Sleeping at the wheel …. ….
Sleeping at the wheel …. ….
Okay, so they were lazy to hire Sinclair in the first place. But how long can they allow him to spew platitudes about "trusting the process" and "giving it your all" and "toughest schedule in d3" (especially when your pathetic record at Middlebury contributes another 20 wins to that statistic)? Surely 10 lousy years at Skidmore and three successive failed seasons at Middlebury should be enough to convince anyone of a bleak hockey future for the Panthers as long as Sinclair remains at the helm. They have some good but uncoached players right now, but how will they convince anyone to play there in the years to come when all they can hope for is four years of losing and frustration?
I agree with comment that Middlebury AD was lazy in coach selection process (assuming they did any looking at all). How could any rational person not agree! Frankly, that is a ginormous understatement. I also agree with the “incompetent” observation in the context of this guy as coach, let alone the commander and chief of a once top hockey program.
But, if the criteria was to find a generic, non-controversial guy, with Middlebury ties, that will look the part at the local bake sale and rotary club meetings … owns a blue sports jacket, some button down shirts, a few pairs of tan kakis and corduroys, a good pair of winter gloves and a warm hat … that will do what he is told, tow the company line, never challenge the administration or admissions department … then they definitely found their guy.
He is the generic and sterile antithesis of Beaney. Congratulations! Perfect choice!
It is a perfect marriage --- made in heaven (and hockey hell). He was looking for a soft local landing, where he can mail-it-in, after a decade and a half of building a terrible resume --- really terrible actually --- trying to coach and build hockey programs. All with the apparent support of the AD and Administration.
Maybe once he settles in, he will teach a class in the spring semesters about building high performance eco systems or some other play on words. I’m sure parents dropping a quarter million dollars on a Middlebury education will be thrilled when Junior signs up for this class.
Enough --- No excuse --- fire someone please! Stop the madness!
I have to imagine that Middlebury is considered one of the very best D3 coaching opportunities in the country. It is likely a better gig than many of the D1 positions.
How on earth was this guy the best option? How?
At any rate, things are where they are … the team sits at a dismal 3-11, and is probably worse than the record indicates. There are 10 games to go. Let us fantasize for a moment that the group, in spite of the coach, pulls itself together and goes 5-5 down the homestretch. That wraps things up at 8-16. A horrific season by all measures. I suspect 5-5 is out of reach and they will go 3-7 down the home stretch and wrap things up at 6-18. This is being very optimistic.
A 19-loss season followed by an 18-loss season. Yes, you guessed it --- coach will sell this as “headed in the right direction”, an “improvement over last season”, … and on and on …
Please, someone, anyone, for the sake of history and the Hockey Gods --- do something!
On a more positive note, I am heading over to Torrey Pines for a little golf later this afternoon if the weather holds up.
If there is a god, things will run late and I will miss today’s action. Enjoy!
