Re: Goodbye Enrico!
There are two options to increase Miami's win total next season:
Paying Enrico's buyout <<<< Paying the NCHC buyout
So that's why they did what they did.
Ryan
This isn't correct. As I said earlier - if Miami had a financial dilemma, it was whether or not to fire the football coach or the hockey coach. The football coach, for all his misgivings (having yet to win a non-conference game, continuously insulting the conference and the fans, continuing to blow close games in embarrassing fashion, etc) has at least been competitive in conference play the last few seasons. The fact that its the MAC aside, that is what saved him from an early exit. Rico has been on the hot-seat for a few seasons, especially since last spring when he was forced to fire his entire staff. This decision has nothing to do with the NCHC and the express desire to remain in the conference is exactly why they felt this move had to be made.
Additionally, I dismiss out of hand the idea that Miami cannot win in the NCHC. That is usually an opinion expressed by those who dislike Miami or feel that they never deserved the invitation in the first place. They have the right to that opinion, but the belief that Miami's struggles are related to joining the NCHC and that they are incapable of winning in the conference is factually incorrect and dismisses the very real factors that have led to Miami's decline...
There are two programs in the NCHC with inherent advantages over the rest - UND and DU - but that hasn't stopped those two from facing challenges, or finishing middle of the pack/out of the tournament, when they make a disappointing coaching hire or have an inexperienced roster. Both St. Cloud and UMD have proven over the course of their history that they can win when they have good coaching and lose when they don't. UMD has a great coach in Sandelin and SCSU had one in Motzko - the new coach hasn't missed a beat, but the jury is still out as the program moves forward in his image. Miami is in the same boat as those two, and will succeed or fail, in the NCHC relative to their coaching/recruiting goes moving forward. Same for the other three...
Here is what happened at Miami. In 2008, Miami had as good a coaching staff as any in recent memory with its two assistants, Jeff Blashill (HC @ Detroit Red Wings) and Chris Bergeron (HC @ Bowling Green), changing the program with their work on the recruiting trail. They had Miami rolling in real time and set up very well for the future. Blashill left after that season and was replaced with a so-so hire in Brent Brekke. Two years later, Bergeron left and was replaced with a completely inexperienced Nick Petraglia. In short order, Miami had lost both of its ace recruiters and replaced them with two who would prove incapable of even resembling their accomplishments. Around the same time, Rico went though a lot of stuff off the ice and seemingly handed more of the recruiting responsibility over to the assistants. While Miami still landed a handful of top-ranked players, the overall depth of the recruiting classes began to slip - and continued to do so futher with each passing season. Nothing had changed in Miami's ability to attract recruits - but everything had changed in the ability of its main recruiters...
For a year or two, Blashill and Bergeron's recruits continued to trickle in, but in consecutive years that pipeline was gutted by the cream of those classes spurning Miami all together. Connor Murphy, Tyler Biggs, Ryan Hartman and Patrick Sieloff have combined to play 616 NHL games - Murphy, Hartman and Biggs were first round picks (Sieloff early 2nd-Round) - but combined to play one season for Miami. Three - Murphy, Sieloff and Hartman (due to mother's health concerns) - ditched Miami for the OHL very late during the year they were scheduled to matriculate. Tyler Biggs played one season in Oxford before leaving for the OHL. This turn of events killed Miami's recruiting momentum and the late replacements were not up to par. Miami had to play recruiting catch-up, which led to lesser classes and eventually a few dismal classes in a row has the RedHawks were they are now. The snowball rolling down hill slowly, has turned into an avalanche the last two seasons...
They've also struggled with on-ice coaching and development, as well as self-inflicted wounds. Players like Casey Gilling (9 FR goals, 4 SO goals) and Phil Knies (11 FR goals, 5 SO goals) are just two recent examples of players failing to get better under the old staff. Trevor Hamilton barely dressed at Miami before leaving for Penn State and becoming one of the highest-scoring defenseman in the BigTen. Carson Meyer is now at Ohio State because the staff did not believe him when he said something was wrong with his health.
Miami is not losing because of the NCHC, they just happen to be losing as an NCHC member. They lost two key assistants and have beaten themselves in recruiting and development for years. Its all come to a head in the last two years and that is why Rico is paying the price. Miami still has the program, the budget, the facilities, the academics, the location (driving distance to MI, IL, MO, PA, NY, ONT, equal access to BC, Europe and other non-traditional markets, and recent success in MN due to NCHC affiliation), the campus and more to attract great talent to Oxford and compete in the NCHC. No two ways about it. It may be a bit more difficult than doing so at UND or DU, but even the biggest Miami haters KNOW that it is very possible and that the right hire will have them back on that track...
All of this is obvious when you look at the recruiting work Peter Mannino did in one season at Miami. The list is very impressive, including a NCAA-best five prospects invited to the US NTDP camp this summer. Obviously, those recruits are still a couple (or more) years away and Miami didn't want to wait on them. Probably rightly so, considering a new coach can still reach out to these players and there is no guarantees these players would stick to their commitment with more of the same in the coming years. If Miami makes the right hire they'll be competitive in the NCHC by year three (maybe even two with so much roster turnover already scheduled on the horizon). If not, they won't be for a while - but it comes down to the coach and the staff, not what the school or the program are capable of...
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One interesting potential name would be former Miami and Denver coach George Gwozdecky. He would be a short term solution, but certainly someone capable of righting the ship and getting Miami back on track. This hire would also make it likely that Mannino and his stable of recruits stay on board. He also might be able to attract current Ohio State recruiter Steve Miller back to Oxford. I'd sure bet on Miami's ability to recruit high-end kids to Oxford with that staff...
I get it...the "sieve" chants and all that stuff are in good fun. But the "****** you and all that stuff just goes a little too far IMO. Everyone is complaining about the nastiness today. Well, show some class and restraint. To me, taunting someone crossed the line. My dad always taught me to have humility. When you win, understand that you experienced some level of good fortune and show sportsmanship. The sacking the quarterback and flexing the biceps afterwards, or the ludicrous over-the-top end zone celebrations after scoring a TD from the one-inch line are really annoying. And it has nothing to do with "having fun." It's designed to show up the opponent and I don't feel that is necessary.