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BU 2021-22: Albie's Great Adventure

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ericredaxe said:
So - yes, those are all (or were) true statements. As others have mentioned some of them from #4 to #8 may not be so true anymore. However, especially that some are no longer true, I'm not really that sure that these are "advantages" in the sense of helping to create future highly competitive teams. I think we all look back at history and past coaches and players with great fondness and assume that should be something that attracts kids here. In truth, I'm not sure incoming recruits really care that we won national championships and had all star players in the years before any of them were even born - they are looking at what they will get out of the program and university now.
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I am not saying our advantages are what they once were - I'm saying they're still advantages. I wish they were as strong as they once were - just like the rest of us on here. If you read back through my posts over the past few months, I am very concerned that if the AD doesn't act smartly and decisively then we risk becoming another University of Indiana basketball program (i.e. a once powerhouse that fell of the face of the map). Taking the press release at face value, I'm glad it is a national search for the next head coach (i.e. we cannot limit ourselves to only former BU players) because only a very well respected coach can truly leverage our advantages. Let's see what happens.
 
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Terrier86 said:
I am not saying our advantages are what they once were - I'm saying they're still advantages. I wish they were as strong as they once were - just like the rest of us on here. If you read back through my posts over the past few months, I am very concerned that if the AD doesn't act smartly and decisively then we risk becoming another University of Indiana basketball program (i.e. a once powerhouse that fell of the face of the map). Taking the press release at face value, I'm glad it is a national search for the next head coach (i.e. we cannot limit ourselves to only former BU players) because only a very well respected coach can truly leverage our advantages. Let's see what happens.
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Again - I just don't think that these statements and "features" are "advantages" are as much as you may think. We all think they should be big advantages since we are Terriers at heart and love the school and program - that is what I mean by scarlet-colored glasses that we all look at BU through. Kids coming in today don't care that we won the National championship in 1995 or that Walter Brown used to be a rocking place to see a game etc.
 
ericredaxe said:
Again - I just don't think that these statements and "features" are "advantages" are as much as you may think. We all think they should be big advantages since we are Terriers at heart and love the school and program - that is what I mean by scarlet-colored glasses that we all look at BU through. Kids coming in today don't care that we won the National championship in 1995 or that Walter Brown used to be a rocking place to see a game etc.
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Either you're not comprehending my OP and followup or you're just projecting onto my words.
 
ColinWilsonFan said:
Let’s hope for pando :) not sure but would be so nice
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I was wrong in my prediction about them keeping Albie for another year - but at this point Pando would be my prediction at this point. It seems doubtful that they would start and conduct a true national search and have a new hire in place prior to April 20th.

Who knows - maybe this was the plan all along (or at least a contingency plan based on how this year went) as others had speculated in the past..
 
ericredaxe said:
From the BU Today article: they expect to have a new coach in place prior to the April 20th start of the American Hockey Coaches Convention.

My guess is that they already know their guy and are just waiting a few days to announce out of respect.

BU to Replace Men's Hockey Coach Albie O’Connell | BU Today | Boston University
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Wouldn't be surprised if the AD has already been in contact with candidates and that an announcement might come sooner than later so that the next head coach can represent BU at the AHCA Convention.
 
Terrier86 said:
Maybe you could provide some detailed thoughts on where you think BU has and doesn't have advantages?
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So I just don't think that much of the list really gives us advantages over the schools against which we are trying to compete... they are all true (or were true) statements, but most of the schools we are trying to compete against can say similar, so therefore it really isn't an advantage.

As to disadvantages, I also don't know that we have many but a couple that come to mind: I think we have learned that the BU administration can be difficult to deal with at times (examples the most restrictive Covid protocolls among any teams that actually played, a couple examples, i believe, of kids who wanted to come but could not get in - and played elsewhere - the kid who ended up at UConn comes to mind) for non-scholarship players, one of the highest tuition rates in the country.
 
ericredaxe said:
From the BU Today article: they expect to have a new coach in place prior to the April 20th start of the American Hockey Coaches Convention.

My guess is that they already know their guy and are just waiting a few days to announce out of respect.

BU to Replace Men's Hockey Coach Albie O’Connell | BU Today | Boston University
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I had the same thought. If they truly didn't know who would get the role, I don't think they would have committed to that date. Unless they are being smart enough to think about the unknown factor leading to recruits decommitting. The sooner you know who the coach is, the sooner you can affirm your commitment. I think I recall Quinn saying his first call when he got the job was to Jack Eichel...
 
Here is my honest assessment of advantages:
- Facilities/Arena - others have started to catch up, but BU isn't going to lose out on a recruit due to arena or facilities, like they used to (presumably) when they were still in WBA.
- Dedicated Facility - many schools with women's teams don't have a separate facility like BU does. I'm pretty sure that leads to more ideal availability. I'm sure it is a bigger deal for the women's program than it is for us.
- NHL presence - despite many being one and done's, there aren't many schools that have more NHLers than we do.
- Academic reputation - another one we aren't alone with, but short of Harvard, I don't see us losing our on a recruit for academic reasons, the way other schools could.
- Boston - this is obviously more of a matter of taste and not unique to BU, but I think it is an advantage

And disadvantages
- Recent results - this ain't the 90s anymore. Our trophy case hasn't grown much lately.
- Coaching - related to the results, not a draw overall I would have to imagine at this point. Whereas guys like Leaman, Carvel, Bazin have shown they can create successful programs.
- Student support - maybe it's the bigger arena making it look worse, but as has been discussed forever, there isn't as much student interest as one would get at many western schools and some eastern ones.
 
ericredaxe said:
I was wrong in my prediction about them keeping Albie for another year - but at this point Pando would be my prediction at this point. It seems doubtful that they would start and conduct a true national search and have a new hire in place prior to April 20th.

Who knows - maybe this was the plan all along (or at least a contingency plan based on how this year went) as others had speculated in the past..
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agree
 
ericredaxe said:
After being placed on leave at Union for investigation into coaching practices and then having to resign mid-season - I'm going to predict no on this one.
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Union has also sucked for a few years now. He won the title with Leaman's team really. Bennett has become overrated.
 
J.D. said:
Union has also sucked for a few years now. He won the title with Leaman's team really. Bennett has become overrated.
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That’s not even true at all. Leaman was already gone for 3 years when Union won the title. They only had 5 seniors that year that played when Leaman last coached at Union. Now you can make the case that Bennett took Leaman’s team to the Frozen Four in 2012 because that exactly was the case.
 
"National searches" for the "most qualified candidate" can be conducted in a matter of days. They definitely do not need almost three weeks to do so. It's like some of you guys don't even follow DI sports.
 
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