LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

[Lakers-88-92-94]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

http://www.lssulakers.com/sports/m-h...ess_conference

[eye4talent]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

Sounds like Whitten might be your new coach.

http://www.hockeynewsnorth.com/ncaa/...ame-new-coach/

[jnacc]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

Believe me, if there was something positive to cheer about, I'd be the first to say it. I realize that we think somewhat along the same lines, but I do have a real concern for the future of the program and I am a realist. Most folks are pie-in-the-sky optimists, and that really isn't the best way to run a business, or a hockey program. Sorry if that doesn't blow up your skirt the right way!

Seiously midge? Gee I wonder who stated this...

The program must let Roque go to have any chance of a turn-around. I've been told by a very knowledgeable person that finances are near a breaking point and the hockey end of operations incurred massive losses this year. They anticipated that fan generated revenues would drop this year but not to the extent that it has....the program has become unsustainable in its current predicament. Fan apathy is at an all time high....student support is scant and if changes are not made and quickly our worst fears may materialize.

Does that sound like someone who has their head in the sand? Don't you think we real fans know exactly what time it is and what needs to be done. I keep saying and saying that this next hire will prove pivotal to the program...mess it up and its good bye Laker Hockey. Hire the right guy though who can bring back a winning culture then the casual fans will come back and revenue will increase with it. Winning is a virtuous cycle...what we had under Roque was toxic and that is really the crux of the matter with many of you Roque apologists. While he was coach, you blamed everyone but him. It was the A.D.'s fault that the team was losing...it was the location...it was the school itself...it was the "small" "isolated" and "backward" town where other teams couldn't even find decent places for breakfast (according to a poster who pretended to be an ex tenured LSSU professor). We were lucky to have Roque...and if we dared fired him the program would implode cause no one in their right mind would want the job...poor old Jim was doing it as a labor of love and if he left we'd be lucky to get an alcoholic ex midget house-league coach to apply!

Guess what...we attracted some pretty decent candidates. Yes, who ever does get the job will certainly have their work cut and yes, revenues will have to increase but again, winning can take care of that problem. Its like this Midge, the program was going no where but to extinction under Roque. He had to be let go and that is the "REALITY" of the situation... sorry if that gets your panties in a bunch.

[jnacc]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

Sounds like Whitten might be your new coach.

http://www.hockeynewsnorth.com/ncaa/...ame-new-coach/

Will be somewhat disappointed if true as I think that Fogarty was the best candidate but we'll have to give Whitten his due and hope to hell he can save this program from becoming a ship wreck. Plan on purchasing season tickets as token gesture of support...first time in years since I've been a season ticket holder but we have to give this one last shot!

GO LAKERS!!!!!!!

[gfmorris]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

http://www.uscho.com/2014/04/25/sour...uperior-state/

[uaafanblog]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

Whitten has the hottest wife in college hockey. Just sayin ...

Good luck Damon.

[sm2pk]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

I think the Lakers just pulled a Borek moment with Whitten .

[Nosferatu]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

So the press conference tomorrow is to tell the Soo community what the rest of the world knows?

[LSSULaker889294]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

I'm pretty neutral on the hire. I would of rather had Fogarty or Shawhan, but Whitten is better than Christian, Metro, or Barr.

[AnchorsAway]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

I'm happy with the hire, but obviously only time will tell, at this time I choose to focus on the positives: Whitten was part of recruiting an awful lot of USHL talent to Houghton, a league that LSSU hasn't been able to pull much from in the recent past, maybe that will change now; Also, it appears he really improved the PK at Tech so having that as a specialty is a nice bonus for LSSU since most agree that with our resources being what they are (i.e. blue chip offensive stars aren't knocking down the door) that a team built around strong defense is our path of least resistance to having success.

I think Comley probably had a very heavy hand in this decision, which I am totally fine with, not only was he the most qualified person on the search committee but there could certainly be worse candidates to be behind the wheel of the hiring comitttee than an alumnus and former LSSU coach who won a national title at all 3 places he coached at.

I also commend LSSU for the hiring process, I think we attracted better candidates than many of the cynical posters may have expected and I think the timeline was very adequate, not a knee jerk reaction and not a long drawn out affair so although I have been critical of the administration and Dunbar before, I will give credit where it is due, and it certainly is in this situation. Hiring a new hockey coach does not fix the money problems, poor attendance, declining enrollment, and the many other issues that plague Lake State's hockey program and university as whole, and it will take ALL of the pieces of the puzzle to work together to get the hockey program and the university turned around, but in my opinion the two most influential people to that process both directly and through de facto avenues are the president and head hockey coach and we have new faces walking through the door to take both positions, so if there was ever the perfect opportunity to right the ship, now would be it.

[Bill]

I'm happy with the hire, but obviously only time will tell, at this time I choose to focus on the positives: Whitten was part of recruiting an awful lot of USHL talent to Houghton, a league that LSSU hasn't been able to pull much from in the recent past, maybe that will change now; Also, it appears he really improved the PK at Tech so having that as a specialty is a nice bonus for LSSU since most agree that with our resources being what they are (i.e. blue chip offensive stars aren't knocking down the door) that a team built around strong defense is our path of least resistance to having success.

I think Comley probably had a very heavy hand in this decision, which I am totally fine with, not only was he the most qualified person on the search committee but there could certainly be worse candidates to be behind the wheel of the hiring comitttee than an alumnus and former LSSU coach who won a national title at all 3 places he coached at.

I also commend LSSU for the hiring process, I think we attracted better candidates than many of the cynical posters may have expected and I think the timeline was very adequate, not a knee jerk reaction and not a long drawn out affair so although I have been critical of the administration and Dunbar before, I will give credit where it is due, and it certainly is in this situation. Hiring a new hockey coach does not fix the money problems, poor attendance, declining enrollment, and the many other issues that plague Lake State's hockey program and university as whole, and it will take ALL of the pieces of the puzzle to work together to get the hockey program and the university turned around, but in my opinion the two most influential people to that process both directly and through de facto avenues are the president and head hockey coach and we have new faces walking through the door to take both positions, so if there was ever the perfect opportunity to right the ship, now would be it.

I thought it would probably come down to Fogarty and Whitten, and not knowing how the actual interviews went, I thought Fogarty might have a slight edge. What Whitten does give us is more current experience at recruiting players for the Div 1 level, not just from the USHL but all the prime junior leagues with the possible exception of the Eastern ones. We may still not have the budget to go after USHL kids as hard as most of us would like, but maybe we will at least have a little more of a presence there. It will be interesting to see what is said in the press conference tomorrow including the Q & A session that follows.

[AnchorsAway]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

I thought it would probably come down to Fogarty and Whitten, and not knowing how the actual interviews went, I thought Fogarty might have a slight edge. What Whitten does give us is more current experience at recruiting players for the Div 1 level, not just from the USHL but all the prime junior leagues with the possible exception of the Eastern ones. We may still not have the budget to go after USHL kids as hard as most of us would like, but maybe we will at least have a little more of a presence there. It will be interesting to see what is said in the press conference tomorrow including the Q & A session that follows.

Agreed, and even though we still don't have the budget to have coaches in USHL rooms every weekend, I'd have to think that Whitten had to make some visits that were basically a one shot deal. MTU certainly has a better budget than we do but at the same time, they're not Michigan so I'd have to assume that there were some recruits that Whitten landed with minimal contact due to some budget considerations. It's that type of closing prowess that hopefully can be infused into our program. What will remain to be seen is what Whitten and his staff will be able to do in terms of developing the talent on the roster, wherever it may come from.

[bigmrg74]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

Ok tell me what to do. Do I have to go up the hill and fire Dunbar right now or can I wait until 4 O'clock ?

Getting a new coach that may get the team to play on more of a consistent level should help for now. Remember the Lakers were a Top 20 team the first half of the season then went into their yearly swoon that took away what was such a promising season.

What I was getting at is far bigger than Dunbar. You need to hunt bigger game than here. Set you sights on McLain. Either hold his feet to the fire about improving all things LSSU, ranging from hockey, academics, and that all important enrollment numbers. Or get him booted and replaced with somebody who is going to get shibby done. You put a shibby kicker in charge of LSSU, a lot of good things will happen that will have long term success for LSSU.

[PerkyforPrez]

What I was getting at is far bigger than Dunbar. You need to hunt bigger game than here. Set you sights on McLain. Either hold his feet to the fire about improving all things LSSU, ranging from hockey, academics, and that all important enrollment numbers. Or get him booted and replaced with somebody who is going to get shibby done. You put a shibby kicker in charge of LSSU, a lot of good things will happen that will have long term success for LSSU.

You do know that he is retiring in a couple months and his replacement has been hired don't you?

[FRICKER]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

Best of luck to Damon Whitten in his new job!!!! I coached Damon as a Squirt Major withe the Michigan Travelers AAA team and remember hom as a hard worker who loves the game. Go Lakers!!!