LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

[midwest hockey]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

To all you so-called "fans" of this program, you should know that prospective players and family advisors are all over this site. And when they visit this thread, they won't leave impressed. It's hard enough getting folks to SSM, and this doesn't help! You guys paint a picture of the town, school and program that will make it impossible to recruit. If you're lucky, someone will start cussing (or whatever...) and you can get this entire disaster thread of LSSU "recorded thought" deleted.

 

[Bill]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

To all you so-called "fans" of this program, you should know that prospective players and family advisors are all over this site. And when they visit this thread, they won't leave impressed. It's hard enough getting folks to SSM, and this doesn't help! You guys paint a picture of the town, school and program that will make it impossible to recruit. If you're lucky, someone will start cussing (or whatever...) and you can get this entire disaster thread of LSSU "recorded thought" deleted.

It was already deleted, then restored and locked, once. Hence, we're now on part 2. Key words in your post: so-called fans. Sadly, I have to agree with most of what you said. Unfortunately we have no control over what the so-called fans post.

 

[sm2pk]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

Well said.

Mason, Comely, and Pearson have coached over 3,000 NCAA Division 1 games with 1,750 victories, 10 Frozen Fours appearances, and 3 NCAA National Championships (not to mentioned Pearson's 22 years, 2 National Championships as an assistant/associate coach at UM). All three have recommended/supported Coach Whitten as head coach at LSSU. Enough said.

This idea that Whitten is the guy because his connections to a few coaches should show he is a winner. Hell , Roque learned from Anzalone and Jackson and as Laker coaches go , two of the very best , and Roque should have been a huge winner with that connection .

 

[Ronnieb]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

To all you so-called "fans" of this program, you should know that prospective players and family advisors are all over this site. And when they visit this thread, they won't leave impressed. It's hard enough getting folks to SSM, and this doesn't help! You guys paint a picture of the town, school and program that will make it impossible to recruit. If you're lucky, someone will start cussing (or whatever...) and you can get this entire disaster thread of LSSU "recorded thought" deleted.

Exactly, only logical point in this thread. thanks!

 

[DopeyBaker]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

But the pool they had to choose from was like picking the best football team between the Cleveland Browns, Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings. Why weren't there any top USHL Coaches there? Why no top D-1 first assistants from winning programs? Why did the only proven winner among the finalists pull out? We must have put a real great package together to attract a pool so deep.

With 50 applicants, there were obviously quite a few very good hockey people that applied. It's plain knowledge that the package (salary, personnel, budget, etc.) doesn't compete with most Division I head coaching positions. In the end, it doesn't really matter about the size and quality of the candidate pool. The one coach that LSSU hired is the only one that matters.

When your benefit package can't compete money-wise, you try to find someone young that is looking for an opportunity to take that next step. You identify personal qualities, intangibles, work ethic, etc. and you give someone a chance to make their mark. Eight years ago, LSSU hired a women's basketball coach that was this year's GLIAC coach of the year. Seven years ago, LSSU hired a men's basketball coach that was also this year's GLIAC coach of the year.

Will coach Whitten turn the Laker hockey program around? Only time will tell. I thought he was honest and sincere in his press conference. I look forward to meeting him and welcoming him and his family to the Sault community. I will renew my season tickets and keep cheering for our guys.

 

[sm2pk]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

My guess is everyone of the 50 that applied knew what the pay scale and benefits were and they still applied. I think the huge majority would have taken the job if offered at the pay they were offering.

 

[jnacc]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

My guess is everyone of the 50 that applied knew what the pay scale and benefits were and they still applied. I think the huge majority would have taken the job if offered at the pay they were offering.

Quite right! We have to realize that there are a small core of posters on this thread that will never ever give Lake State its due and will always find cause to ridicule any efforts towards improvement or progress. Now Whitten would not have been my first choice but then again I'm not so deluded to think that I know better or more than such a man as Comely nor do I pretend to have knowledge of the inner workings of the recently completed hiring process. Here's is what I do know. Whitten is an excellent choice. I was told, from a member of Tech's hockey staff that he was very well respected by both his colleagues and players. He has a tremendous working knowledge of the game at a very practical level and can transmit that understanding in a very effective manner to the players. He was not only in charge of the P.K at Tech but increasingly of all defensive duties. Folks..this man can coach and coupled with the fact that he has a fine eye for talent as Jim Roque did; Laker Hockey has been placed in very good hands.
Let's have a little faith while we support Laker Hockey...good things can happen here.

 

[Bill]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

I assume Whitten is down in Naples for at least part (maybe all) of this week for the hockey coaches convention, and maybe some attendant WCHA meetings. Next orders of business when he gets back should be to finalize his staff and finish recruiting for next season. Staff wise, I guess the question is whether he will keep either/neither/both Christian and Laprade.

 

[Lakerblue]

Quite right! We have to realize that there are a small core of posters on this thread that will never ever give Lake State its due and will always find cause to ridicule any efforts towards improvement or progress. Now Whitten would not have been my first choice but then again I'm not so deluded to think that I know better or more than such a man as Comely nor do I pretend to have knowledge of the inner workings of the recently completed hiring process. Here's is what I do know. Whitten is an excellent choice. I was told, from a member of Tech's hockey staff that he was very well respected by both his colleagues and players. He has a tremendous working knowledge of the game at a very practical level and can transmit that understanding in a very effective manner to the players. He was not only in charge of the P.K at Tech but increasingly of all defensive duties. Folks..this man can coach and coupled with the fact that he has a fine eye for talent as Jim Roque did; Laker Hockey has been placed in very good hands.
Let's have a little faith while we support Laker Hockey...good things can happen here.

Agree completely.

As for the hiring process, what more could LSSU do? What more could dunbar do?

Let's see:
1. create a nationwide search that attracts 50 applicants.
2. Ask a collection of well respected hockey people, including three of the greatest former LSSU coaches, get them all together and ask them the review the applications a pare the list,
3. Taken the short list back to the hockey experts and have them give opinions and more detailed review,
4. Seek additional outside information from people who know and work with those on the short list.
5. Pare the short list down further to get a small number of applicants to interview.
6. Meet with the AD and discuss the short list and why those names are on the short list, answer any questions from the AD.
7. AD sets up interviews, probably does more internal checks. Conducts interview.
8. Post interview reviews the process with the hockey experts.
9. Hires a young but experienced coach with a history of working with good people, a current knowledge of the recruiting trail, and all around well respected.
10. Invite the hockey experts to comment on the process, hides nothing, and does not play favorites with the locals nor with the braying internet folks.


So somebody has to show me where Dunbar did anything wrong? She, and all of LSSU did a clearly thorough and outstanding job in this process. They did their work well.

Excellent hire and, in my opinion, textbook excellent hiring process. This whole situation and increased my faith in my beloved LSSU.

 

[BGFan]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

Easy to speculate whether he or they did or did not withdraw just stir the pot when things seem to calm down some. The only people who really know are the interviewees and the administration. Call me skeptical but I will believe they withdrew when Fogarty or someone else tells me they did. I'm just saying .........

Fogerty told us that he withdrew. We became friends with him during his tenure at BG. He has a good thing going in Adrian and decided not to leave.

 

[Laker75]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

Fogerty told us that he withdrew. We became friends with him during his tenure at BG. He has a good thing going in Adrian and decided not to leave.

Barr withdrew too.

 

[MaryMaxine]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

OK, Here goes. To answer some questions in reference to other applicants from 2m2sm and Bill, I have been in the hockey community both as a coach and scout for longer than I care to admit.

I know a few of the applicants that applied for the opening at LSSU. The 5 mentioned, I do not know personally, but the ones I do know have more credentials. (We already know the background of the 5 that were interviewed.)

I know this is the candidate I would have picked or at least interviewed. AFTER GRADUATING FROM COLLEGE, PLAYING D1 HOCKEY, 1 YEAR PLAYING PRO HOCKEY (GOT OUT OF HIS CONTRACT) WAS OFFERED A CHANCE TO BE AN ASSISTANT COACH AT A D1 COLLEGE AND STAYED THERE FOR 4 YEARS. THEN MOVED TO ANOTHER D1 COLLEGE AND WAS AN ASSISTANT COACH THERE FOR 5 YEARS. TOTALING 9 YEARS AT D1 COLLEGES AS AN ASSISTANT COACH.

IN ORDER TO ADVANCE TO THE NEXT LEVEL OF COACHING IN D1, HE WAS ADVISED TO BECOME THE HEAD COACH/GM AT THE JUNIOR LEVEL. AT THIS LEVEL, YOU ARE THE BOSS MAKING ALL DECISIONS, PLUS ANSWERING TO THE OWNERS (AD), THE FANS, LEARNING TO LIVE WITH YOUR DECISIONS GOOD AND BAD, THE COMMUNITY IN SALES, PROMOTIONS, TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS AND SPONSORSHIPS! (BASICALLY DOING THE JOB AS IF AN AD) THESE QUALITIES ARE VERY MUCH NEEDED, AT THIS MOMENT, TO BRING LSSU BACK TO RESPECTABILITY.

SO HE DID. HE IS CURRENTLY THE COACH AND GM IN THE NAHL WHERE HE HAS BEEN FOR THE LAST 9 YEARS. HIS RECORD AS A D1 ASSISTANT COACH, IN HIS FIRST 9 YEARS, INCLUDES 5 NCAA APPEARANCES WITH 1 LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP. HIS RECORD AT THE JUNIOR LEVEL, IN HIS LAST 9 YEARS, INCLUDES HIS TEAM PLAYING CONSISTENTLY ABOVE .700, GOING TO CHAMPIONSHIPS AND WINNING 2 OF THEM.

IN ADDITION, HE COACHED USA HOCKEY TEAMS BOTH IN EUROPE AND THE UNITED STATES AND HAS SET UP AND HOSTED USA HOCKEY CLINICS FOR COACHES. DURING HIS D1 PLAYING DAYS, IN COLLEGE, HIS RECORD SHOWS 3 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS AND 1 RUNNER UP.

Now, you tell me if the coach selected was a forgone conclusion from the start.

Also, I do not know if the applicant I've been referencing would have taken the job, but an opportunity to interview was certainly warranted. We will never know as the opportunity to interview did not present itself.

In closing, I do think the LSSU school administration, the players and the fans should have been given the chance to hear what this coach has to offer. The process of the coach search committee could have been better at the start. It's over and here's hoping LSSU gets back on track.

 

[davyd83]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

OK, Here goes. To answer some questions in reference to other applicants from 2m2sm and Bill, I have been in the hockey community both as a coach and scout for longer than I care to admit.

I know a few of the applicants that applied for the opening at LSSU. The 5 mentioned, I do not know personally, but the ones I do know have more credentials. (We already know the background of the 5 that were interviewed.)

I know this is the candidate I would have picked or at least interviewed. AFTER GRADUATING FROM COLLEGE, PLAYING D1 HOCKEY, 1 YEAR PLAYING PRO HOCKEY (GOT OUT OF HIS CONTRACT) WAS OFFERED A CHANCE TO BE AN ASSISTANT COACH AT A D1 COLLEGE AND STAYED THERE FOR 4 YEARS. THEN MOVED TO ANOTHER D1 COLLEGE AND WAS AN ASSISTANT COACH THERE FOR 5 YEARS. TOTALING 9 YEARS AT D1 COLLEGES AS AN ASSISTANT COACH.

IN ORDER TO ADVANCE TO THE NEXT LEVEL OF COACHING IN D1, HE WAS ADVISED TO BECOME THE HEAD COACH/GM AT THE JUNIOR LEVEL. AT THIS LEVEL, YOU ARE THE BOSS MAKING ALL DECISIONS, PLUS ANSWERING TO THE OWNERS (AD), THE FANS, LEARNING TO LIVE WITH YOUR DECISIONS GOOD AND BAD, THE COMMUNITY IN SALES, PROMOTIONS, TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS AND SPONSORSHIPS! (BASICALLY DOING THE JOB AS IF AN AD) THESE QUALITIES ARE VERY MUCH NEEDED, AT THIS MOMENT, TO BRING LSSU BACK TO RESPECTABILITY.

SO HE DID. HE IS CURRENTLY THE COACH AND GM IN THE NAHL WHERE HE HAS BEEN FOR THE LAST 9 YEARS. HIS RECORD AS A D1 ASSISTANT COACH, IN HIS FIRST 9 YEARS, INCLUDES 5 NCAA APPEARANCES WITH 1 LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP. HIS RECORD AT THE JUNIOR LEVEL, IN HIS LAST 9 YEARS, INCLUDES HIS TEAM PLAYING CONSISTENTLY ABOVE .700, GOING TO CHAMPIONSHIPS AND WINNING 2 OF THEM.

IN ADDITION, HE COACHED USA HOCKEY TEAMS BOTH IN EUROPE AND THE UNITED STATES AND HAS SET UP AND HOSTED USA HOCKEY CLINICS FOR COACHES. DURING HIS D1 PLAYING DAYS, IN COLLEGE, HIS RECORD SHOWS 3 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS AND 1 RUNNER UP.

Now, you tell me if the coach selected was a forgone conclusion from the start.

Also, I do not know if the applicant I've been referencing would have taken the job, but an opportunity to interview was certainly warranted. We will never know as the opportunity to interview did not present itself.

In closing, I do think the LSSU school administration, the players and the fans should have been given the chance to hear what this coach has to offer. The process of the coach search committee could have been better at the start. It's over and here's hoping LSSU gets back on track.

None of the coaches who have won Robertson Cup championships over the past nine years fit your description. John Cooper and Tony Curtale are the only ones who have won multiple championships in that time. I don't think Cooper is leaving the Tampa Bay Lightning for LSSU and Curtale didn't play college hockey and played six years pro.

 

[Bill]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

We have our new coach. Can we move on?

 

[Lakerblue]

Not when there is still interest to discuss this Bill.

It’s hard to tell when posters on here are giving opinions or stating fact. Lakerblue, you have a detailed list of the process that has never been revealed before. I appreciate what you posted. It is not consistent with any posts on here or what I was told for that matter so I find it interesting. You asked for input about the process you stated occurred so I want to be clear as to what you are actually stating.

Correct me if I’m wrong. What you are saying is that A.D. Dunbar did not get involved until step 6 which is after the short list was already pared down during several steps by a “collection of well- respected hockey people and three of the greatest former LSSU coaches of all time”. I think this means that you are saying that not only Rick Comley but also Ron Mason and Jeff Jackson as well as some hockey experts were involved in selecting the short list that went to Dunbar. I was not told this before.
The “hockey experts” then met with Dunbar and validated their choices of individuals to be interviewed and explained why they felt the short list were the best candidates.
Dunbar then set up the interviews with the non-expert selection committee including herself, the university president, Rick Comley, some faculty and staff, a former player, a student rep, and a rep from the Blue Liners to select the coach. Finally the committee selected the coach.

I want to verify this before I go back to my source as this is way off what I was told. Thanks

I Disagree with your claim that the hiring process was flawed. I don't think it was flawed at all.

I personally believe the Lakers got the right guy for the school.

Make insinuations about Dunbar all you wish. She is not perfect. She may at times be harmful to the hockey program. This is not one of those times.

We have a good coach who should be good for the program. If the new coach is not to your liking, as you have off stated: there are plenty of other affordable hockey options around.

 

[DM2SM]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

I Disagree with your claim that the hiring process was flawed. I don't think it was flawed at all.

I personally believe the Lakers got the right guy for the school.

Make insinuations about Dunbar all you wish. She is not perfect. She may at times be harmful to the hockey program. This is not one of those times.

We have a good coach who should be good for the program. If the new coach is not to your liking, as you have off stated: there are plenty of other affordable hockey options around.

Easy Lakerblue. I wasn’t implying anything. I was letting it go but you presented information and a timeline and asked for comments. I simply asked you to validate what you were saying so I could check it with the person I talked with. Are you retracting your timeline? Also, are you retracting that Ron Mason and Jeff Jackson aided in the selection process other than Mason making calls and serving as a reference for Damon Whitten?

 

[DM2SM]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

Forget it Lakerblue. I agree this has been beat to death. We will never know if we got the right guy but we will know soon enough if Whitten is a capable guy. LSSU and the selection committee got the guy they wanted…..

My opinion, if I am going to have surgery I don’t want someone that knows two good doctors I want a proven doctor. If I’m in a legal battle I don’t want someone who knows two good attorneys I want a good attorney. You are not coming near me with a knife if you never had a successful surgery.

As for blaming Dunbar. I’m sure she has no issue with people not agreeing with a coaching selection. It never bothered me that she took her kids to play hockey in St. Ignace when she didn’t approve of a coaching selection with SMHA. You are right Lakerblue, there are plenty of Hockey options in the area. Losing a few fans shouldn’t be a big deal.

 

[Truth Serum]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

Lake Superior got the guy that had the most impressive resume for the Hiring Comleyittee and will continue to move the team in the right direction. His coaching record as volunteer coach and second assistant speaks for itself and to have ringing endorsements from the likes of Mason, Jackson and of course his mentor, Rick Comley, says it all.

Lake Superior didn't just get a diamond in the rough, they picked a true gem in Damon Witten!!!

 

[pdt1081]

My opinion, if I am going to have surgery I don’t want someone that knows two good doctors I want a proven doctor. If I’m in a legal battle I don’t want someone who knows two good attorneys I want a good attorney. You are not coming near me with a knife if you never had a successful surgery.

Proven doctors can still have failures. They didn't become proven without ever getting a chance.

Proven doctors and good attornerys also come at higher costs, with no garuntees.

 

[LSSULaker889294]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off-season thread (part 2)

I hope the likes of Lakerblue are proven right. We will know a year from now.

Probably more like 3 years.