Over the past few years, I've wondered how Albie's hiring was received by the BU hockey community; former teammates, guys he's coached with.
For me, I was very happy when Albie got promoted to head coach. At the time, it seemed like the most logical choice given Albie's BU lineage, his vast experience as an assistant coach at several programs, his reputation as a stellar recruiter, and the perception that he was due for this opportunity. The belief at the time was that Albie was best-positioned to sustain what Quinn had done, with players he was directly responsible for recruiting.
My recollection is that his hire was very well-received by the BU hockey community. I thought if successful, BU wouldn't have to worry about hiring a head coach for quite some time, that Albie represented continuity and stability for the program similar to what Jack Parker brought.
Yet in hindsight, it seems as if something went amiss early on during his head coaching tenure. I recall early impressions included projecting a lack of confidence when behind the bench, speaking to the media, as well as when interacting with supporters. And the team in his 1st year got off to an 0-4-1 start, which I now feel was foreshadowing of how the next 3 years would transpire.
I also recall some in the BU hockey community questioning whether Paul Pearl may have been the de-facto head coach, especially during games. Conversely, I also know some folks around the program advised patience, suggesting that Albie would grow into the role he was promoted to, and to not evaluate him based on how his 1st season transpired.
3+ years later, the growing consensus seems to be a vote of no-confidence.
