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Fire Dick Umile!!!!!

Re: Fire Dick Umile!!!!!

Scott said:
Assistant coach, maybe. He doesn't quite have the credentials to be a D-1 head coach.

My guess is that they would try to grab one of several other young UNH alums who are already in the collegiate coaching ranks....Souza, White, or Foley. Can't see Tortorella succeeding Umile. I agree with what others have said that they need to get a younger coach who can better relate to the players. Don't forget, Umile was like 42 or 43 when he was hired to take the UNH job "way back when".
Click to expand...

Agreed 100% that guys like Ciocco (and Brickley FWIW) just don't have enough experience at this point to step behind the bench in a lead role. Brickley I'm sure wouldn't be the least bit interested, with his current gig. He also hasn't coached at any recognizable level in the past, even if he were to be considered a candidate.

Jim Tortorella on the other hand is roughly the same age as Brickley (both are in their early 50's I believe?) and not only has already had a successful 16 year head coachnng career at Colby College, but also has significant experience (and presumably some very helpful and active ties) with USA Hockey. He is about 10 years younger than Coach Umile. Basically, he is roughly the same age now as Coach Umile was back during the UNH program's last two trips to the Frozen Four. I believe there is "plenty of tread left on those tires" IF the UNH job were to open up in the next year or two. Scott Borek is a few years younger than Tortorella, but other than a mediocre 5 year stint at Lake State, he's been a career assistant. I can't pretend to understand the chemistry and relationships involved, but at least from an outsider's perspective, Tortorella strikes me as the more probable, more viable of the two current assistants (IF either would ever be considered for the job - and I have to think Scarano would at least interview them both).

I'm all in favor of bringing in someone else like Foley, Souza, White and/or Ciocco (maybe even two of them?) as assistants. IF Tortorella, or someone like Tortorella got the job, that pool of potential assistants would have a great opportunity to build on their previous D-1 college experience as assistants with other programs, and maybe be the next in line when a coach in their late 40's/early 50's now (or soon) would be ready to call it a career, as they would be in their early 40's at that point.

It's funny how the passage of time changes these assessments. If this discussion had come up a decade ago - and I guess in more heated moments of debate it did - back then, the consensus leading candidate (by a landslide) as the next UNH head-coach-in-waiting was one Bruce Crowder. Last I heard, he was out of hockey and well-established in the private sector for going on 5-6+ years now since leaving NU. I was surprised to learn he is now older than anyone in this post, save for Coach Umile.

Or we can just go poach Jim Montgomery and send our Downeast neighbors into a cataclysmic meltdown of epic proportions ... :D :p :cool:
 
Re: Fire Dick Umile!!!!!

Fricker's son played for Borek, so Chuck sipped him off with the "mediocre 5 years at Lake Superior" comment.

Tortorella will be 54 next September. For as good as his resume is, he should not be the HC. I even think hiring him as an assistant was a mistake IMHO. Having experienced coaches has not been the problem with the team lately, it is having talented players. Tortorella is not the recruiter, and so if anything ever changed with Borek, they are less able to go with an unproven recruiter like Ciocco (who would be excellent), even though I think he would do well.

I don't see any heir apparent, in large measure because the Umile "Coaching Tree" is pretty barren -- he just doesn't trust young associate coaches or volunteer assistants. So, while Walsh was bringing in 3rd volunteer coaches Dave Nonis, Bruce Crowder, Tim Whitehead, Nate Leaman, Greg Cronin, Guy Perron and using their energy and creativity, Umile's response is to draw the circle tighter, trust nobody except a group that looks like him and that he has known for at least 10 years. I'll let others draw the connection to coaching style and trusting the players in tight situations.

Edit: and to comment on the game, UNH was respectable, and this result in a single elimination tournament (as stupid as it is inviting 6 to 8 teams that shouldn't qualify and giving them a single game to beat a better team) should not weigh on where the program is. The Union Leader was right... "Be careful what you wish for" because things could get worse. That is a risk, but sometimes you have to take a risk to make a gain. It's a good set up, so the odds are in our favor, but if they hire a Bobby Valentine, things could get worse.
 
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NCAA watcher said:
Fricker's son played for Borek, so Chuck sipped him off with the "mediocre 5 years at Lake Superior" comment.

Tortorella will be 54 next September. For as good as his resume is, he should not be the HC. I even think hiring him as an assistant was a mistake IMHO. Having experienced coaches has not been the problem with the team lately, it is having talented players. Tortorella is not the recruiter, and so if anything ever changed with Borek, they are less able to go with an unproven recruiter like Ciocco (who would be excellent), even though I think he would do well.

I don't see any heir apparent, in large measure because the Umile "Coaching Tree" is pretty barren -- he just doesn't trust young associate coaches or volunteer assistants. So, while Walsh was bringing in 3rd volunteer coaches Dave Nonis, Bruce Crowder, Tim Whitehead, Nate Leaman, Greg Cronin, Guy Perron and using their energy and creativity, Umile's response is to draw the circle tighter, trust nobody except a group that looks like him and that he has known for at least 10 years. I'll let others draw the connection to coaching style and trusting the players in tight situations.

Edit: and to comment on the game, UNH was respectable, and this result in a single elimination tournament (as stupid as it is inviting 6 to 8 teams that shouldn't qualify and giving them a single game to beat a better team) should not weigh on where the program is. The Union Leader was right... "Be careful what you wish for" because things could get worse. That is a risk, but sometimes you have to take a risk to make a gain. It's a good set up, so the odds are in our favor, but if they hire a Bobby Valentine, things could get worse.
Click to expand...
Watcher, I like your insight and wish you would post more.
 
Re: Fire Dick Umile!!!!!

NCAA watcher said:
Fricker's son played for Borek, so Chuck sipped him off with the "mediocre 5 years at Lake Superior" comment.
Click to expand...

I'd almost forgotten how these boards can work sometimes. I could tell some amazing stories about reactions some of my old posts "back in the day" produced, topped off by an unexpected call direct to my home one morning by a former HE head coach (BTW not Walshy) who shall remain nameless. :eek: Thanks for filling in the blanks, 'Watcher. :)

NCAA watcher said:
Tortorella will be 54 next September. For as good as his resume is, he should not be the HC. I even think hiring him as an assistant was a mistake IMHO. Having experienced coaches has not been the problem with the team lately, it is having talented players. Tortorella is not the recruiter, and so if anything ever changed with Borek, they are less able to go with an unproven recruiter like Ciocco (who would be excellent), even though I think he would do well.

I don't see any heir apparent, in large measure because the Umile "Coaching Tree" is pretty barren -- he just doesn't trust young associate coaches or volunteer assistants. So, while Walsh was bringing in 3rd volunteer coaches Dave Nonis, Bruce Crowder, Tim Whitehead, Nate Leaman, Greg Cronin, Guy Perron and using their energy and creativity, Umile's response is to draw the circle tighter, trust nobody except a group that looks like him and that he has known for at least 10 years. I'll let others draw the connection to coaching style and trusting the players in tight situations.
Click to expand...

That's quite an indictment there at the end ... and unfortunately, it seems to ring all too true. I still wouldn't rule out Tortorella, but if by any chance either he OR Borek got the HC job, I'm guessing there would be a pretty high likelihood the other would eventually move on somewhere else? Could Bavis from BU possibly be lured up to UNH as HC?

NCAA watcher said:
The Union Leader was right... "Be careful what you wish for" because things could get worse. That is a risk, but sometimes you have to take a risk to make a gain. It's a good set up, so the odds are in our favor, but if they hire a Bobby Valentine, things could get worse.
Click to expand...

So I take it you didn't like my suggestion of Jimmy Montgomery then?? :( ;)
 
Re: Fire Dick Umile!!!!!

Scott..............sorry for the typo, I meant to say "clamming" and it almost came out "hunting clams".

Scoreboard........FYI, not everyone escapes reality by crawling into a bottle.

NCAA watcher..........Believe it or not, Matt chose Lake State first for it's Criminal Justicemajor, hockey second, a decison that actually hurt his NHL draft status. Hsd he gone to UNH and played on the Olympic
sheet where his superior skating skills stood out or Michigan, where he was rumored to be headed ever since he made Team USA, either would have boosted his draft prospects. Now that the dust has cleared,
he made a good decision.

Backto UNH, IMO Umile can retire whenever he wants to, kinda like Charlie Holt, and don't forget about Brian McCloskey with the UNH women's program and DaveLassonde who is at Denver, both very capable coaches!
 
FRICKER said:
Scott..............sorry for the typo, I meant to say "clamming" and it almost came out "hunting clams".

Scoreboard........FYI, not everyone escapes reality by crawling into a bottle.

NCAA watcher..........Believe it or not, Matt chose Lake State first for it's Criminal Justicemajor, hockey second, a decison that actually hurt his NHL draft status. Hsd he gone to UNH and played on the Olympic
sheet where his superior skating skills stood out or Michigan, where he was rumored to be headed ever since he made Team USA, either would have boosted his draft prospects. Now that the dust has cleared,
he made a good decision.

Backto UNH, IMO Umile can retire whenever he wants to, kinda like Charlie Holt, and don't forget about Brian McCloskey with the UNH women's program and DaveLassonde who is at Denver, both very capable coaches!
Click to expand...

OK so, why the bitterness in your previous comments?
 
Re: Fire Dick Umile!!!!!

FRICKER said:
NCAA watcher..........Believe it or not, Matt chose Lake State first for it's Criminal Justicemajor, hockey second, a decison that actually hurt his NHL draft status. Hsd he gone to UNH and played on the Olympic
sheet where his superior skating skills stood out or Michigan, where he was rumored to be headed ever since he made Team USA, either would have boosted his draft prospects. Now that the dust has cleared,
he made a good decision.
Click to expand...

Glad he made a long term decision based on academics, not only hockey, and that it worked out.

As I noted, I hope that the next coach does not have a tie to the university, because that pool is very shallow. The key would be an under 50 guy, meaning Tortorella, McCloskey, Lassonde and Borek are not in the picture. I'd look for a Nate Leaman type, meaning a successful coach at another school. Guy Gadowsky before Penn State got him, Brendan Whittet (Brown), Ric Bennett (Union). The risk would be unnecessarily higher for an assistant somewhere with no prior track record, like Foley/Souza/White/Pleau (as Pooley/Army showed though Bazin and others show that can also work)
 
Re: Fire Dick Umile!!!!!

You guy is brutull, ow you spect Dicks to competing wif da Lowels, Ste. Clouds et Qwinnipiyacs of da world, eh? E not zee miracle workeur mes amies, zut alors!!!






Yup you was specting me et maintenant here is me.
 
Re: Fire Dick Umile!!!!!

CM, Chowder is selling pharmaceuticals legally... is there a better 6 figure gig out there?
 
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