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  • Dean Blais steps down at Omaha

    Saw this one coming. Seems like he was unhappy with the leadership at Omaha and hasn't had a lot of success there. Wonder what he'll do now.
    Last edited by Riz; 03-15-2017, 09:31 AM.

  • #2
    Re: Dean Blais steps down at Omaha

    Omaha has essentially been a .500 team with only 2 NCAA tourney appearances in 8 seasons under Blais. He may have been respectfully walked to the door.

    EDIT:

    Quote to Omaha Herald after season ending loss to Western Michigan:

    Blais also said he plans to be back, although he said he’s read multiple articles stating he would retire. “Right now, yeah,” he said when asked if he’d back. “I don’t know how the scoop got around.”

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Dean Blais steps down at Omaha

      Originally posted by SteveO View Post
      Omaha has essentially been a .500 team with only 2 NCAA tourney appearances in 8 seasons under Blais. He may have been respectfully walked to the door.

      EDIT:

      Quote to Omaha Herald after season ending loss to Western Michigan:
      I saw something that said he'd be back too just yesterday. I guess he or the program changed their mind(s).

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Dean Blais steps down at Omaha

        Originally posted by SteveO View Post
        Omaha has essentially been a .500 team with only 2 NCAA tourney appearances in 8 seasons under Blais. He may have been respectfully walked to the door.

        EDIT:

        Quote to Omaha Herald after season ending loss to Western Michigan:

        I doubt they will do better with him gone. I can think of a lot of places a really good recruit might want to go, before they pick Omaha.
        XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX


        The reason for the talent in the west? Because MN didn't rely on Canada.

        Originally posted by MN Pond Hockey
        Menards could have sold a lot of rope

        this morning in Grand Forks if North Dakota had trees.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Dean Blais steps down at Omaha

          Originally posted by Happy View Post
          I doubt they will do better with him gone. I can think of a lot of places a really good recruit might want to go, before they pick Omaha.
          Dean Blais got recruits to go to Omaha that very few other coaches could have... I can count 4-5 that were shoo-ins for North Dakota over the years that he "stole". He also was the driving force behind getting UNO a new barn. I think that most UNO fans thought that by just hiring Deano that they would automatically become a top 5 program... not going to happen with any coach. What's that saying, you can only shine a turd so much? I may have that one wrong...

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Dean Blais steps down at Omaha

            Originally posted by willythekid View Post
            Dean Blais got recruits to go to Omaha that very few other coaches could have... I can count 4-5 that were shoo-ins for North Dakota over the years that he "stole". He also was the driving force behind getting UNO a new barn. I think that most UNO fans thought that by just hiring Deano that they would automatically become a top 5 program... not going to happen with any coach. What's that saying, you can only shine a turd so much? I may have that one wrong...
            Yet, he barely had a better record than Kemp. Maybe some of that was CCHA versus WCHA/NCHC but I expected him to perform better at Omaha. Only 2 NCAA wins and 2 appearances in 8 years for an "elite" coach. I understand Omaha moved into a much better conference with the WCHA/NCHC but you'd think they could do better with an "elite" coach. That being said, Blais leaving does not send this program into the right direction.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Dean Blais steps down at Omaha

              Originally posted by Riz View Post
              Yet, he barely had a better record than Kemp. Maybe some of that was CCHA versus WCHA/NCHC but I expected him to perform better at Omaha. Only 2 NCAA wins and 2 appearances in 8 years for an "elite" coach. I understand Omaha moved into a much better conference with the WCHA/NCHC but you'd think they could do better with an "elite" coach. That being said, Blais leaving does not send this program into the right direction.
              My old high school would have a.500 record in the CCHA.
              XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX


              The reason for the talent in the west? Because MN didn't rely on Canada.

              Originally posted by MN Pond Hockey
              Menards could have sold a lot of rope

              this morning in Grand Forks if North Dakota had trees.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Dean Blais steps down at Omaha

                Originally posted by Riz View Post
                Yet, he barely had a better record than Kemp. Maybe some of that was CCHA versus WCHA/NCHC but I expected him to perform better at Omaha. Only 2 NCAA wins and 2 appearances in 8 years for an "elite" coach. I understand Omaha moved into a much better conference with the WCHA/NCHC but you'd think they could do better with an "elite" coach. That being said, Blais leaving does not send this program into the right direction.
                0-8 in conference quarterfinal series and a March record of 11-30-1 for one of the highest paid coaches in the country is a horrible ROI
                UNO Maverick fan and Gopher hater, stuck in Husky country...

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Dean Blais steps down at Omaha

                  He's an icon, no doubt.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Dean Blais steps down at Omaha

                    Originally posted by Riz View Post
                    Yet, he barely had a better record than Kemp. Maybe some of that was CCHA versus WCHA/NCHC but I expected him to perform better at Omaha. Only 2 NCAA wins and 2 appearances in 8 years for an "elite" coach. I understand Omaha moved into a much better conference with the WCHA/NCHC but you'd think they could do better with an "elite" coach. That being said, Blais leaving does not send this program into the right direction.
                    I think 2 wins in the NCAAs in two appearances is respectable for UNO. A Frozen Four appearance was impressive even if it did come thanks to RIT The early exits in the conference tournaments was the extremely disappointing part. Last year, going from #1 in the country to not making the NCAAs in less than 3 months was tragic.

                    He pretty much skated on his reputation while he was at UNO, not his results.
                    UNO Maverick fan and Gopher hater, stuck in Husky country...

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Dean Blais steps down at Omaha

                      Originally posted by 5thYearFreshman View Post
                      I think 2 wins in the NCAAs in two appearances is respectable for UNO. A Frozen Four appearance was impressive even if it did come thanks to RIT The early exits in the conference tournaments was the extremely disappointing part. Last year, going from #1 in the country to not making the NCAAs in less than 3 months was tragic.

                      He pretty much skated on his reputation while he was at UNO, not his results.
                      Well two wins in two appearances isn't terrible but the appearances in the NCAA usually define whether the team had a successful regular season or not. AS we know, crazy things can happen in a single-elimination hockey game.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Dean Blais steps down at Omaha

                        He certainly isn't too old (66), to find another coaching position. It will be interesting to see what path he follows. Sort of sounds like he was given a slight push toward the door.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Dean Blais steps down at Omaha

                          The lone Frozen Four appearance was a gift from MSU-Mankato that year. MSUM entered as the number 1 seed in the country and couldn't take care of business in the regionals.
                          Last edited by ole ole ole ole; 03-15-2017, 06:19 PM.

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                          • #14
                            Re: Dean Blais steps down at Omaha

                            I'm glad he's gone. He lost his touch. He's too expensive. We have a problem. No recruiting budget. Snuggerud left. They might try to get Mike Hastings but I'm sure he won't budge. Trev needs to go next. Don't be surprised to see Mike Kemp back behind the bench to save $$$. OR,,,, he could end up as the new AD. We are screwed.
                            UNLEASH THE FURY!!!!!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLMMx3MRi0s

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Dean Blais steps down at Omaha

                              Not surprised. He never lived up to his billing and even hinted at the administration not having his back last year. I kind of feel for the guy. Kind of.

                              That being said, I think this was a cost-cutting move more than a performance move. The state's in the middle of a budget crisis, and whenever that happens, UNO gets absolutely gutted in every department possible. It happened in the mid-2000s and it's happening now.

                              To add to this, the baseball manager Bob Herold, who was one of the most underrated in the country and made UNO finish top two in the conference over the last three years, was "fired over an altercation on the team bus." The players all very vocally protested in favor of keeping him, and fans think it was a cost-cutting measure, especially when you consider them hiring some alum who was playing semi-pro ball in Sweden when he got the call to manage his alma mater. Now Herold's managing the Phillies' rookie league team and UNO baseball went from vying for an NCAA bid to 2-17. That's where we are. If I'm the basketball or soccer coaches, I'm updating my resume in case the year goes a little below expectations or I yell at a player a little too loud and word gets to the AD.

                              The talk is that the replacement will be current assistant Mike Gabinet, and he won't be given full cost of attendance, so he'll be recruiting against UND and Miami who are while having only a year's knowledge of coaching in US college hockey. He was very successful in the CIS, but the NCHC is a different beast. Is this the "commitment to the sport" that got UNO brought into the NCHC?

                              If we lose, fans stay home or go to Creighton games, which means less money to pay off the new arena, which means more belt-tightening at the athletic department, which means more questionable firings of successful coaches in favor of newbies, which means more losses, which means...

                              TL:DR; UNO is screwed for the foreseeable future and probably has no business remaining in the NCHC if we can't find a way to pay off the new arena while offering FCOA to help out the new coach.

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