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LSSU Lakers 2014 off season thread

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Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off season thread

Joe Shawhan is the only name I see that probably has all what the Lakers need. A hometown guy with tons of experience at the coaching level and very successful as a coach and a guy with a lot of Division 1 experience as a player and an assistant coach . I have also heard from others that he is also well liked . Before the Roque groupies start their attack, I also thought Roque was a great choice and that the program would rebound under his selection . That just never worked out .
 
Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off season thread

If Famulak is a candidate I would have him over Shawhan. He also has ties to the program and what they have done in a similar environment at FSU is remarkable. I have also heard Paul Jerrard’s name mentioned as a candidate. Ties to the program, was an assistant coach at LSSU. A pro career and professional experience as an assistant coach. No Head Coaching experience. He seems worth discussion.
 
Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off season thread

Obviously, Joe Shawhan is the most familiar to most of the LSSU faithful (understandably so). I've known Tim Coughlin since we played against each other and then as fellow recruiters for our respective alma maters John LaFontaine had some success during a 6 year stint as the head coach of the former America West Junior Hockey League's Bozeman Ice Dogs (Junior A -- equivalent in average talent to the current NAHL). Have had some limited personal interaction with John over the years and, although I certainly wouldn't call him more than a professional acquaintance, I would count him as one of the top ten character people I've dealt with in my 25+ years of involvement in the the game from squirts thru AA minor pro. Definitely a legitimate candidate for LSSU.

I wish Jim Roque was coming back for Year 10, cause it would have been the best one yet.

I would list the Top 3 candidates to this point as 1. Shawhan 2. Francis Anzalone 3. Zuke
 
Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off season thread

Shawhan is the guy I would settle with . We thought Roque who seemed to be a very good recruiter would also be a very good coach but it just didn't turn out that way. Shawhan is a very good coach and I would hate to take a chance with another guy who like Roque seems to be a good recruiter but we have no idea how he would be as a coach as in the guy from Ferris .
 
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Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off season thread

Shawhan is the guy I would settle with . We thought Roque who seemed to be a very good recruiter would also be a very good coach but it just didn't turn out that way. Shawhan is a very good coach and I would hate to take a chance with another guy who like Roque seems to be a good recruiter but we have no idea how he would be as a coach as in the guy from Ferris .
There is an added element of risk with selecting Shawhan, or Metro for that matter. It's this. Given that Shawhan is a home town guy, what if things didn't work out in 4 or 5 years? What if there still weren't as many Ws as everyone wants to see. How easy do you think it would be for the President/AD to fire Shawhan? Imagine the outcry in the Soo if they wanted to fire him because the team wasn't producing enough Ws after 4-5 years, or maybe even a little longer. The fact that they kept Roque on as long as they did compounds this potential problem. The reality is that firing a coach who hails from the Soo would be a much more difficult decision for them to make. I'm not saying that I don't want to see Shawhan get the job, but I know there are Lakers fans who would prefer he doesn't get it for this very reason. Now if Shawhan gets the job and the team does start producing better records, then everything would be hunky-dory. But if not?
 
Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off season thread

I guess we can look at what ifs until the cows fall from the sky . What has to be looked at is the persons record and experience and what he brings to the table be it if he was born in the Soo or in the waste lands of Mongolia.
 
Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off season thread

There is an added element of risk with selecting Shawhan, or Metro for that matter. It's this. Given that Shawhan is a home town guy, what if things didn't work out in 4 or 5 years? What if there still weren't as many Ws as everyone wants to see. How easy do you think it would be for the President/AD to fire Shawhan? Imagine the outcry in the Soo if they wanted to fire him because the team wasn't producing enough Ws after 4-5 years, or maybe even a little longer. The fact that they kept Roque on as long as they did compounds this potential problem. The reality is that firing a coach who hails from the Soo would be a much more difficult decision for them to make. I'm not saying that I don't want to see Shawhan get the job, but I know there are Lakers fans who would prefer he doesn't get it for this very reason. Now if Shawhan gets the job and the team does start producing better records, then everything would be hunky-dory. But if not?
Good post Bill. I’ve thought the same thing but this is the way I look at it. Shawhan is the perfect candidate for the job. Not just because of his proven ability as a coach but because of what you state, he is local. Even Jim Roque supporters now say that he is the best guy for the job. Would it be better to choose. someone else who has possibly more chance of not producing the W’s as you call it and not taking advantage of the buzz that Joey would create. There have been people waiting for this. Jim Roque felt that pressure and it was too much for him. I’m not sure how old Shawhan is but after the 5 or 6 years if things were not going well pull a Bill Crawford and move him to a position on campus that would still benefit the University. I don’t know anyone that doesn’t think this is a no-brainer. This guy is that well liked. Your comments Bill say exactly that. Good post.
 
Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off season thread

let us do it this way. Shawhan may very well be the best qualified to head the program but he may be to well liked and so let us pass on him and go after the next best canidate . Are you people looking for the best coach or the coach who will provide the less friction if things go south ?
 
Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off season thread

If Roque was so terrible, why would anyone worry about not getting immediate positive results? Didn't someone here post a wish for just two more wins?
Relax folks, the best coach that will take the job will be chosen. A homeboy makes sense in that they won't let him fail (read pump money into program here), a non-LSSU affiliated coach brings a 'Fresh Face' and an emotional charge; A Win-Win for LSSU.
 
If Roque was so terrible, why would anyone worry about not getting immediate positive results? Didn't someone here post a wish for just two more wins?
Relax folks, the best coach that will take the job will be chosen. A homeboy makes sense in that they won't let him fail (read pump money into program here), a non-LSSU affiliated coach brings a 'Fresh Face' and an emotional charge; A Win-Win for LSSU.
I want the homeboy coach. He can bring in homeboy Soo High School players and if your going to lose you might as well lose with all homeboys.

I want to hear the bell ring after every home game.
 
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I guess we can look at what ifs until the cows fall from the sky . What has to be looked at is the persons record and experience and what he brings to the table be it if he was born in the Soo or in the waste lands of Mongolia.

So you want someone that can finish above .500 in more then two years during a nine year period.
 
Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off season thread

What have the hockey people been saying about Union all through the play-offs ? They go after older players and players who have been over looked by most teams. Small schools can win it all with the right dynamics and a coaching staff that gets the most out of their players.
 
Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off season thread

What have the hockey people been saying about Union all through the play-offs ? They go after older players and players who have been over looked by most teams. Small schools can win it all with the right dynamics and a coaching staff that gets the most out of their players.

We lost a lot of good players to early departure and graduation, which is a big negative, but on a positive note we got rid of a dismal coach....It's hard to say what the future holds for LSSU, but for the optimistic, next year we bring back the majority of a team that swept a team that is playing in the national championship game, and that is worth being excited about.
 
Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off season thread

What have the hockey people been saying about Union all through the play-offs ? They go after older players and players who have been over looked by most teams. Small schools can win it all with the right dynamics and a coaching staff that gets the most out of their players.

There has been something of a sea change in D-1 hockey lately. Perhaps its all the early departure of the top talented players or maybe even there just isn't a whole lot of "elite" players coming to play college hockey. This hurts the big name institutions far more than the little ones and Union, as well as programs like Ferris, is proving that smaller schools attracting the older and more physically mature players can now compete and win against the cream of the crop schools like B.C. This bodes very well for Lake State as the conditions are almost returning to way things were when the team was a first world power in the late 80's.
Shawhan is the perfect candidate in this new enviroment. He is a very able recruiter ans has just as good of an eye for un-recognized talent as Roque did. He is a much better systems coach than Roque could ever hope to be, very similar to an Anzalone/Jackson style and I fully 100% believe that he can build not just a competitive team but a national winner here. Of all the names I've heard that applied he is the best one to get the job done.
 
Re: LSSU Lakers 2014 off season thread

There is only one team in the country who can say they swept Union and on their home ice .....Lake State
 
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