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Fire Mike Eaves?

Re: Fire Mike Eaves?

Maybe it's secret, I don't know, but I certainly admit that even I don't agree with my own arguments all the time. But I never let a little thing like that stop me.

Our own ChuckAndySchwartzJohnson has had an article and poll up regarding Eaves that I imagine most actually interested folks have read.

I'm stealing a portion of his work from the article without his permission for this question. (He'll probably sue. I would.) but here is his chart comparing other coaches to Eaves tenure at Wisconsin. In honor of the BU/UW tilt this week (and because it's probably relevant) I've added Jack Parker and BU's stats on here:

<a href="http://imgur.com/RcLpYHl"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/RcLpYHl.jpg?1" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>
Parker .......... BU ......... .586 ...... 6-12 .........1 ................ 1 .................. 2 ................. 2


So my question is, which of the programs represented here would Badger fans gladly change places with over the last 12 years?


You do make a good point on past history. The 1 NCAA title trumps most of the programs on the list. I think the issue is the way the program is trending and that is a downward spiral. Another massive issue is the team appears to have quit on him.
 
Eaves has a .577 winning percentage. In addition, not all NCAA appearances are to be judged equally when you are comparing in this manner.

For one, we were under .500 (which would exclude us now I believe) and for another, we had to win our conference tourney to get in.

I think most would like to see us make it by our pairwise rather than hoping for a good weekend to get in.

Fwiw, Wisconsin didn't need the as auto bid to make the NCAA's two years ago. They needed to win 3 games, which they did, too get their PWR in the field. It just so happens that winning the three games also gave them an auto bid.

There are many arguments on why Eaves should be fired, I'm not sure merit of some of his teams that made the tourney is one I'd use. There are another two years where Wisconsin was the first team left out. Puck bounce or two the other way and things may be different. Same as if a puck bounces different in the Cornell game Eaves doesn't have a title.
 
Re: Fire Mike Eaves?

I think the ZERO regular season titles tells the story too. In that amount of time he should have bagged a couple at minimum. The fact of the matter is generally we're hoping just to eek into the ncaa tourney, let alone fighting tooth and nail to win the reg season title. How many times in Eaves' tenure has UW been a lock to get in the ncaa's (not counting the autobid)....3? (2006, 2010, 2014).

We can't forget Blasi as a short list candidate.
 
Re: Fire Mike Eaves?

Fwiw, Wisconsin didn't need the as auto bid to make the NCAA's two years ago. They needed to win 3 games, which they did, too get their PWR in the field. It just so happens that winning the three games also gave them an auto bid.

There are many arguments on why Eaves should be fired, I'm not sure merit of some of his teams that made the tourney is one I'd use. There are another two years where Wisconsin was the first team left out. Puck bounce or two the other way and things may be different. Same as if a puck bounces different in the Cornell game Eaves doesn't have a title.


Points taken, and I know about the Cornell game - was there. I believe they (Cornell) hit a post/crossbar in one of the OTs.

The bolded helps to illustrate where I see the problem. We shouldn't be on the bubble so often or at least I'd like to see us not on the bubble so often.

Maybe it isn't realistic, but that's where I'm at. It seems that others are there too.
 
Re: Fire Mike Eaves?

I get it. You want to convince us that Eaves is the best we can get and you think he should keep his job.

I just don't think you're gonna be able to convince those of us who want him gone of that - no matter how many paragraphs you write or how many charts you link to.

Thanks for clarifying, turns out it was me reading your other post weirdly.

I'm not under any illusions about convincing you or anybody, not that I'm really trying to. I do think it merits discussion beyond

"Eaves has DESTROYED the Program!!11!!!! :mad::mad: Mark Johnson!!!!!111!!!:mad::mad:

Which is what I see a good deal of in places outside of here and probably a couple of drive-by's here. I like what you said about not being a bubble team as much. We start talking bounces and we have to throw in the bad puck off of fat *** MacMillian in the last 2 minutes 9 months ago. Goes the other way and Wisco is 3-1 favorites against Ferris to make the FF and play MN who they swept a month before. And possibly firing 2 win Eaves gets even a tiny bit more complicated.
 
Re: Fire Mike Eaves?

Mark Johnson wouldn't even be on the list of people I'd want considered.


Still awaiting Barry's call for my list...
 
Re: Fire Mike Eaves?

I think the ZERO regular season titles tells the story too. In that amount of time he should have bagged a couple at minimum. The fact of the matter is generally we're hoping just to eek into the ncaa tourney, let alone fighting tooth and nail to win the reg season title. How many times in Eaves' tenure has UW been a lock to get in the ncaa's (not counting the autobid)....3? (2006, 2010, 2014).

We can't forget Blasi as a short list candidate.

You probably know this, but Bob Johnson won 1 regular season title in 16 years and Jeff Sauer won 2 in 20 years. Not that that means that Eaves should have 0.

Gurt said earlier that all ncaa appearances aren't equal, which is still true, but it breaks both ways. When I look at this list I have always felt that Miami, ND, and Michigan would have significantly less wins and less NCAA appearances if any of them had been playing in the old WCHA. But that's hypothetical and tough to actually prove.

Blasi is on all the short lists.
 
Re: Fire Mike Eaves?

You probably know this, but Bob Johnson won 1 regular season title in 16 years and Jeff Sauer won 2 in 20 years. Not that that means that Eaves should have 0.

Gurt said earlier that all ncaa appearances aren't equal, which is still true, but it breaks both ways. When I look at this list I have always felt that Miami, ND, and Michigan would have significantly less wins and less NCAA appearances if any of them had been playing in the old WCHA. But that's hypothetical and tough to actually prove.

Blasi is on all the short lists.

All NCAA appearances are equal, ask the back-door Badgers about that.
 
Thanks for clarifying, turns out it was me reading your other post weirdly.

I'm not under any illusions about convincing you or anybody, not that I'm really trying to. I do think it merits discussion beyond

"Eaves has DESTROYED the Program!!11!!!! :mad::mad: Mark Johnson!!!!!111!!!:mad::mad:

Which is what I see a good deal of in places outside of here and probably a couple of drive-by's here. I like what you said about not being a bubble team as much. We start talking bounces and we have to throw in the bad puck off of fat *** MacMillian in the last 2 minutes 9 months ago. Goes the other way and Wisco is 3-1 favorites against Ferris to make the FF and play MN who they swept a month before. And possibly firing 2 win Eaves gets even a tiny bit more complicated.

it doesn't matter how the team finishes a year given the regularity of sub-0.500 starts to most seasons since 05-06. That type of start REALLY leaves a bad memory for most fans.
 
Re: Fire Mike Eaves?

I think the ZERO regular season titles tells the story too. In that amount of time he should have bagged a couple at minimum. The fact of the matter is generally we're hoping just to eek into the ncaa tourney, let alone fighting tooth and nail to win the reg season title. How many times in Eaves' tenure has UW been a lock to get in the ncaa's (not counting the autobid)....3? (2006, 2010, 2014).

We can't forget Blasi as a short list candidate.

To be fair, we've never won as many RS titles as one would think.
 
All NCAA appearances are equal, ask the back-door Badgers about that.


I actually agree with this.

Not all seasons that lead to a berth are equal though and placing yourself in that position of being on the bubble just as often leads to the other alternative - just missing out.

Other than Parker - all of the other coaches on that list were over .600 and it can be correlated to lead to more NCAA berths.
 
Re: Fire Mike Eaves?

I actually agree with this.

Not all seasons that lead to a berth are equal though and placing yourself in that position of being on the bubble just as often leads to the other alternative - just missing out.

Other than Parker - all of the other coaches on that list were over .600 and it can be correlated to lead to more NCAA berths.

The bold is what I understood it to mean when I brought it up again.

The .600 does correlate to more berths but that's not all there is to it. For example Umile has had four 20 win teams and one 18 win team go in.

I think you could argue that UND's 10 berths and 6 FF's, and BC's 11 Berths 7 FF (and 3 titles) are greater than Berenson's 10 berths, 3 FF, Blasi's 9 and 2 FF and Umile's 10 and 1 FF. Those results would indicate that they aren't all equal and that UND and BC have consistently had better teams than the two CCHA teams plus UNH. (6 and 7 FF's vs. 3, 2, and 1.)

Obviously once you're in though, anyone can win.

Edit: Not sure what I said at the beginning here makes sense, but I strongly suspect if Eaves had Umile's record, plenty of fans would still be calling for his head.
 
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The .600 does correlate to more berths but that's not all there is to it. For example Umile has had four 20 win teams and one 18 win team get in.

Not sure what I said at the beginning here makes sense, but I strongly suspect if Eaves had Umile's record, plenty of fans would still be calling for his head.

If Eaves had three more NCAA bids, meaning that the lowers were not quite as low (even if it was just one win better) the seat might not be as hot. That wouldn't change the style of play, the offensive struggles, and the poor OT record. All that added to a 2-12-1 start to this season and one-and-done last season which was supposed to be "THE season" and any coach would be feeling heat.

If anything, the argument that all NCAA bids are equal just goes to show how Eaves does not get the NCAA game. You don't have a 7 game series, you have ONE game to get things done. Because of the cycles, Eaves has lost the chance to go on an unsuspected run in the NCAA. You can't win the national title if you don't make the darn tournament first.
 
Re: Fire Mike Eaves?

Fwiw, Wisconsin didn't need the as auto bid to make the NCAA's two years ago. They needed to win 3 games, which they did, too get their PWR in the field. It just so happens that winning the three games also gave them an auto bid.

However, if they had lost the championship game, they would only have had the 2 wins, and would NOT have had the PWR to make the tourny - so they really did need to win the conf tourney to get in.

The # of NCAA appearances have not been enough. If you're only going to make the tournament 1 out of 4 years, you'd better win it all that year.
 
Re: Fire Mike Eaves?

I wonder if #2 BU got this much sympathy last year when they had a 20 game stretch with only 2 wins?

The firing Eaves factoid of the day is since he took over only 3 other teams in college hockey have as many title game appearances:

BC in 06, 07, winning in '08, '09, 12; DU winning in '03 & '04; Minnesota in '14, winning in '03.

The other teams to appear are:

UNH (L)
Maine (L)
UND (L)
MI ST (W)
Notre Dame (L)
Miami (L)
UMD (W)
MI (L)
Ferris St. (L)
Yale (W)
Quinnipiac (L)
Union (W)
 
Re: Fire Mike Eaves?

I wonder if #2 BU got this much sympathy last year when they had a 20 game stretch with only 2 wins?

The firing Eaves factoid of the day is since he took over only 3 other teams in college hockey have as many title game appearances:

BC in 06, 07, winning in '08, '09, 12; DU winning in '03 & '04; Minnesota in '14, winning in '03.

The other teams to appear are:

UNH (L)
Maine (L)
UND (L)
MI ST (W)
Notre Dame (L)
Miami (L)
UMD (W)
MI (L)
Ferris St. (L)
Yale (W)
Quinnipiac (L)
Union (W)

What is his record the last five season? That probably means more than two title game appearances. I have no idea what it is, but that is where you start in my opinion. Should look season by season too so you see the whole picture. Has assistant coaches left that recruited well and he hasn't found good replacements? That plays into it as well.
 
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