makes sense with construction time lines....I expect Alfond renovations to leapfrog football and basketball facilities. I think that women's field facilities will be first (2022) then Alfond will be next (2023 probably in time for the 2024-2025 season.

 

[Chuck Murray]

Trying to wind the RPI fans up? Some still upset RPI passed up the chance to hire Barr 3 years ago.

Once upon a time (1991), my NY Football Giants hired Ray Handley as their HC instead of Bill Belichick ... and 30+ years before that, they let their top assistants Vince Lombardi (GB) and Tom Landry (Dallas) leave so they could preserve a right of succession for Allie frickin' Sherman. Never mind that Belichick, Lombardi and Landry were not quite famous yet at the time, but even if Barr proves to be the second coming of Walshy, RPI will have some ways to go to match the NYFG's record of futility in letting 3 of the most iconic coaches in their sport's history walk out the door in poor HC decisions. Thank God there was still Bill Parcells and Tom Coughlin in the mix to salvage 4 Super Bowls for the franchise over my lifetime, although that clearly pales by comparison with Lombardi (5 NFL titles in 10 seasons - including the NFL's one & only three-peat - before his untimely passing), Belichick (6 SB's in 26 seasons), and even Landry (2 SB's over 29 years, plus what at least used to be the NFL's longest-ever playoffs streak).

I've got no quarrel with RPI fans - and if Barr succeeds (again), I'll know how they feel.

 

[Drew S.]

Once upon a time (1991), my NY Football Giants hired Ray Handley as their HC instead of Bill Belichick ... and 30+ years before that, they let their top assistants Vince Lombardi (GB) and Tom Landry (Dallas) leave so they could preserve a right of succession for Allie frickin' Sherman. Never mind that Belichick, Lombardi and Landry were not quite famous yet at the time, but even if Barr proves to be the second coming of Walshy, RPI will have some ways to go to match the NYFG's record of futility in letting 3 of the most iconic coaches in their sport's history walk out the door in poor HC decisions. Thank God there was still Bill Parcells and Tom Coughlin in the mix to salvage 4 Super Bowls for the franchise over my lifetime, although that clearly pales by comparison with Lombardi (5 NFL titles in 10 seasons - including the NFL's one & only three-peat - before his untimely passing), Belichick (6 SB's in 26 seasons), and even Landry (2 SB's over 29 years, plus what at least used to be the NFL's longest-ever playoffs streak).

I've got no quarrel with RPI fans - and if Barr succeeds (again), I'll know how they feel.

I don’t think co-head coaches is the way to go regardless of how good they are.