BU season thread volume 3.1 cause board/priceless/tippycanoe deleted ours

[Ralph Baer]

Re: BU season thread volume 3.1 cause board/priceless/tippycanoe deleted ours

One of a series of tweets.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">On BU: told that Bennett has a significant buyout if he leaves. Somewhere around $400-$500k. That’s the reason Merrimack’s preliminary interest stalled, especially because the school would also be paying a buyout for Dennehy’s contract. BU obviously not paying a buyout for Quinn.</p>— Mike McMahon (@MikeMcMahonCHN) <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeMcMahonCHN/status/1003281911043805184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 3, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[srsterrier]

If it were Bennett, his teams play disciplined defense and have a high scoring offense, scoring goals in bunches (his wolf pack mentality).
It's crowd pleasing formula.

We get it. Bennett is a good coach. But he’s not Scotty Nowman and there are several good ones who wore Scarlet and White, all of whom have solid behavioral records.

 

[mookie1995]

Re: BU season thread volume 3.1 cause board/priceless/tippycanoe deleted ours

Mookie decided to take a breath here first.....

But now after reading Bennett wanted the Mack job, he need to bite his tongue and take another walk before commenting again....

 

[Tater]

Re: BU season thread volume 3.1 cause board/priceless/tippycanoe deleted ours

I don't get the infatuation with Bennett. He's made the NCAAs only once in the last four years, while Quinn made the NCAAs 4 years straight (finishing top 8 in 3 of the 4). Sure Bennett won a NC, inheriting a program built up by Nate Leaman, but things seem to have gone downhill since then.

If BU goes "out of the family" for a HC, it should only be for a top-flight big name.

 

[chrisP]

Re: BU season thread volume 3.1 cause board/priceless/tippycanoe deleted ours

I don't get the infatuation with Bennett. He's made the NCAAs only once in the last four years, while Quinn made the NCAAs 4 years straight (finishing top 8 in 3 of the 4). Sure Bennett won a NC, inheriting a program built up by Nate Leaman, but things seem to have gone downhill since then.

If BU goes "out of the family" for a HC, it should only be for a top-flight big name.

Exactly! Don't get the Bennett interest. Plus, he couldn't recruit when he was an assistant at PC a long time ago.

 

[Sean Pickett]

Re: BU season thread volume 3.1 cause board/priceless/tippycanoe deleted ours

We get it. Bennett is a good coach. But he’s not Scotty Nowman and there are several good ones who wore Scarlet and White, all of whom have solid behavioral records.

Coach Parker had his share of behavioral records and I don't recall any BU fans having problems with it.

That said, Coach Bennett does have a winning record as a head coach, but a closer look shows over the past five seasons (which includes Union's national championship season of 2013-14) his overall record has not been much different than Coach Quinn's: 110-63-20 vs 105-68-21. As for titles and postseason success, Coach Bennett has 2 regular season titles, 2 tournament titles, 2 NCAA appearances and, of course, one national title to Coach Quinn's 2 regular season titles, 2 tournament titles, 4 NCAA appearances and one national runners-up. However, if you drop 2013-14 (Coach Bennett's best and Coach Quinn's worst) and only look at the past four seasons than Coach Bennett has not done as well: 78-57-16 vs 95-47-17, with one regular season title and one NCAA appearance vs 2 regular season titles, 2 tournament titles and 4 NCAA appearances. So, after a great first 3 seasons at Union Coach Bennett has not done as well. I don't follow recruiting, but it appears to me that some of Coach Bennett's early success may have been due to Coach Leaman's recruiting efforts.

Sean

 

[Agganis]

I don't really care if the coach isn't an alum, if BU is able to hire a successful coach away from an existing college hockey team (Bazin or Leaman, as examples, albeit unlikely). However, Bennett's lack of success for most of his 4 years since winning the national championship in the transition period from Leaman to him, when Union's profile would have been substantially raised, are a big red flag.

I'd much rather an assistant who successfully helped build the program under Quinn, namely Greeley or Albie.

 

[brassbonanza]

Re: BU season thread volume 3.1 cause board/priceless/tippycanoe deleted ours

Per Mike McMahon Sacco "no longer pursuing the job"

 

[Sean Pickett]

Re: BU season thread volume 3.1 cause board/priceless/tippycanoe deleted ours

If it were Bennett, his teams play disciplined defense and have a high scoring offense, scoring goals in bunches (his wolf pack mentality).
It's crowd pleasing formula.

Team scoring, team defense and scoring margin over the past five seasons:
2013-14
BU: 2.31 - 3.23 - -0.91
UC: 3.81 - 2.14 - +1.67
2014-15
BU: 3.85 - 2.32 - +1.54
UC: 3.13 - 2.67 - +0.46
2015-16
BU: 3.18 - 2.72 - +0.46
UC: 2.53 - 2.67 - -0.14
2016-17
BU: 3.15 - 2.31 - +0.85
UC: 3.76 - 2.97 - +0.79
2017-18
BU: 3.10 - 2.62 - +0.48
UC: 3.03 - 2.58 - +0.45
2013-18 average
BU: 3.14 - 2.62 - +0.52
UC: 3.27 - 2.60 - +0.67

So, BU has had a better offense 3 out of the 5 seasons, better defense in 2 of the 5 seasons and the better scoring margin in 4 of the 5 seasons. Overall Union's offense and defense has not been much different than BU's over the past 5 seasons.

Sean

 

[J.D.]

Per Mike McMahon Sacco "no longer pursuing the job"

That's code for he's not a finalist but doesn't want the appearance of not being one

 

[J.D.]

Re: BU season thread volume 3.1 cause board/priceless/tippycanoe deleted ours

Also, comparing what Bennett did at Union compared to what Quinn did at BU is apples and oranges. Much easier to recruit and win at BU than it is Union.

 

[boblav1]

Re: BU season thread volume 3.1 cause board/priceless/tippycanoe deleted ours

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">According to multiple sources Rick Bennett is staying at Union. Believe BU job will come down to Shawn McEachern and Albie O’Connell who recently had a second interview. BU hockey alums/donors would have been very upset if hire was from outside the Terrier family.</p>— Jeff Cox (@JeffCoxSports) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffCoxSports/status/1003342753714106368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[ericredaxe]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">According to multiple sources Rick Bennett is staying at Union. Believe BU job will come down to Shawn McEachern and Albie O’Connell who recently had a second interview. BU hockey alums/donors would have been very upset if hire was from outside the Terrier family.</p>— Jeff Cox (@JeffCoxSports) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffCoxSports/status/1003342753714106368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Good to hear IMO.

I wonder if BU is considering the whole package? Meaning, If they hire McEachern, I bet they could get Albie to stay and have both of them... it would seem less likely IMO that McEachern would come in as an assistant if Albie gets the job.... but who knows.

 

[srsterrier]

Coach Parker had his share of behavioral records and I don't recall any BU fans having problems with it.



Sean

Please tell me you are not comparing Bennett to Coach Parker.

 

[brassbonanza]

Good to hear IMO.

I wonder if BU is considering the whole package? Meaning, If they hire McEachern, I bet they could get Albie to stay and have both of them... it would seem less likely IMO that McEachern would come in as an assistant if Albie gets the job.... but who knows.

Agree that Bennett was the wrong candidate to move outside the BU family. That said, McEachern concerns me a bit since he only has 4 years of D1 assistant experience and none since 2010. IMO he'd be an ideal candidate for an associate position under Albie. That would certainly be a promotion from high school head coach.

 

[OldAlum]

Re: BU season thread volume 3.1 cause board/priceless/tippycanoe deleted ours

We should stay ‘in the family’ unless we could get Bazin or Leisman, but that is unlikely at best.

 

[huskies31]

Re: BU season thread volume 3.1 cause board/priceless/tippycanoe deleted ours

Not a BU fan, but my 2 cents. For one of the most prolific college hockey programs these are the 2 best coaches available? Mceachern and O'Connell? Shwan is the HC at Rivers, that is all the HC experience he has, Albie has no HC experience, yes he has a lot of top assistant work at NU, Harvard, and BU. I think BU is selling themselves short by insisting it being a BU alum. Fine by me, like I said not a BU fan, but if I were I would be very underwhelmed by these being the finalists.

 

[huskies31]

Re: BU season thread volume 3.1 cause board/priceless/tippycanoe deleted ours

Good to hear IMO.

I wonder if BU is considering the whole package? Meaning, If they hire McEachern, I bet they could get Albie to stay and have both of them... it would seem less likely IMO that McEachern would come in as an assistant if Albie gets the job.... but who knows.

I would say it is a long shot that Albie stays if he doesn't get HC job. He is Quinn #2 guy, I am sure he feels that he is qualified for the job. If they go outside, no way he stays to work for the guy who beat him out. My guess Albie gets it to protect the incoming classes.

 

[ericredaxe]

Re: BU season thread volume 3.1 cause board/priceless/tippycanoe deleted ours

Not a BU fan, but my 2 cents. For one of the most prolific college hockey programs these are the 2 best coaches available? Mceachern and O'Connell? Shwan is the HC at Rivers, that is all the HC experience he has, Albie has no HC experience, yes he has a lot of top assistant work at NU, Harvard, and BU. I think BU is selling themselves short by insisting it being a BU alum. Fine by me, like I said not a BU fan, but if I were I would be very underwhelmed by these being the finalists.

What non bu alums are available and a better choice in your opinion?

 

[brassbonanza]

Re: BU season thread volume 3.1 cause board/priceless/tippycanoe deleted ours

Not a BU fan, but my 2 cents. For one of the most prolific college hockey programs these are the 2 best coaches available? Mceachern and O'Connell? Shwan is the HC at Rivers, that is all the HC experience he has, Albie has no HC experience, yes he has a lot of top assistant work at NU, Harvard, and BU. I think BU is selling themselves short by insisting it being a BU alum. Fine by me, like I said not a BU fan, but if I were I would be very underwhelmed by these being the finalists.

The line that BU is "insisting" that it be a BU alum is misconstruing the actual picture here. What most are saying is that Rick Bennett specifically (the only non-BU candidate mentioned) is not the right person for the position. It's unknown whether BU contacted Leaman or Bazin, or any other coach outside of BU alums. But to say that because the BU fanbase seems to largely not want Bennett means we all don't want someone "outside the family" is not accurate.

I agree that McEachern and O'Connell aren't the sexiest candidates, but I think there's a lot of consideration being given among those making the decision that the next hire will not leave for the first open NHL job. My guess is they felt that Pandolfo and Sacco are too much of a flight risk to the pros. It's one thing if the coach leaves to take a $12 million five-year contract to the Rangers, it's another if the coach leaves to take something like a three-year $5 million deal with Carolina.

It's also unclear where Greeley fits/did fit into this since he was mentioned as a candidate as well.