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Don Lucia steps down as Minnesota Gophers coach

Re: Don Lucia steps down as Minnesota Gophers coach

Pierce at Michigan and a coaching shakeup at Minnesota I think will really strengthen the programs. Even with more success for Minnesota, I still don’t see it helping their attendance too much. I predict the B1G will be a boon to programs like OSU, Notre Dame and Michigan (and Penn rising up from the ashes), but hurting Minnesota in the long run. The “which conference is better” argument is stupid so let’s just say Hockey East is the best. We’ll see come April whether a B1G team wins a championship, or all fail to make Frozen Four
 
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Re: Don Lucia steps down as Minnesota Gophers coach

mnstate0fhockey said:
Fair enough. I would think that the recruiting advantages would be pretty big too, but clearly it hasn't stopped Motzko from doing a stellar job of recruiting at SCSU. Either the recruiting advantage that MN has isn't what it once was because of the coaching situation or other factors.
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Other factors = trend for recruiting age is big factor in why MN doesn't have the edge in skilled players and why this is the first year since like 1968 since MN, UND, BC, WI are all not in the NCAA. All of these schools, like a handful of others, used to really have an edge when most kids committed at 18 or 19, when you had a better idea how they would do in college. It used to be they would announce the MR. Hockey winner and some time after that he usually committed to MN. Now the (formerly?) Power schools are getting the 15-16 yr olds that look like they will be the top players at 19, but way more of them plateau before college than do kids picked at 18. Schools that aren't getting as many 15 yr old commits are mixing in the older kids who were passed on when younger, but continued to improve and may now be a better player than the kid who was leading the state in points at 15. Hard to pass on that 15 yr old stud when you might be passing on the next Vanek or Boeser. But it also doesn't leave space for that late bloomer. The result is more parity. I think Gopher fans who think the right coach will put them back to making the NCAA 9 of 10 year and in the final four every few years need to accept this may be the new reality. And people who talk about the Defense's performance this year as evidence Guentzel maybe isn't as good as people used to think he was, should recognize that these kids committed fairly young and with high expectation (how many are drafted?). Maybe they just plateaued a little, regardless of what a coach does. Hard to judge a coach on the performance in one year.
 
UMD21 said:
Pierce at Michigan and a coaching shakeup at Minnesota I think will really strengthen the programs. Even with more success for Minnesota, I still don’t see it helping their attendance too much. I predict the B1G will be a boon to programs like OSU, Notre Dame (and Penn rising up from the ashes), but hurting Minnesota in the long run. The “which conference is better” argument is stupid so let’s just say Hockey East is the best. We’ll see come April whether a B1G team wins a championship, or all fail to make Frozen Four
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In the short term I agree with you, a coaching change won't completely solve the attendance problems. But in the long term Minnesota will be fine. I've been a Gopher fan since the 70's and many of the programs in the B10 used to be among Minnesota's biggest rivals. It takes time.
 
Koho said:
Other factors = trend for recruiting age is big factor in why MN doesn't have the edge in skilled players and why this is the first year since like 1968 since MN, UND, BC, WI are all not in the NCAA. All of these schools, like a handful of others, used to really have an edge when most kids committed at 18 or 19, when you had a better idea how they would do in college. It used to be they would announce the MR. Hockey winner and some time after that he usually committed to MN. Now the (formerly?) Power schools are getting the 15-16 yr olds that look like they will be the top players at 19, but way more of them plateau before college than do kids picked at 18. Schools that aren't getting as many 15 yr old commits are mixing in the older kids who were passed on when younger, but continued to improve and may now be a better player than the kid who was leading the state in points at 15. Hard to pass on that 15 yr old stud when you might be passing on the next Vanek or Boeser. But it also doesn't leave space for that late bloomer. The result is more parity. I think Gopher fans who think the right coach will put them back to making the NCAA 9 of 10 year and in the final four every few years need to accept this may be the new reality. And people who talk about the Defense's performance this year as evidence Guentzel maybe isn't as good as people used to think he was, should recognize that these kids committed fairly young and with high expectation (how many are drafted?). Maybe they just plateaued a little, regardless of what a coach does. Hard to judge a coach on the performance in one year.
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Great post Koho. Completely agree with you.
 
Tipsy McStagger said:
One year doesn't compare to what might happen for the rest of ones career, but when you are in your late 50's, you are probably not trying to completely rebuild the roster to your liking.


Oh, so despite the NCHC getting WAY more teams into the tournament every year until now, and having 7 Frozen Four teams to 1 for the B1G, and having the last two national champs plus a good chance of having the national champ this year, the verdict is still out on which conference is better?

Still waiting for your argument of the Gopher job being the top one in college hockey.
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Considering the East Coast jobs I would personally want to live in Minnesota. So much more relaxing and similar to Alaska's more laid back nature.
 
Re: Don Lucia steps down as Minnesota Gophers coach

AKSWF said:
Considering the East Coast jobs I would personally want to live in Minnesota. So much more relaxing and similar to Alaska's more laid back nature.
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When I was in Alaska back in 2016, it seemed like 25% of the people we met were former Minnesotans.

I 100% agree with your assessment.
 
Koho said:
Other factors = trend for recruiting age is big factor in why MN doesn't have the edge in skilled players and why this is the first year since like 1968 since MN, UND, BC, WI are all not in the NCAA. All of these schools, like a handful of others, used to really have an edge when most kids committed at 18 or 19, when you had a better idea how they would do in college. It used to be they would announce the MR. Hockey winner and some time after that he usually committed to MN. Now the (formerly?) Power schools are getting the 15-16 yr olds that look like they will be the top players at 19, but way more of them plateau before college than do kids picked at 18. Schools that aren't getting as many 15 yr old commits are mixing in the older kids who were passed on when younger, but continued to improve and may now be a better player than the kid who was leading the state in points at 15. Hard to pass on that 15 yr old stud when you might be passing on the next Vanek or Boeser. But it also doesn't leave space for that late bloomer. The result is more parity. I think Gopher fans who think the right coach will put them back to making the NCAA 9 of 10 year and in the final four every few years need to accept this may be the new reality. And people who talk about the Defense's performance this year as evidence Guentzel maybe isn't as good as people used to think he was, should recognize that these kids committed fairly young and with high expectation (how many are drafted?). Maybe they just plateaued a little, regardless of what a coach does. Hard to judge a coach on the performance in one year.
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Every coach has to deal with these things and few besides UND and a few others get this kind of recruiting pipeline. And UND has been consistently better over the past decade, heck SCSU has gotten to the tournament more often during the past decade. Doing better than what we have isn’t some monumental task.
 
AKSWF said:
Considering the East Coast jobs I would personally want to live in Minnesota. So much more relaxing and similar to Alaska's more laid back nature.
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Someone just posted York's salary as over $2 million. That's nuts. That's like 4x what anyone else is paid. I would take that job.
 
Re: Don Lucia steps down as Minnesota Gophers coach

Tipsy McStagger said:
Someone just posted York's salary as over $2 million. That's nuts. That's like 4x what anyone else is paid. I would take that job.
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Lucia’s is probably close after benefits and outside income. I don’t know if I buy a straight $2 million salary.
 
Re: Don Lucia steps down as Minnesota Gophers coach

trixR4kids said:
Every coach has to deal with these things and few besides UND and a few others get this kind of recruiting pipeline. And UND has been consistently better over the past decade, heck SCSU has gotten to the tournament more often during the past decade. Doing better than what we have isn’t some monumental task.
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Did you see the comparison SteveO posted between programs stats in recent years? MN is right in the mix with everyone, not as bad as people portray. And I didn't say it is a monumental task to see some improvement, I just don't see them, or the UND's, BC's, BU's etc. staying at the top on a sustained basis with the current state of recruiting, as was the case when you go back more than 10 years.
 
Re: Don Lucia steps down as Minnesota Gophers coach

D2D said:
I watched it "live" with my wife at home. It got so emotional that at one point I actually struggled to hold back the tears. I guess after going to the games for so many years his departure means more to me than I realized. And you are so right, omahasioux1, Lucia is a "complete class act". Only it's not an act at all, he's as genuine as a coach can be.

Don't take any of this to mean that I didn't think a change was needed. It just took me longer than most to come to this conclusion. In a weird sort of way I was happy to hear Coach Lucia say that in the past couple of months he came to understand that it was time for him to move on. I wish him nothing but the best.
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I agree, there was a tough moment there.
 
Re: Don Lucia steps down as Minnesota Gophers coach

Not sure where someone posted York's salary as $2 million but I don’t think that's right. His total compensation is over a million but not a $2 mill salary.

Oh and being the flagship university in the state with the history and all the talent in Minnesota, yes the Gopher job is easily top 5.
 
J.D. said:
Not sure where someone posted York's salary as $2 million but I don’t think that's right. His total compensation is over a million but not a $2 mill salary.

Oh and being the flagship university in the state with the history and all the talent in Minnesota, yes the Gopher job is easily top 5.
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No one said it wasn't top 5. Koho said it was arguably the top job. When I asked him what criteria that was based on, he couldn't say.
 
Re: Don Lucia steps down as Minnesota Gophers coach

Well if you're top 5, i'm sure an argument can be made for it being the top job. Unless you think there are 4 that are clearly above it.
 
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