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2014 UNH Wildcats: Ending Strong and Starting Fresh

Re: 2014 UNH Wildcats: Ending Strong and Starting Fresh

In many sports, it is common for a coach coming in from elsewhere to want to start over with a new staff. That isn't the norm in women's hockey. To some extent, it depends on the experience of the new head coach. If you bring in someone from the men's hockey world, for example, if you dump the whole staff and start from scratch then recruiting starts from square one as well. For that reason if for no other, I don't see it in the best interest of the program to start over with a completely new staff in year one.

Especially since Coaches Jones and Wood have pretty much stocked the cupboard for '14 and '15, with the foundation laid for '16. No doubt some of the players of the '15 class are already looking elsewhere given the current state of "limbo" but you can pretty much be assured that the cupboard will be bare if the connection between recruit and coach(es)/program is severed.
 
Re: 2014 UNH Wildcats: Ending Strong and Starting Fresh

As the saying goes Hux and Arm, "from your mouth to g-d's ears"....as of now, there are some players who are willing to stay in this quagmire, even given Scarano's talk yesterday, because of Jamie and Steph....I'm only hanging on by a thread because of the coaches and the girls I know....so how is that NOT the starting point for this team! Are we going to have to lose half our players and quality coaches to "start fresh" BS!! Get off your *** UNH Administration and show these girls that Scarano doesn't represent you! His audacity and abusivenss doesn't represent UNH!!
DO SOMETHING!!!!
 
Re: 2014 UNH Wildcats: Ending Strong and Starting Fresh

In many sports, it is common for a coach coming in from elsewhere to want to start over with a new staff. That isn't the norm in women's hockey. To some extent, it depends on the experience of the new head coach. If you bring in someone from the men's hockey world, for example, if you dump the whole staff and start from scratch then recruiting starts from square one as well. For that reason if for no other, I don't see it in the best interest of the program to start over with a completely new staff in year one.

There was a situation a few years ago where they brought in a new coach and cleaned house in terms of the rest of the staff. It set that program back at least two years in terms of recruiting, as most potential recruits in the pipeline went elsewhere, and the new staff had to start recruiting from scratch.
 
Re: 2014 UNH Wildcats: Ending Strong and Starting Fresh

From https://jobs.usnh.edu/applicants/jsp/shared/position/JobDetails_css.jsp?postingId=158732


Posting Details
Posting Number/Job Order #
0902189
Classification Title:
HEAD WOMEN'S ICE HOCKEY COACH
Operating Title
HEAD WOMEN'S ICE HOCKEY COACH
Department
UNH-Athletics
Location
University of New Hampshire
Posting Date:
(Positions are posted a minimum of 7 days if hourly based and minimum of 10 days if salaried based)
04-09-2014
Closing Date
04-19-2014
Posting Open to Internal Candidates Only?
No
Interested Internal Candidates Exist?
No
Percent Time Information (FTE)
1.00
Appointment Type
Regular Position with Benefits
If TERM position with benefits, indicate projected end date:

If TEMP appointment with benefits, indicate projected end date:

Additional Salary Information:
(Salaried/hourly rates are set within the pay range based on each candidate's education and experience, job responsibilities, internal equity, and/or available department funding.)
Starting salary commensurate with education and experience.
Summary of Position
To organize, plan, administer, maintain and direct all aspects of an emphasized intercollegiate sports program, supervise all staff members involved in such a program and create strong public relations and fund raising.
Acceptable Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor's degree. Five years coaching experience. Participation in sport coached.
Additional Desirable Qualifications:
Masters degree. Intercollegiate coaching experience.
Equipment/Instruments

Additional Job Information:
To receive full consideration for this position, in addition to completing the required on-line application form, please be prepared to submit:
Resume and cover letter

Optional Documents:
Contact Information for three (3) professional references
Is this position responsible for the supervision of staff?
Yes, this position is responsible for supervision
If yes, what kind of staff does this person supervise?
Adjunct Hourly Staff
Professional, Administrative, and Technical
Special Requirements:
Background check may be required prior to employment.
Safety Information
None applicable
EEO Statement
The University of New Hampshire is an Equal Opportunity/Equal Access/Affirmative Action institution. The university seeks excellence through diversity among its administrators, faculty, staff, and students. The university prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status, or marital status. Application by members of all underrepresented groups is encouraged.
EEO Information
10-Executive/Admin and Managerial
Additional Salary Information:
Salary is complemented by a generous benefits package which includes medical, dental, retirement, tuition, and paid time off.
Duties/ Responsibilities
8 Records
Ranking Duties/Responsibilities

Coach will implement a strategic vision for the Women's Hockey program that aspires to be a consistent contender in Hockey East and the NCAA tournament. The coach will plan and organize the Women's Hockey program including developing game plans; training and conditioning programs; organizing practice sessions; supervising and monitoring assistant coaches; developing and retaining athletically talented student athletes to compete successfully within the conference, regionally and/or nationally.

Assess talent and nationally recruit student athletes to the Women's Hockey program who are excellent students and athletes. This includes traveling to evaluate players' abilities, phone calls, letter writing, on campus meetings and scholarship recommendations.

Travel with the team, plan for equipment and supplies including uniforms maintenance. Responsible for ensuring that team expenditures do not exceed team budget.

Public relations responsibilities. Attend on/off campus functions to represent the program. Speak at high-schools, clubs, banquets, lecture at summer camps. Actively pursue strong print and electronic media relations.

Develop and maintain strong alumni, parent, and booster support for women's hockey; strategize how to best work with the hockey team's booster organization and assist in implementing said organization, and work with the UNH Athletic Development Office to increase annual contributions and scholarships for the hockey team and the Athletics department.

Pass the NCAA coaches certification test, attend all mandatory NCAA compliance meetings and maintain appropriate forms and documentation in office files to be reviewed upon request. Maintain competency with respect to knowledge of, compliance with, state and federal laws, University policies/regulations, Hockey East Conference rules/policies, and NCAA rules. Report to the Director of Athletics any violation of NCAA, conference, and/or
institutional rules.

Coach will represent the University on the highest professional level with dignity, integrity, and strength of character. Coach must respect the rights and dignity of each student athlete. Coach also must display sensitivity to diversity issues and shall work to create an inclusive and welcoming environment. Coach will be an ambassador for the institution and UNH Athletics and will build strong relationships with the institutional colleagues and the state's populace and national constituents.

Encourage student-athletes to perform to their fullest academic potential, monitor student athletes' progress toward degree requirements to remain eligible. Monitor the retention eligibility of student-athletes as it impacts the women's hockey Academic Progress Rate (APR) and Graduation Success Rate (GSR).
Return to Search Results
 
Re: 2014 UNH Wildcats: Ending Strong and Starting Fresh

From https://jobs.usnh.edu/applicants/jsp/shared/position/JobDetails_css.jsp?postingId=158732


Posting Details
Posting Number/Job Order #
0902189
Classification Title:
HEAD WOMEN'S ICE HOCKEY COACH
Operating Title
HEAD WOMEN'S ICE HOCKEY COACH
Department
UNH-Athletics.....

Well, there's the answer to one of the questions y'all have:

"Interested Internal Candidates Exist?
No "

I guess they will not be considering the current coaches.
 
Re: 2014 UNH Wildcats: Ending Strong and Starting Fresh

Here's a thought UNH, how about holding Scarano to the second to last paragraph, and all it implies before imposing those attributes on his underlings.....because if you talk with all but 4/5 of the current players, he has been anything but respectful, professional, or "sensitive to diversity issues and shall work to create an inclusive and welcoming environment" ! Seriously!!! ***.....
 
Re: 2014 UNH Wildcats: Ending Strong and Starting Fresh

Well that is an interesting side track 96, hasn't thought of that in a while....but the speed in which both the criminal and UNH investigations are proceeding is breath taking eh! I mean, Katie Stone will have coached in the 2018 Olympics before we have a ruling.....
On another point, I follow your logic Hockeyeast33 but know for a fact that that description reads incorrectly...both Coaches have applied from within....
 
Well that is an interesting side track 96, hasn't thought of that in a while....but the speed in which both the criminal and UNH investigations are proceeding is breath taking eh! I mean, Katie Stone will have coached in the 2018 Olympics before we have a ruling.....
On another point, I follow your logic Hockeyeast33 but know for a fact that that description reads incorrectly...both Coaches have applied from within....
Well in that situation the coach was fired in May 2013 and reinstated in April 2014 less than a year later. In this case, BM was terminated in January 2014 (I believe) so by example he could be reinstated by a court/arbitrator as early as this year and during a new coach's 1st season.

What prime candidate wants to walk into that situation? Now I'm sure they can find someone to take that job, but if I was a top coaching candidate it would give me some serious pause. They need to get this resolved pronto. It also leads you to believe the current coaches are the best solution.
 
Well in that situation the coach was fired in May 2013 and reinstated in April 2014 less than a year later. In this case, BM was terminated in January 2014 (I believe) so by example he could be reinstated by a court/arbitrator as early as this year and during a new coach's 1st season.

What prime candidate wants to walk into that situation? Now I'm sure they can find someone to take that job, but if I was a top coaching candidate it would give me some serious pause. They need to get this resolved pronto. It also leads you to believe the current coaches are the best solution.

Yeah, while they aren't apples to apples comparisons, it is certainly a good point.
 
Re: 2014 UNH Wildcats: Ending Strong and Starting Fresh

Yeah, while they aren't apples to apples comparisons, it is certainly a good point.

In a recent past situation ( about 3 years ago ) where an "outgoing" coach was fighting dismissal, it took that school until AUGUST to install a new head coach and until SEPTEMBER until a full coaching staff was in place. It hurt that program's recruiting big time. The ongoing uncertainty can certainly hurt the program going forward if this does not resolved in a timely matter.
 
Re: 2014 UNH Wildcats: Ending Strong and Starting Fresh

Any new head coach will know that their position is tenuous because it could be terminated if BM gets reinstated as requested in his lawsuit.

Unlikely? An arbitrator just ordered a head football coach reinstated. http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2014/...oach-should-be-reinstated-at-minnesota-state/

I really don't see any coach literally being reinstated to their former job regardless of the ruling. I don't see any risk to the new coach. All it means is that the former coach would be granted their salary until the end of his/her contract and walk quietly into the distance.

Think about it for the minute. If you are the former coach, you know the administration does not want you there and they certainly would make your life a living hell even if you were granted your job back. It's far better for all parties to just take the money and run. The school would also be on the hook for the new coach's contract.
 
Re: 2014 UNH Wildcats: Ending Strong and Starting Fresh

I really don't see any coach literally being reinstated to their former job regardless of the ruling. I don't see any risk to the new coach. All it means is that the former coach would be granted their salary until the end of his/her contract and walk quietly into the distance.

Think about it for the minute. If you are the former coach, you know the administration does not want you there and they certainly would make your life a living hell even if you were granted your job back. It's far better for all parties to just take the money and run. The school would also be on the hook for the new coach's contract.

Along these lines, courts, at least in the U.S., are very reluctant to order specific performance* by defendants. They are much more likely to award monetary damages that compensate for a tort. It's a lot more complicated than this, but the basic idea is that specific performance can only be required there really is no way that financial compensation can right the wrong. That is not the case here, at least not as the legal system defines compensation. So I would be very surprised to see a court order UNH to rehire McCloskey.

The case of the MSU-Mankato football coach is not a great comparison because it went to arbitration rather than the courts. That means that it has different rules for what the proper redress is, derived from the employment contract and whatever body of precedent the arbitrator uses rather than the legal code and common law precedent. My understanding is that McCloskey's case will be heard in court rather than arbitration.

*"Specific performance" means requiring the defendant to take specific actions in order to compensate the plaintiff for harm. Obviously, courts are willing to order actions, or the cessation of actions, in order to end an ongoing tort, but that isn't the case here, at least with regards to the actual firing.
 
Re: 2014 UNH Wildcats: Ending Strong and Starting Fresh

Along these lines, courts, at least in the U.S., are very reluctant to order specific performance* by defendants. They are much more likely to award monetary damages that compensate for a tort. It's a lot more complicated than this, but the basic idea is that specific performance can only be required there really is no way that financial compensation can right the wrong. That is not the case here, at least not as the legal system defines compensation. So I would be very surprised to see a court order UNH to rehire McCloskey.

The case of the MSU-Mankato football coach is not a great comparison because it went to arbitration rather than the courts. That means that it has different rules for what the proper redress is, derived from the employment contract and whatever body of precedent the arbitrator uses rather than the legal code and common law precedent. My understanding is that McCloskey's case will be heard in court rather than arbitration.

*"Specific performance" means requiring the defendant to take specific actions in order to compensate the plaintiff for harm. Obviously, courts are willing to order actions, or the cessation of actions, in order to end an ongoing tort, but that isn't the case here, at least with regards to the actual firing.

First, this is all speculation because none of us know what his contract said, but BM specifically requested reinstatement in his action. Based on his comments, I think he would take his job back. Yes, typically specific performance is hard to get because you can usually find an alternative, but in this case it isn't like BM can go get a D1 women's head coaching job somewhere else no problem. Reinstatement is in fact a standard remedy in the educational arena where a teacher/professor/union member has been wrongfully terminated.

I don't think the arbitrator/court distinction is important. They should both apply the same law. Arbitration, however, likely will happen a lot quicker and be cheaper for both parties.

My point was that possible reinstatement is an issue for UNH and any prospective coach. Any prime coaching candidate would be foolish to ignore it. They had better know what happens to the new coach's contract if BM gets reinstated. While you may get paid, you may not be coaching. Do you pass on another opportunity? Does UNH want to enter into a long term contract with a new coach with the possibility of paying 2 coaches? Does UNH go the interim route? It will be interesting to see how it plays out.
 
Re: 2014 UNH Wildcats: Ending Strong and Starting Fresh

First, this is all speculation because none of us know what his contract said, but BM specifically requested reinstatement in his action. Based on his comments, I think he would take his job back. Yes, typically specific performance is hard to get because you can usually find an alternative, but in this case it isn't like BM can go get a D1 women's head coaching job somewhere else no problem. Reinstatement is in fact a standard remedy in the educational arena where a teacher/professor/union member has been wrongfully terminated.

I don't think the arbitrator/court distinction is important. They should both apply the same law. Arbitration, however, likely will happen a lot quicker and be cheaper for both parties.

My point was that possible reinstatement is an issue for UNH and any prospective coach. Any prime coaching candidate would be foolish to ignore it. They had better know what happens to the new coach's contract if BM gets reinstated. While you may get paid, you may not be coaching. Do you pass on another opportunity? Does UNH want to enter into a long term contract with a new coach with the possibility of paying 2 coaches? Does UNH go the interim route? It will be interesting to see how it plays out.

Re-instatement might just mean that he is no longer fired "with cause". It doesn't offer any guarantee that he will continue coaching the team but instead may just mean that the remainder of his contract is to be honoured.
 
Re: 2014 UNH Wildcats: Ending Strong and Starting Fresh

Just read the thread. This sounds a lot like the termination on Clarkson's Mark Morris about 13 years ago. MM did not get his job back, but the University wrote him a nice check.
 
Re: 2014 UNH Wildcats: Ending Strong and Starting Fresh

Re-instatement might just mean that he is no longer fired "with cause". It doesn't offer any guarantee that he will continue coaching the team but instead may just mean that the remainder of his contract is to be honoured.

Reinstatement is a specific remedy granted by a court. It means he gets his old job back (with back pay from wrongful termination date). A court isn't required to grant a reinstatement remedy. You usually need to demonstrate unique harm that that money alone can't solve. The fact that he is seeking reinstatement suggests that there is a remedy under his contract or NH law for it. A court could also rule he was wrongfully terminated, but didn't meet the standard for reinstatement. In this case, the court would grant money damages (e.g., salary from date of wrongful termination through end of contract and any other extraordinary damages).
 
Re: 2014 UNH Wildcats: Ending Strong and Starting Fresh

Seems to me that a court-imposed reinstatement would be a disaster for UNH, and an extended period of uncertainty would be as bad. The only positive outcome would be if the administration and BM both have enough maturity and love for the program to reach a quick monetary settlement and have everyone move on with their lives.
 
Re: 2014 UNH Wildcats: Ending Strong and Starting Fresh

Reinstatement is a specific remedy granted by a court. It means he gets his old job back (with back pay from wrongful termination date). A court isn't required to grant a reinstatement remedy. You usually need to demonstrate unique harm that that money alone can't solve. The fact that he is seeking reinstatement suggests that there is a remedy under his contract or NH law for it. A court could also rule he was wrongfully terminated, but didn't meet the standard for reinstatement. In this case, the court would grant money damages (e.g., salary from date of wrongful termination through end of contract and any other extraordinary damages).

The fact he is seeking reinstatement may just be his attorney looking to create additional leverage. Just because there is a claim for it in a civil complaint does not necessarily mean there is a contractual basis for it; they could be seeking a common law remedy? I would be surprised to see any court in NH force the reinstatement issue, but I do agree that this scenario just adds an uncomfortable extra question and layer to the decision-making process for any of the outside candidates who might apply for the job. Not good for UNH. :(
 
Re: 2014 UNH Wildcats: Ending Strong and Starting Fresh

In a recent past situation ( about 3 years ago ) where an "outgoing" coach was fighting dismissal, it took that school until AUGUST to install a new head coach and until SEPTEMBER until a full coaching staff was in place. It hurt that program's recruiting big time. The ongoing uncertainty can certainly hurt the program going forward if this does not resolved in a timely matter.

I believe I know which situation you are referring to and have some knowledge of it (maybe not as much as you though). That situation was different in the sense that the coach was still an employee of the school and the school was trying to "ease" the coach out and the coach did not want to go. It did drag on for months and became a major issue due to the late hiring of the new coaches, but largely because the school was trying to enact the exit of a long term high profile coach in a way that was not embarrassing to the coach or the school and avoid a lawsuit that would hang over the coach and school for months/years to come. That's a lot different than abruptly firing a coach and then having them sue for wrongful termination. Lawsuits like the NH one can go one for years through the appeals process and hang over everyone's head - in this situation that was avoided. Similarly, Maine put their coach on extended leave while they worked through the process with her and came to a conclusion that allows her to continue her career and them to avoid a lawsuit and move on with their coaching search. NH appears to have made a knee-jerk reaction firing (regardless of whether it was right or wrong) and now has to bear the burden of the lawsuit and ongoing uncertainty and the prospect that it may have to pay 2 coaches for a couple of years if they lose the lawsuit ... which certainly isn't in the budget and will likely force them to look for a short-term contract with low-end pay for their next coach.
 
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