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Maine Summer 2013 - Pizza Season

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Re: Maine Summer 2013 - Pizza Season

ck1969 said:
Or not. 2yr buyout at $112k.
Click to expand...

I saw that too. People were convinced once tOSU opened up, we'd lose Gwoz. But when I saw the salary, I thought it was unlikely, unless tOSU is going to up the rate significantly.
 
Re: Maine Summer 2013 - Pizza Season

ck1969 said:
Or not. 2yr buyout at $112k.
Click to expand...

I cant believe they can only pay the guy 56 grand a year. Maybe the contract allows for only a partial salary buyout or some such thing. 56 grand a year is downright embarrassing for a coach at that level.
 
Re: Maine Summer 2013 - Pizza Season

Questions about timing aside, it looks like a reasonable committee.

Former player with experience under Walsh and Whitehead? Check.
FOMH? Check.
Significant faculty presence to weed out coaches who might forget that this is college, not the AHL? Check.
Alums with private sector experience? Check.

It's all there.

It's too late to do anything about Montgomery. I'm convinced the only way Maine could have gotten him was to do a search before the season ended. I do think he has fond memories of Maine. But based on a lot of the specific comments he's made to the Denver media, I don't think he'd necessarily have chosen Maine over DU. It seems like he places a high priority on institutional capacity/support/stability. There are legitimate questions about all those things at Maine. The university may be committed to changing that situation (I hope so), but it's hard to compete with reality (@ DU) when you're only offering a promise. I'm not convinced JM's Maine ties were strong enough to overcome that. When he says that he took the job he wanted . . . unfortunately, I kind of believe him.

So that's done. Gwoz is on the table (he and Osiecki have ties, and if Osiecki had real problems with OSU, Gwoz is going to know about them). It would be ridiculous not to take a look at him. It would be ridiculous not to take a look at Corkum. Last, but not least, it'll be interesting to see if there are any other current assistants/associates who are interested in getting a shot at Maine. I don't know who the next Blasi is, but maybe someone advising Abbott does. FWIW, Montgomery said yesterday that he's more than happy to consult with Maine on the hire. I believe that, too. DU and Maine don't really compete. DU recruits the USHL hard, and also the BCHL. Maine hasn't really recruited the BCHL since before Grant left, has less of a USHL presence, and relatively more of an Ontario presence - not to mention a New England presence. Montgomery wouldn't be risking his integrity to advise Maine, though I have my doubts as to whether Maine will take him up on the offer.
 
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Re: Maine Summer 2013 - Pizza Season

all bear said:
I cant believe they can only pay the guy 56 grand a year. Maybe the contract allows for only a partial salary buyout or some such thing. 56 grand a year is downright embarrassing for a coach at that level.
Click to expand...

$112k per year, Maybe?

Even that would be pretty ridiculous for a place like Ohio State. Even for a guy fresh out of the USHL with little to no prior college experience...
 
all bear said:
I cant believe they can only pay the guy 56 grand a year. Maybe the contract allows for only a partial salary buyout or some such thing. 56 grand a year is downright embarrassing for a coach at that level.
Click to expand...

If the contract has a buyout clause the buy out amount doesn't have to be equal to the amount left on the contract.

Cindy had two years on her contract but the buy out clause provided one year salary.

That being said, Ohio State has not been highly supportive of the hockey program.
 
Re: Maine Summer 2013 - Pizza Season

amherstblackbear said:
I can't bring myself to think about what Corkum could/should do. Not because I'm down on the guy -- though I'd be lying if I said I wasn't bothered by his association with Maine for the last several years.

Call me naive, but I'm still interested in seeing some kind of search play out. I want to know what the options are. If there's a legit search, and Corkum's the guy, I'll be *more* than happy to kick around ideas. I might even find my way back to Orono now and again (still have family in ME). Heck, I might be the only Hoosier to contribute to FOMH.

But if the search really does end up being a charade, there's only one thing Corkum can do to get my attention. Win. That's the only thing that will wash away the bad taste of a compromised search, when a true search is all I've been waiting for, for years.
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And.....that is really the only thing that matters in the end for any coach who comes here is to win. Even if the search is not a charade and a coach is found through the search, he has to win.
either outcome is the same.
 
Re: Maine Summer 2013 - Pizza Season

I love the fact that Metcalf is on the committee. He played for both Walsh and Whitehead, has stayed involved in the program and is still in touch with the current players. I never met Cherie but have known Derek since high school (he scored the OT winner against us in the '99 championship) and she obviously loves the program. I am encouraged by some of the names. I still think Nonni Daly would have been a good addition but I hope this committee is able to conduct a thorough search and finds us a quality head coach.
 
Re: Maine Summer 2013 - Pizza Season

amherstblackbear said:
Questions about timing aside, it looks like a reasonable committee.

Former player with experience under Walsh and Whitehead? Check.
FOMH? Check.
Significant faculty presence to weed out coaches who might forget that this is college, not the AHL? Check.
Alums with private sector experience? Check.

It's all there.

It's too late to do anything about Montgomery. I'm convinced the only way Maine could have gotten him was to do a search before the season ended. I do think he has fond memories of Maine. But based on a lot of the specific comments he's made to the Denver media, I don't think he'd necessarily have chosen Maine over DU. It seems like he places a high priority on institutional capacity/support/stability. There are legitimate questions about all those things at Maine. The university may be committed to changing that situation (I hope so), but it's hard to compete with reality (@ DU) when you're only offering a promise. I'm not convinced JM's Maine ties were strong enough to overcome that. When he says that he took the job he wanted . . . unfortunately, I kind of believe him.

So that's done. Gwoz is on the table (he and Osiecki have ties, and if Osiecki had real problems with OSU, Gwoz is going to know about them). It would be ridiculous not to take a look at him. It would be ridiculous not to take a look at Corkum. Last, but not least, it'll be interesting to see if there are any other current assistants/associates who are interested in getting a shot at Maine. I don't know who the next Blasi is, but maybe someone advising Abbott does. FWIW, Montgomery said yesterday that he's more than happy to consult with Maine on the hire. I believe that, too. DU and Maine don't really compete. DU recruits the USHL hard, and also the BCHL. Maine hasn't really recruited the BCHL since before Grant left, has less of a USHL presence, and relatively more of an Ontario presence - not to mention a New England presence. Montgomery wouldn't be risking his integrity to advise Maine, though I have my doubts as to whether Maine will take him up on the offer.
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I wouldnt take him up on it, no thanks, good luck. Great situation for him and he will do well, very well. Of ourse he took the job he wanted.

I would go right after the ushl players hard. Maine used to get us natl kids and top players. They can do it again. You dont want to become what Merrimack has to be, not by choice, but to survive.

Make Maine a great place again and go hard for the top kids. They can do it. Just look what Union has done with zero scholarships and no where near the tradition. Both Lowell and PC have turned around ahrd and quick. Maine can do it just as quick and ast coaches are critical. Almost more so then the head coach
 
Re: Maine Summer 2013 - Pizza Season

amherstblackbear said:
No doubt. I'm just having some fun w/ the few remaining folks who are defending the administration (like Pete Warner's column about not rushing things). I'm also taking a shot at Abbott's claim not to have spoken with prospective hires (which may be more B.S. for all I know). I'm willing to be good money that OSU made contact w/ Gwozdecky before letting Osiecki go.

There's no way Maine can compete with Ohio State or Denver, if money is a major concern (and when isn't it?) . . . and that's EXACTLY why Abbott can't afford to have this "we're not rushing things" attitude. The only way Maine beats out DU or OSU for a coach is by jumping in front of them and getting an offer out. By not even trying to do that, Abbott is basically saying, "Look, folks, we're at the bottom of the totem pole here. We're not going to waste time talking to anyone who might be a candidate somewhere else. We're going to let the rest of college hockey sort out, and then we'll see what's left."
Click to expand...

I guess your post was way off here, maybe a retraction?

Not everyone is on your side of thinking. I'm not.
-Abbott fired whitehead.
-They did form a search committee.
-They probably would have never got jimmy. Abbott did talk to jimmy at the end of the season.
-Gwoz is still out there only 1 coach has been hired.

This hasn't been perfect but umaine is certainly trying to get the program back. Can't please everyone.
 
Re: Maine Summer 2013 - Pizza Season

and obviously the 10000 posts about JM bleeding blue were bs. Bleeds the best job and rightly so, good for him
 
Re: Maine Summer 2013 - Pizza Season

Allagash said:
I guess your post was way off here, maybe a retraction?

Not everyone is on your side of thinking. I'm not.
-Abbott fired whitehead.
-They did form a search committee.
-They probably would have never got jimmy. Abbott did talk to jimmy at the end of the season.
-Gwoz is still out there only 1 coach has been hired.

This hasn't been perfect but umaine is certainly trying to get the program back. Can't please everyone.
Click to expand...

Not to mention, I'm hard to please to begin with :D

Think about it, though. What did Whitehead do from January-April to get himself fired? Not very much. All the reasons for firing him in April were also there last December. Why not make Bob interim coach in January, get to see how he handles things, and have the benefit of that information when running a search *right* after the season ends?

It just seems like the administration is muddling along, with no clear strategy. Me, on the other hand . . . all I have is strategy. I don't have to actually DO any of this. I get to sit back and criticize.

Still, the fact that I'm an internet nutcase doesn't mean I'm always wrong.
 
Hokydad said:
I wouldnt take him up on it, no thanks, good luck. Great situation for him and he will do well, very well. Of ourse he took the job he wanted.

I would go right after the ushl players hard. Maine used to get us natl kids and top players. They can do it again. You dont want to become what Merrimack has to be, not by choice, but to survive.

Make Maine a great place again and go hard for the top kids. They can do it. Just look what Union has done with zero scholarships and no where near the tradition. Both Lowell and PC have turned around ahrd and quick. Maine can do it just as quick and ast coaches are critical. Almost more so then the head coach
Click to expand...

ESPN can peddle that "no scholarship" pablum but that's not going to fly around here. We know better.
 
Priceless said:
ESPN can peddle that "no scholarship" pablum but that's not going to fly around here. We know better.
Click to expand...

It is a fact. They have 100 pt players there who pay full. They are truly need based aid.
If it makes Maine fans feel better they can believe what they want. As we all know many hockey families are blue collar and get aid
 
Re: Maine Summer 2013 - Pizza Season

gscott13 said:
i read that as simply they absolutely have to have it done before the current assistant coach contracts expire otherwise there would be no one steering the ship...

i don't think it will take that long....
Click to expand...

I read that as them diddling and fiddling for as long as possible then throwing in the towel and saying...."Forkum, go with Corkum" :D

At which point the general public will be so sick of the whole ordeal they wont give a chit...fans either, and there will be no one left to complain about the outcome.
 
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Re: Maine Summer 2013 - Pizza Season

My god, think of the struggle to buy out one year of Whitehead's contract. And now Maine is going to buy out 4(!) years of Leaman?

I'm thinking Leaman's no-comment is: "I might be interested in the Maine job, but I'm going to have to hope that the next guy gets fired a lot quicker than Whitehead." :p
 
Re: Maine Summer 2013 - Pizza Season

Phkit. I'm throwing my name in. No comment though, but in the interest of throwing Timmay further under the bus I'm thinking these players have got to play harder and be more accountable to something or somebody :)

oh yeah....selection committee and University pay attention here....I'm willing to do this for a nice round 100 grand a year. Basically you get a coach for half price. :p
 
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