UNH- How Far West Do We Go?

[Potluck]

You need to look no further than the "national search" for a new football coach to know exactly how the search for a new hockey coach would go under the current regime.

You buried the lede.

It’s strictly a municipal employer mentality at UNH. You get the job if you agree to accept much less and stay in you lane. Productivity is much lower on the list.

Rich is on Souza’s side. There’s very little pressure to make a change. UNH has much bigger problems.

 

[Potluck]

"Mainstream" = one (1) writer beholden to his sources at each program, who will never speak ill of even the most incompetent coach. LO fecking L!!

"Shrink The Rink" was supposed to hold the key to a UNH Hockey renaissance, UNH gave it to him, and ... nothing changed. What's the explanation?!?!?

If I went to my superiors with a recommendation on how to spend millions, and it fizzled like it has for Souza in Titletown, I'd be canned on the spot.

Yet you and your schmopey beta buddy MS7 sit around and slander UNH for not throwing even more money into it all. Get a grip.

You’re that special type of dumb that grammar school teachers talk about. The type of kid they give the answer to and the kid still fills in the wrong oval.

You literally have no idea what’s going on inside UNH hockey. None. McMahon literally speaks to coaches and agents and tells us what they are telling him. You attack McMahon because he’s giving you information you don’t like . McMahon even agrees to answer your questions. But you get mad at his answers. That’s what stupid is.

Let’s call it Buford, Meathead and Elwood stupid.

 

[norbert]

You’re that special type of dumb that grammar school teachers talk about. The type of kid they give the answer to and the kid still fills in the wrong oval.

You literally have no idea what’s going on inside UNH hockey. None. McMahon literally speaks to coaches and agents and tells us what they are telling him. You attack McMahon because he’s giving you information you don’t like . McMahon even agrees to answer your questions. But you get mad at his answers. That’s what stupid is.

Let’s call it Buford, Meathead and Elwood stupid.

An "insider" who if he were to print anything negative would lose his information sources. Do you think if McMahon wrote an article that it was time to replace Souza and get new blood, he would get any information from UNH?

Also, still looking for your sources that give you the inside scoop or what your role is that you are privy to this information

 

[JB]

I'm curious what the line of thinking even is here.

Do you think that someone like Pat Ferschweiler is taking the job at UNH if it is available? Or, more apt, is 2021 Ben Barr? There is a lot of talk about the money Barr signed for when he left for Maine but not enough about the commitment to the hockey program from the university. I would like to see how that part of the conversation went.

Does anyone here think Allison Rich is going to convince an up-and-coming coach (2021 Barr) much less an established one (Ferschweiler) to take a chance on a cellar dweller Hockey East program? The issues for UNH hockey are foundational, structural, and run incredibly deep.

A great coach is the most important aspect to building a a competitive, championship pursuing program. But, how do you get one?

You need to look no further than the "national search" for a new football coach to know exactly how the search for a new hockey coach would go under the current regime.

My line of thinking is sure I think UNH should invest more in Hockey and I don't accept that as an excuse for poor performance. There are 18 teams that have made the NCAAs in the last decade with smaller budgets, 11 of them multiple times. That is not just AHA or WCHA teams there are a couple NCHC teams in there too.

UNH has invested in the Hockey facility, shrink the rink, video board and now the locker room, weight room, lounge situation. You don't need to sell walking across the street which is nothing compared to Ferschweiler's 3 miles - likely bus ride although maybe conditioning run.

There are only 61 College Div I head coaching positions and now around 180 college assistant coaches and then there are all the USHL coaches before you get to scouts etc. Many of these people want to take there shot. Go find the next Barr or Ferschweiler who isn't going to whine about what they don't have rather sell what they do. If that coach is smart he will be communicative like Barr was to his fans and potential fans, who also happen to be voters. As the team starts winning the ticket sales at the Whitt will go up and then the Hockey coach will be able to demand more budget and more salary.

My line of thinking is it can be done, just like Dan says repeatedly, you just need to believe your eyes and ears, and understand nobody is throwing money at this problem until the winning starts, that is just the way of the world.

 

[Dan]

I'm curious what the line of thinking even is here.

Do you think that someone like Pat Ferschweiler is taking the job at UNH if it is available? Or, more apt, is 2021 Ben Barr? There is a lot of talk about the money Barr signed for when he left for Maine but not enough about the commitment to the hockey program from the university. I would like to see how that part of the conversation went.

Does anyone here think Allison Rich is going to convince an up-and-coming coach (2021 Barr) much less an established one (Ferschweiler) to take a chance on a cellar dweller Hockey East program? The issues for UNH hockey are foundational, structural, and run incredibly deep.

A great coach is the most important aspect to building a a competitive, championship pursuing program. But, how do you get one?

You need to look no further than the "national search" for a new football coach to know exactly how the search for a new hockey coach would go under the current regime.

Whether UNH can field a successful hockey program and whether the powers that be are capable of leading the way are two entirely different questions…

Yes, UNH can be great again. Yes, if UNH was searching for a coach in 2021, Ben Barr would have been immensely interested. Maine was every bit as down as UNH is now.

Reporting on the Yale opening has Joe Dumais, Jared DiMichiel and Joe Perreira all reaching out to submit their names for consideration. That’s a job with less investment, likely lower salaries, worse facilities and an objectively harder path than UNH…

To paraphrase John Buccigross, there are just 60-some jobs. They’re all in demand and UNH has one to offer. Yes, if they are searching in the near future they could find a very good coach.

If success followed, what it would take to convince the new coach to stay is an entirely different subject.

When the time came, we’d all find out together if UNH wiould step up; until then it’s an irrelevant hypothetical…

 

[JB]

Reporting on the Yale opening has Joe Dumais, Jared DiMichiel and Joe Perreira all reaching out to submit their names for consideration. That’s a job with less investment, likely lower salaries, worse facilities and an objectively harder path than UNH…

To paraphrase John Buccigross, there are just 60-some jobs. They’re all in demand and UNH has one to offer. Yes, if they are searching in the near future they could find a very good coach.

Per College Factual (reminder I am not a "fan", it is the only place I can find this data for any teams I have searched and at least it is consistent) Yale Men's Hockey Budget $2M... So $400k less than UNH. Those hot shot assistants are crazy, can't possibly win in that environment...

 

[e.cat]

Did somebody say "off the rails?" The Whitt is not the issue. The campus is not the issue. The acceptance rate is not the issue. The state support is not the issue. The politics in New Hampshire is not the issue. There is something else at play. May be NIL. May be parity. Most likely coaching and recruiting. Deal with it. The protestations on this thread won't change anything.

 

[FlagUp17]

I'm curious what the line of thinking even is here.

Do you think that someone like Pat Ferschweiler is taking the job at UNH if it is available? Or, more apt, is 2021 Ben Barr? There is a lot of talk about the money Barr signed for when he left for Maine but not enough about the commitment to the hockey program from the university. I would like to see how that part of the conversation went.

Does anyone here think Allison Rich is going to convince an up-and-coming coach (2021 Barr) much less an established one (Ferschweiler) to take a chance on a cellar dweller Hockey East program? The issues for UNH hockey are foundational, structural, and run incredibly deep.

A great coach is the most important aspect to building a a competitive, championship pursuing program. But, how do you get one?

You need to look no further than the "national search" for a new football coach to know exactly how the search for a new hockey coach would go under the current regime.

10,000X this. I was upset, but not surprised by the hiring of Goldrich for the football program.

I messaged a fellow family member (another UNH alum) when I read the news. His first comment was “typical UNH”. I can’t disagree with him. I thought it was a bonafide gaslight job by Rich saying they performed a “national” search. Just look at the timing - Santos resigned on 12/13, and they announced Goldrich on 12/29. That’s 16 days! And around the Christmas holiday to boot… Some teams were still playing playoff football too…

How many interviews can you conduct in a 16 day period?! I’m not sure they ever even mentioned a “short list” of final candidates. It was simply “we hired our new guy”…

Again, I wasn’t surprised at all. “Typical UNH” as my family member said. I wish Sean nothing but the best, but if this is how UNH conducts interviews and hires new coaches, it does not inspire much confidence.

You gotta look “outside the box” from time to time to get new creative ideas flowing.

 

[2013hockeyfan]

10,000X this. I was upset, but not surprised by the hiring of Goldrich for the football program.

I messaged a fellow family member (another UNH alum) when I read the news. His first comment was “typical UNH”. I can’t disagree with him. I thought it was a bonafide gaslight job by Rich saying they performed a “national” search. Just look at the timing - Santos resigned on 12/13, and they announced Goldrich on 12/29. That’s 16 days! And around the Christmas holiday to boot… Some teams were still playing playoff football too…

How many interviews can you conduct in a 16 day period?! I’m not sure they ever even mentioned a “short list” of final candidates. It was simply “we hired our new guy”…

Again, I wasn’t surprised at all. “Typical UNH” as my family member said. I wish Sean nothing but the best, but if this is how UNH conducts interviews and hires new coaches, it does not inspire much confidence.

You gotta look “outside the box” from time to time to get new creative ideas flowing.

The best part is UNH used a paid consultant as part of the hiring process, “DHR Global.”

Probably paid 6 figures to have them find a recent alum coaching a few states away

If they fire Souze (or miraculously, he leaves), they will have someone just as bad, or worse, in the door in a week or two. Prime example happening with the basketball program. And they’ll pay a consulting firm 150k to do it.

 

[FlagUp17]

The best part is UNH used a paid consultant as part of the hiring process, “DHR Global.”

Probably paid 6 figures to have them find a recent alum coaching a few states away

If they fire Souze (or miraculously, he leaves), they will have someone just as bad, or worse, in the door in a week or two. Prime example happening with the basketball program. And they’ll pay a consulting firm 150k to do it.

The fact there was not a peep as to who any of the other “candidates” were - it makes you question how many there actually were…

They said there were “a lot of very competitive candidates”. Still… McDonnell was on the interview panel, and I presume he had a HEAVY hand in picking someone he was familiar with.

They mention the importance of “culture” but what exactly is that culture? That reverberates across UNH. What is the “culture” for UNH athletics?

I’ll always follow UNH sports. I’m a third generation Wildcat, so it’s just in my blood. Still… sometimes it can frustrating, to say the least…

 

[2013hockeyfan]

My line of thinking is sure I think UNH should invest more in Hockey and I don't accept that as an excuse for poor performance. There are 18 teams that have made the NCAAs in the last decade with smaller budgets, 11 of them multiple times. That is not just AHA or WCHA teams there are a couple NCHC teams in there too.

UNH has invested in the Hockey facility, shrink the rink, video board and now the locker room, weight room, lounge situation. You don't need to sell walking across the street which is nothing compared to Ferschweiler's 3 miles - likely bus ride although maybe conditioning run.

There are only 61 College Div I head coaching positions and now around 180 college assistant coaches and then there are all the USHL coaches before you get to scouts etc. Many of these people want to take there shot. Go find the next Barr or Ferschweiler who isn't going to whine about what they don't have rather sell what they do. If that coach is smart he will be communicative like Barr was to his fans and potential fans, who also happen to be voters. As the team starts winning the ticket sales at the Whitt will go up and then the Hockey coach will be able to demand more budget and more salary.

My line of thinking is it can be done, just like Dan says repeatedly, you just need to believe your eye and ears, and understand nobody is throwing money at this problem until the winning starts, that is just the way of the world.

It absolutely can be done.

Allison Rich cannot do it, though.

 

[2013hockeyfan]

When the time came, we’d all find out together if UNH wiould step up; until then it’s an irrelevant hypothetical…

What time? The time is now. The program is a mainstay in cellar of the league and they are doing nothing. The program was an embarrassment when they resigned Souza 2 years ago. It’s not a hypothetical, it is happening right in front of our eyes.

Minnesota (also a state institution, for all the private industry fetishists on this board) just fired their very successful head coach.

 

[2013hockeyfan]

Reporting on the Yale opening has Joe Dumais, Jared DiMichiel and Joe Perreira all reaching out to submit their names for consideration. That’s a job with less investment, likely lower salaries, worse facilities and an objectively harder path than UNH…

I’m not sure the coach at Yale has an objectively harder path. There is some appeal to an Ivy league degree, after all, that can be enticing recruits (and their parents).

 

[Dan]

I’m not sure the coach at Yale has an objectively harder path. There is some appeal to an Ivy league degree, after all, that can be enticing recruits (and their parents).

Take every ten prospective student athletes and immediately cross off eight (academics). After that you’ve got the same challenges everyone else has…

And if you get those two remaining athletes interested, you may have to cross off at least one more because Yale doesn’t play in the Harvard/Cornell division of the Ivy League.

—

The other piece of my post you quoted related to second contracts/retaining a coach. How much UNH could/would commit in that moment is what we’d find out. Until then there is nothing outside the coaches’ control (Souza or otherwise) that prevents a competitive hockey program. And there are plenty of top young coaches who would relish an opportunity equivalent to what UNH offers…

If UNH ever did need to hire a new coach, I’d bet good money on the success of one of those assistants named in my last post. Let’s hope Yale passes…

 

[FlagUp17]

Take every ten prospective student athletes and immediately cross off eight (academics). After that you’ve got the same challenges everyone else has…

And if you get those two remaining athletes interested, you can probably cross off at least one more because Yale doesn’t play in the Harvard/Cornell division of the Ivy League.

—

The other piece of my post you quoted related to second contracts/retaining a coach. How much UNH could/would commit in that moment is what we’d find out. Until then there is nothing outside the coaches’ control (Souza or otherwise) that prevents a competitive hockey program.

If UNH ever did need to hire a new coach, I’d bet good money on the success of one of those assistants named in my last post. Let’s hope Yale passes…

I need to see if UNH is capable of hiring a coach not connected to the University for one of their major sports (mens hockey and football).

They haven’t deviated from this since what? Charlie Holt or Bill Bowes? (I don’t count Kullen as he was a longtime assistant of Holt before taking the reigns in the late 80s, so even though he wasn’t an alumni, he was very much associated with the school).

There’s a lot of great assistants, USHL coaches, etc. out there. But UNH needs to at least FIELD those calls if/when they come in. They cant just fill their interview panel with guys who favor their former players because they were good players, easily coached, etc.

Who knows, perhaps Ayers, Bogie, or another UNH alum comes in and rights the ship and gets us back to winning hockey. Still, it doesn’t hurt to focus on “new blood” to get new perspectives, new ideas, and start to turn things around…

 

[norbert]

What time? The time is now. The program is a mainstay in cellar of the league and they are doing nothing. The program was an embarrassment when they resigned Souza 2 years ago. It’s not a hypothetical, it is happening right in front of our eyes.

Minnesota (also a state institution, for all the private industry fetishists on this board) just fired their very successful head coach.

I don't expect immediate results but there is a per sport review coming for UNH. Hopefully there are some tough decisions made and resources move to areas where there is potential.

 

[JB]

It absolutely can be done.

Allison Rich cannot do it, though.

We can only hope Rich is not renewed.

 

[norbert]

 

[TheGrouchyCat]

I don't expect immediate results but there is a per sport review coming for UNH. Hopefully there are some tough decisions made and resources move to areas where there is potential.

I've heard the same thing. Curious if a $9m budget for football is sustainable.

 

[Potluck]

An "insider" who if he were to print anything negative would lose his information sources. Do you think if McMahon wrote an article that it was time to replace Souza and get new blood, he would get any information from UNH?

Also, still looking for your sources that give you the inside scoop or what your role is that you are privy to this information

Meathead: McMahons answers were a takedown of the entire UNH hockey program. He basically strongly implied the program is moribund. It’s impossible to be more negative. He wrote that Souza is irrelevant. Please explain how McMahon could possibly be more negative.

I don’t ever recall reading anything more negative about any hockey east program in the last 40 years than what McMahon wrote about UNH.