Re: Maine Hockey Thread II: The Search for Spock
Why would anyone ever think that Corkum would be a good choice? Are they high? Reasons:
- Recruiting has been identified as a major issue for the Hockey Program; frankly, they haven't been pulling in the kinds of talent they should over the last few years, and the pieces haven't come together the way they could. The primary responsibility of the assistant coaching staff is, uh, recruiting. The team that is there now respects Corkum not because "he is tough on them" or a "serious hockey coach", it's because he predominantly brought them there. So how is promoting a guy that performed is major job function well below par a good move?
- The fans, the students, the program needs a major overhaul; whether or not you want to lump Corkum in with Timmy is irrelevant because he was there under Timmy for so long. This isn't a scarlet letter type situation, he was a major part of an incredibly flawed and under performing program. You want to instill vigor and excitement into a region, program and fan base? Overhaul it at the top; there are plenty of qualified candidates with Maine ties (Pellerin, cough cough) out there to bring in. Don't repeat the mistake; I can't speak for anyone else, but I promise that if/when Corkum is promoted, I am just going to be sitting there waiting for him to fail to get the real change we are all owed now.
- Maine hockey might be decently competitive next year, but they're still a ways off from being a national powerhouse again. Their positioning next year is more related to deficiencies at BC, changes at BU, and a lack of top power in the Hockey East more so than it is the talent they've accumulated. They'll compete by default. And things aren't going to get any easier with programs such as Notre Dame and UCONN coming into the Hockey East, schools with presence and budget to make a competitive hockey program. We need a leader with the youth, interest, vigor, passion to make this HIS program the same way Enrico Blasi did at Miami; Blasi took his own experience and love for Miami, made the program HIS, and gave it national prominence. Players went to play for him because they connected with Blasi, and while Corkum shares the 'having played for' attribute, there isn't much else to parallel.
PLEASE don't hire Corkum full time. PLEASE. Don't hire George Gwozdecky. Hire a Pellerin; hire someone we can all get excited about, someone who can recruit, someone who "Bleeds Blue" that will make this program theirs, and bring us back on top.