LSSU Lakers 2014 off season thread

[RapidsCity]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off season thread

This idea you can't be a good coach unless you are paid big money is getting tiresome .

Quick, how many head coaches in the top 20 are making under $100K? How many assistant coaches in the top 20 are making more than $81600? I'll bet the answer to the second question is higher than the first. No one is talking "big money." But even average money in the WCHA is about $50,000 more than LSSU paid,then add good assistant salaries too. That would be a plus. Most USHL coaches and some NAHL coaches make more than LSSU has paid.

 

[RapidsCity]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off season thread

LaLonde would have to take a big pay cut too And he's used to having all the resources he needs to win. Maybe if you give him a raise from Green Bay, good salaries for 2 assistants and a recruiting budget near the top of the league and comparable travel arrangements he might give it a look.
/QUOTE]

What about Pat Mikesch? The AC coach with the Gamblers. He has tons of experience coaching at MTU. He is also from the UP.

And what was Tech's record with him there?

 

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off season thread

I would not recommend Mikesch, unless you like watching forwards plateau after their freshman or sophomore year.

 

[RapidsCity]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off season thread

Nope, you're a poster that is in the "know" so I take it you are well aware of the incident that really precipitated Anzalone's dismissal. It occurred in what February of that year? It was also quickly corroborated by players and some staff (yup are ole boy Jimmy was quick to point the finger at Frank..but in this case he was right to do so). The player's family had threatened to sue the school and Crawford knew all about the sordid details but he was loathe to pull the trigger until finally forced by administration to do so. Had the lawsuit from the player's family actually come to fruition, Lake State would not have been able to recruit Midget house league players to the program because the details were that bad.
In short Crawford really blew it and he did not have the foresight to begin thinking about potential candidates...it was completely BUSH League and really an embarrassment to the school and program.
As for Shawhan, Roque and the school knew he only had accociate degrees but I think because he many have had two of them, they considered it the equivalent of one degree. Roque and the administration even extended his contract and the only reason he was fired was because he was finally sick of Roque's mismanagement of the team. Roque saw him as a threat fired him...a very unfortunate event as Shawhan would have improved the team even from an assistant coaching position. He was and is a much better coach than Roque could ever hope to become.

Roque firing Shawhan was like Matt Millen firing Steve Mariucci. He didn't want someone smarter than him working for him.

 

[Bill]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off season thread

Nope, you're a poster that is in the "know" so I take it you are well aware of the incident that really precipitated Anzalone's dismissal. It occurred in what February of that year? It was also quickly corroborated by players and some staff (yup are ole boy Jimmy was quick to point the finger at Frank..but in this case he was right to do so). The player's family had threatened to sue the school and Crawford knew all about the sordid details but he was loathe to pull the trigger until finally forced by administration to do so. Had the lawsuit from the player's family actually come to fruition, Lake State would not have been able to recruit Midget house league players to the program because the details were that bad.
In short Crawford really blew it and he did not have the foresight to begin thinking about potential candidates...it was completely BUSH League and really an embarrassment to the school and program.
As for Shawhan, Roque and the school knew he only had accociate degrees but I think because he many have had two of them, they considered it the equivalent of one degree. Roque and the administration even extended his contract and the only reason he was fired was because he was finally sick of Roque's mismanagement of the team. Roque saw him as a threat fired him...a very unfortunate event as Shawhan would have improved the team even from an assistant coaching position. He was and is a much better coach than Roque could ever hope to become.

I'm only aware of the incident in a general sense. I never did hear much in the way of detail. I'm fortunate enough to hear a little "in the know" type information these days, but not so much back then. And to be honest, my memory isn't as good as it used to be.

I am aware that Anzalone felt that Roque threw him under the bus, and that Roque saw Shawhan as a threat.

 

[MeridianStreet]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off season thread

jnacc, Could it be that all the circumstances that led to the firing didn't become known to Crawford (and Youngblood) until June? I don't know, but am just asking.

Bingo! Bill, you're exactly right. Would be curious to know more about jnacc's anti-Crawford bias. Roque was a good hire at the time, and as sm put it, "it did not work out." And, regardless of his faults, Jim Roque has always been considered as having a good eye for hockey talent. There's a long list of good Laker players he recruited. I never like to see anyone lose his job and I wish him well. I'm sure he will land on his feet. Look at Borek and Pooley who did not remain as head coaches. Both are with big programs, paid well, and well regarded.

 

[MeridianStreet]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off season thread

I am aware that Anzalone felt that Roque threw him under the bus, and that Roque saw Shawhan as a threat.

Frank felt Jackson threw him under the bus and he felt Roque threw him under the bus. Neither was true. That's just Frank. Many posters have stated that Frank was his own worst enemy.

 

[michiganmidge]

Where have you been Midge? We haven't seen you post in quite some time.

I'm here ... Trolling ...

 

[brokenstick]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off season thread

A view from the fringe...
Getting rid of Roque will solve nothing. It seems like a step to fix it but you will not be able to find a replacement at the current financial level who can accomplish what he has with the resources available.
You still have an incompetent AD who makes poor business decisions everyday. Until she is gone you are screwed. She is a major part of the problem with hockeys woes and it permeates through the rest of the sports.
Comparing yourselves to across the river accomplishes nothing. They have 4 times the population. It's as simple as that. And they don't care about your hockey team.
Get rid of the AD and hope your new President can right the ship. If not, your days with a D1 hockey program are numbered.
On another note. Bill Crawford is mediocre at best as a play by play guy. He's also a negative old man that does not do your team or school any favors. His attitude and comments on the radio and in town breed and propel the negativity around lssu sports.
Good luck.

 

[michiganmidge]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off season thread

I wouldn't be surprised if Campbell signs with an NHL team soon.

Winnipeg ...

 

[jnacc]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off season thread

Bingo! Bill, you're exactly right. Would be curious to know more about jnacc's anti-Crawford bias. Roque was a good hire at the time, and as sm put it, "it did not work out." And, regardless of his faults, Jim Roque has always been considered as having a good eye for hockey talent. There's a long list of good Laker players he recruited. I never like to see anyone lose his job and I wish him well. I'm sure he will land on his feet. Look at Borek and Pooley who did not remain as head coaches. Both are with big programs, paid well, and well regarded.

I like Crawford and think he's a great play by play announcer and he lives and breaths laker hockey but he gets a failing grade because of the way he handled both the Anzalone situation and how he hired Roque...as for Roque's eye for talent, you almost quoted me verbatim but he did not have the wherewithal to be a decent head coach. Frank's treatment of his players could be deemed as callous. He would explode at what perceived to be the slightest provocation and his language could be what you would say very colorful and most inappropriate. With Frank though, the players knew where they stood. He was honest to a fault. This may surprise many but he was also a great teacher of the game. Players understood their roles and executed them because of Frank. If you worked hard under Frank and played by the rules he set, you were alright. You might not like the constant verbal abuse like being called a co**su**er for misreading a play but you knew what was expected. The players for the most part feared but respected Anzalone.
It was an entirely different set of circumstances under Roque. No he did not yell and curse (to my knowledge anyway) but he constantly would mess with players minds. They never were quite sure where they stood with him. He was not very articulate and could not teach the game very well at all. By the end of every season, the majority of the team would have little respect for Roque.
Roque was a great assistant because he was a very good recruiter but Anzalone was always disappointed in him when it came to handling the defensive responsiblities, or the P.P. and P.K. Rumor was that Anzalone was tired of him by the end of the 4th season and was going to axe him. Crawford knew Roque's limitations as he was close enough to both Anzalone and the team but he for what ever reason personally liked Roque. He was all to eager to quickly give him the job with out ever posting it or giving anyone else consideration.

Yes when Roque was first hired, I thought O.K. why not. Of course I was not privy to the information I know today. I quickly began to hear stories about Roques frazzled coaching style and how the players never bought into what he was doing because there was little rhyme or reason to it. When he fired Joey Shahwan more info began to leak out but still I pretty well much supported Roque. As time went on, and the Lakers floundered, I just couldn't shut my eyes or plug my ears any longer. Many of us knew that Roque had to go if the program was ever to be properly re-built.

I'll give Roque, this. He was able to attract some very fine talent to our remote little school and that's a pretty big accomplishment in itself. If I were an established coach at a big name program, I wouldn't think twice about hiring Jimmy to be my 2nd assistant who primarily handled the recruiting end.

 

[Pink Pony]

. Most USHL coaches and some NAHL coaches make more than LSSU has paid.

Reality is LSSU doesn't have the money.

The pay has to reach the pay of Mankatos and UAAs coaches or reorganization is around the corner.

Either close shop or go D3.

 

[MeridianStreet]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off season thread

Yes when Roque was first hired, I thought O.K. why not.

Most everyone did. He was a logical candidate.

As far as Frank's dismissal goes, other posters have put up links showing some of the legal testimony involved. The timing of what happened certainly required legal approval. The University (rightly) wanted to protect itself from any liability. In cases like that nothing is done without the ok of the university president. Crawford's "handling" of the situation didn't allow much leeway.

 

[davyd83]

Winnipeg ...

So if he signs with Winnipeg and gets assignor to their AHL team in St. John's, he'll go from playing for Roque to playing on "the Rock."

 

[Bill]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off season thread

It was an entirely different set of circumstances under Roque. No he did not yell and curse (to my knowledge anyway) but he constantly would mess with players minds. They never were quite sure where they stood with him. He was not very articulate and could not teach the game very well at all. By the end of every season, the majority of the team would have little respect for Roque.

Yes when Roque was first hired, I thought O.K. why not. Of course I was not privy to the information I know today. I quickly began to hear stories about Roques frazzled coaching style and how the players never bought into what he was doing because there was little rhyme or reason to it. When he fired Joey Shahwan more info began to leak out but still I pretty well much supported Roque. As time went on, and the Lakers floundered, I just couldn't shut my eyes or plug my ears any longer. Many of us knew that Roque had to go if the program was ever to be properly re-built.

That pretty much matches my impression of Roque based upon things I've heard and also considering the results of play over his time as head coach. I think he knows his Xs and Os pretty well and has his systems he wants played, but he has trouble communicating with players, especially when called for during changing circumstances of a game. The players never knew how he would react after games, losses in particular. He was just plain inconsistent. As you said, for the most part they never knew where they stood with him. They saw how he treated other players, and it wasn't always with respect. I think they lacked trust and respect for him as coach. They didn't have confidence in him and he wasn't able to instill much self-confidence in them. Not a good recipe for success as a coach.

 

[jnacc]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off season thread

Most everyone did. He was a logical candidate.

As far as Frank's dismissal goes, other posters have put up links showing some of the legal testimony involved. The timing of what happened certainly required legal approval. The University (rightly) wanted to protect itself from any liability. In cases like that nothing is done without the ok of the university president. Crawford's "handling" of the situation didn't allow much leeway.

But the story was that Crawford was loath to fire Frank....he saw the progress that was being made and knew that Laker Hockey was on the cusp of returning back to a dangerous/competitive program. It was the administration that finally forced his hand. Crawford blew and he blew it big! He waited far to long to dismiss Frank and then was caught in a time crunch so he simply threw up his hands and gave the job to his buddy Roque. Afterwards, Crawford was removed from the A.D. position and "kicked upstairs". The administration also messed up in that they should have demanded a full search for a new coach and simply designated an interm in the meantime. If they moved quickly enough they could have had someone in place by the start of the new school year.

Anyway enough of this rehash, we ought to be focusing and speculating on potential new candidates.

 

[Pink Pony]

we ought to be focusing and speculating on potential new candidates.

Yes we should.

 

[FRICKER]

D1 vs. DIII

D1 vs. DIII

Don't "poo-poo" DIII unless you have watched some games live. The top one-third to one half of DIII will give the bottom third of D1 (yes, including the Lakers) a run for thier money. I watched Colby
College play a one goal game against Princeton in Waterville, ME a couple of years ago and it was fast, high quality hockey. Because DIII doesn't award scholarships, it would help Lake States financially, and should make recruiting a little easier. Back Eat, a number of DIII schools have hockey as thier only D1 sport. RPI, Clarkson, and St. Lawrence quickly come to mind. My alma mater,
Clarkson, has the distinction of being the winningest D1 school without a national title (approaching 1,400 games). The one common thread tieing those programs together is that they have strong
support from thier administrations - can't say the same about Lake State. Whether you'll admit it or not, the reality is that the Lakers play more like a DIII team than a D1 thing. The only hangup is the ego thing...................

 

[sm2pk]

Re: D1 vs. DIII

Re: D1 vs. DIII

Fricker,we told you years ago that Borek turn the Lakers into a division three team that made getting back to a division one team a huge nightmare.

 

[Bill]

Re: D1 vs. DIII

Re: D1 vs. DIII

Don't "poo-poo" DIII unless you have watched some games live. The top one-third to one half of DIII will give the bottom third of D1 (yes, including the Lakers) a run for thier money. I watched Colby
College play a one goal game against Princeton in Waterville, ME a couple of years ago and it was fast, high quality hockey. Because DIII doesn't award scholarships, it would help Lake States financially, and should make recruiting a little easier. Back Eat, a number of DIII schools have hockey as thier only D1 sport. RPI, Clarkson, and St. Lawrence quickly come to mind. My alma mater,
Clarkson, has the distinction of being the winningest D1 school without a national title (approaching 1,400 games). The one common thread tieing those programs together is that they have strong
support from thier administrations - can't say the same about Lake State. Whether you'll admit it or not, the reality is that the Lakers play more like a DIII team than a D1 thing. The only hangup is the ego thing...................

FRICKER, all the schools playing NCAA Div 3 sports in Michigan are private institutions. None of them are public institutions. LSSU is a public institution. If LSSU were to become a private institution and play Div 3 sports, where is the money going to come from to run it? For your examples of Eastern Div 3 schools playing Div 1 hockey, Clarkson, St Lawrence and RPI are all private institutions.