This bothers me too. To be clear I know nothing about Ceglarski except what's on his Midd bio and I wish him and the team all the best. But it strikes as the same kind of lazy move as the hiring of Sinclair. This school can pay a great salary, has unmatched facilities and is in a great place to live. Even with questions about the current administration's commmittment to hockey, this opening should bring top-flight talent. I hope this guy gets a genuinely fair shot but I also hope the school stands ready to do a full-scale recruitment if he doesn't pan out.
USCHO Fan Forum
This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
-
The USCHO Fan Forum has migrated to a new plaform, xenForo. Most of the function of the forum should work in familiar ways. Please note that you can switch between light and dark modes by clicking on the gear icon in the upper right of the main menu bar. We are hoping that this new platform will prove to be faster and more reliable. Please feel free to explore its features.
Nescac
- Thread starter neumyer
- Start date
d3follower
Registered User
This does have all the markings of a failed search -- that Midd had a more credentialed candidate within its sights but could not work things out with that candidate so had to turn to the internal guy to ensure that someone was in place for the ongoing recruiting season and for the rapidly approaching school year. Ceglarski is too young and inexperienced to make any meaningful projections or even guesses as to how he will do. It was a mistake for Bowdoin to hire from within when former head coach Terry Meagher retired in 2016 and it did take some 6 years for the parties to recognize that it was very much a failed experiment and change course. Hopefully the Ceglarski experiment works out better for Middlebury than it did for Bowdoin but it definitely is an experiment. Still, it is a bit of a surprise that Middlebury was not properly prepared for its search for a new head coach and did not pull out all the stops in the hiring process. I am not a Middlebury person but would love to see the program get back in the running.
Nail on the head: “Still, it is a bit of a surprise that Middlebury was not properly prepared for its search for a new head coach and did not pull out all the stops in the hiring process.”
Makes me wonder if they mailed it in on the process, preferring to focus on the giant set of social issues that engulf campuses like midd now (I’ll leave it at that), or whether a great candidate came close (in line w d3 follower above) and thought “wow I’m going to be fighting an uphill battle for resources and support at this institution at this time.”
Makes me wonder if they mailed it in on the process, preferring to focus on the giant set of social issues that engulf campuses like midd now (I’ll leave it at that), or whether a great candidate came close (in line w d3 follower above) and thought “wow I’m going to be fighting an uphill battle for resources and support at this institution at this time.”
Well, we will see. I believe that Jack Ceglarski is the grandson of Len Ceglarski, who was the head coach at Clarkson and BC. He maybe the nephew of Mark Ceglarski, who played at Midd in the 1970's. Anyway, I heard that 10 years ago, Midd wanted Jamie Rice at Babson, but he declined the position due to his wife not wanting to leave the Boston area. Maybe they did miss out on their first choice candidate again, but let's give Jack a chance. It is all about institutional support and if he gets it, perhaps Midd won't be a doormat anymore. I would think that alumni hockey players and Mr Kenyon who coughed up something like $17M for the rink might take a dim view of playing at current level they have been operating at and could complain. Social issues could win out, but they haven't precluded success in other sports including women's hockey.
Last edited:
Russell Jaslow
Registered User
There's also Tim Ceglarski, who I believe is the son of Len, who coached at Elmira.
d3follower
Registered User
Yes, Jack Ceglarski has great hockey blood lines, FWIW. Is father ("Babe" or Len Jr) was the long-time coach at Governer Dummer Academy (where Jack played prep hockey).His grandfather was Len Ceglarski Sr, a true legend in the hockey world with many years as a D1 head coach -- first at Clarkson and then at BC. His uncle is Tim Ceglarski, who was the head coach at Elmira for some years. If there was a failed search (as likely there was since selecting such a young and inexperienced coach is very much a gamble regardless of his blood lines), I doubt that it any thing to do with "social issues." Middlebury is top drawer in virtually all sports, finishing no. 8 nationally in the Learfield Cup, which is a way of measuring success in the D3 world. And if you look more closely at traditional men's team sports -- football, lacrosse, soccer, basketball, and baseball -- you will find Middlebury in the top tier of the NESCAC in each of those sports virtually every year. So the institutional support is there in terms of facilities and recruiting . . Jack will have the chance to try to bring the Middlebury program back but it will be harder for him with the "interim" tag and with a group of player who have not been, in relative terms, top-of-the-line recruits for some time (decent but lacking that extra something that takes a team to the top tier of the NESCAC).
d3follower
Registered User
Correct, Neumyer. Mark is Jack's uncle. Len Ceglarski, Sr. had six sons, with Mark being the oldest (I think).
Last edited:
Agree to all said above except to D3Follower I’d just clarify that what I mean by social issues is that the Patton administration is absolutely consumed by issues of diversity equity and inclusion (which isnt all bad) but to the point that the men’s hockey program couldn’t possibly occupy a lower rung among leadership priorities. This bleeds through in various ways, mostly unofficial but in ways that might affect basics like salary, and moreso perceived recruiting flexibility and support, that a prospective coach might understand pretty quickly. Admittedly the last part I’m hypothesizing but not the first. Either way I’m behind Ceglarski, just frustrated w the school.
Last edited:
Just to keep up with the changes in Nescac:
Neil Sinclair has stepped down as head coach of Middlebury:
https://athletics.middlebury.edu/ne...ps-down-as-head-coach-of-mens-ice-hockey.aspx
Jack Ceglarski has been named interim head coach
https://athletics.middlebury.edu/ne...named-interim-head-mens-ice-hockey-coach.aspx
So I'm thinking this is going to be an interesting year for Middlebury, and the NESCAC in general
Neil Sinclair has stepped down as head coach of Middlebury:
https://athletics.middlebury.edu/ne...ps-down-as-head-coach-of-mens-ice-hockey.aspx
Jack Ceglarski has been named interim head coach
https://athletics.middlebury.edu/ne...named-interim-head-mens-ice-hockey-coach.aspx
So I'm thinking this is going to be an interesting year for Middlebury, and the NESCAC in general
Middlebury also recently previewed their incoming class on social media:
Bobby May, D – West Kelowna (BCHL) – Davidson, NC
Joe Gerebi, D – NH Monarchs (NCDC) – Victoria, MN
Jack Morehouse, F – Jersey Hitmen (NCDC) – Pittsburgh, PA
Dante Palombo, F – NJ Titans (NAHL) – White Plains, NY
Revy Mack, F – Anchorage (NAHL) – Anchorage, AK
Andrew Heinze, G – Loomis-Chaffee (Founders League - prep school) – North Andover, MA
Max Noll, F – NH Monarchs (NCDC) – Rochester, MI
Andrew Seaman, F – Union College (DI, ECAC) – Winnetka, IL
Interesting to see only one first-year player coming directly from prep school, with nearly all coming from at least a year of junior hockey (if I've captured them all correctly). That recruiting would've been done before Sinclair's departure was announced, presumably - so wonder if there's anything to read into it, in terms of players who are Sinclair's choices, what level of quality they bring, etc. Junior hockey isn't my area of expertise, welcome thoughts from others on what level of quality they're bringing.
Seaman - a junior transfer from Union - went into the portal a couple days after Sinclair stepped down. He played regularly his freshman year, only once his sophomore year.
Middlebury also announced Jack Fitzgerald is joining as assistant coach. He spent four years at Amherst as an assistant coach and was a four year player and senior-year Captain for Amherst.
As tjoneslo said, going to be an interesting one for the Panthers. At last, change at the top and perhaps an opportunity to rebuild some respectability let alone contend for titles. But a long road ahead.
Bobby May, D – West Kelowna (BCHL) – Davidson, NC
Joe Gerebi, D – NH Monarchs (NCDC) – Victoria, MN
Jack Morehouse, F – Jersey Hitmen (NCDC) – Pittsburgh, PA
Dante Palombo, F – NJ Titans (NAHL) – White Plains, NY
Revy Mack, F – Anchorage (NAHL) – Anchorage, AK
Andrew Heinze, G – Loomis-Chaffee (Founders League - prep school) – North Andover, MA
Max Noll, F – NH Monarchs (NCDC) – Rochester, MI
Andrew Seaman, F – Union College (DI, ECAC) – Winnetka, IL
Interesting to see only one first-year player coming directly from prep school, with nearly all coming from at least a year of junior hockey (if I've captured them all correctly). That recruiting would've been done before Sinclair's departure was announced, presumably - so wonder if there's anything to read into it, in terms of players who are Sinclair's choices, what level of quality they bring, etc. Junior hockey isn't my area of expertise, welcome thoughts from others on what level of quality they're bringing.
Seaman - a junior transfer from Union - went into the portal a couple days after Sinclair stepped down. He played regularly his freshman year, only once his sophomore year.
Middlebury also announced Jack Fitzgerald is joining as assistant coach. He spent four years at Amherst as an assistant coach and was a four year player and senior-year Captain for Amherst.
As tjoneslo said, going to be an interesting one for the Panthers. At last, change at the top and perhaps an opportunity to rebuild some respectability let alone contend for titles. But a long road ahead.
Last night Maine and UNH played an exhibition match at Alfond Arena... make that Colby's Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center. Big crowd to support Maine, nice showcase for a recently built DIII arena, and proceeds will go to the Alfond Youth and Community Center.
Video feed was available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-gnW7ZAAEo
Had me thinking about other opportunities to connect a NESCAC school with DI program. Would've been fun to see UVM play at Kenyon Arena for example!
Video feed was available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-gnW7ZAAEo
Had me thinking about other opportunities to connect a NESCAC school with DI program. Would've been fun to see UVM play at Kenyon Arena for example!
bakdraft21
Well-known member
Awesome rink, whats the capacity, looks a little like Middlebury..
Capacity listed as 1,796 by Colby. Some visuals and narrative about it available here: https://express.adobe.com/page/t43uyuQWZb4Di/ (yes, it looks like a weird link, but it's real)
Agree, seems like a very nice rink. Similar to Middlebury's, except the end seating comes down to ice level at Kenyon Arena while Colby's comes halfway down and then has a wall, leaving a gap between the end seating and the boards. Would be curious to know why they did that.
bakdraft21
Well-known member
thanks for the link,WOW that should bring in recruits, besides the academics which are top shelf..
Definitely a plus for their program. Bowdoin saw a real uptick in results in the decade since their new rink - I'm sure it's not a direct cause, but I imagine it reflects a wider commitment to more resources and was appealing to recruits. Will be interesting to see if the same happens for Colby.
Also good for the NESCAC, after what feels like a half-decade of relative weakness for the league. Feels like the league is in a bit of down period, as witnessed by this thread being a couple years old and being close to life support for a while!
Very much looking forward to the start of NESCAC this weekend. Still not sure how to watch all the games through.
The traditional opening weekend of Middlebury / Williams traveling to the north lands of Maine to take on Colby / Bowdoin is going to be my favorite. With Bowdoin being the NESCAC champs from last year and Colby stepping up, it will be interesting to see how Middlebuy's new coach responds, and William's trying to keep their top rankings. This will be an interesting season.
NESCAC has been so competitive with each other it's hard to find a breakout team for the national rankings. I think just a little bit of a step up and we'll see a mirror of the Women's side.
The traditional opening weekend of Middlebury / Williams traveling to the north lands of Maine to take on Colby / Bowdoin is going to be my favorite. With Bowdoin being the NESCAC champs from last year and Colby stepping up, it will be interesting to see how Middlebuy's new coach responds, and William's trying to keep their top rankings. This will be an interesting season.
NESCAC has been so competitive with each other it's hard to find a breakout team for the national rankings. I think just a little bit of a step up and we'll see a mirror of the Women's side.
Most of the games appear to be on NSN Sports
Oh, finding them isn't the problem, it that there are 5 games at the same time. How to choose... ?
GAMEDAY.
The NESCAC experience begins anew, ten teams ready to battle for supremacy - or perhaps just a chance for the playoffs, where as last year showed, anything can happen.
As tjoneslo said, the league has been competitive top-to-bottom. Now it's a question of whether a team or teams will emerge as elite, after several years of not advancing past the first round of the NCAA tournament.
For my Middlebury, what an interesting moment.
First, thanks to Tim Costello for a nice preview piece with an in-depth interview with Coach Ceglarski: http://www.uscho.com/2023/11/15/cegl...-for-panthers/ He certainly sounds optimistic, even with the pressure that comes with this job and the mountain to climb.
So is it a much-needed fresh start under a new head coach after several years of dreadful results? I'd love to know more about the atmosphere that this change has created, whether it has breathed fresh life into the team.
Or equally, a young, inexperienced head coach who faces a big challenge to start to restore Middlebury's credibility as competitive, let alone a national power? And I still don't get that 'interim' tag.
The schedule offers some big tests early on, with the always tough Maine trip and Norwich, plus that New Years journey to Hobart. But four home games ahead of Christmas against Conn College, Tufts, Hamilton and Amherst, an opportunity to pick up points against teams Middlebury will need to beat if it wants to move upwards in the table.
Will also be interesting to see if some good results start to bring back what had been one of DIII's best fan bases, particularly with a passionate student following. It stuns me that Middlebury's attendance has fallen so far.
Let's gooooo!
The NESCAC experience begins anew, ten teams ready to battle for supremacy - or perhaps just a chance for the playoffs, where as last year showed, anything can happen.
As tjoneslo said, the league has been competitive top-to-bottom. Now it's a question of whether a team or teams will emerge as elite, after several years of not advancing past the first round of the NCAA tournament.
For my Middlebury, what an interesting moment.
First, thanks to Tim Costello for a nice preview piece with an in-depth interview with Coach Ceglarski: http://www.uscho.com/2023/11/15/cegl...-for-panthers/ He certainly sounds optimistic, even with the pressure that comes with this job and the mountain to climb.
So is it a much-needed fresh start under a new head coach after several years of dreadful results? I'd love to know more about the atmosphere that this change has created, whether it has breathed fresh life into the team.
Or equally, a young, inexperienced head coach who faces a big challenge to start to restore Middlebury's credibility as competitive, let alone a national power? And I still don't get that 'interim' tag.
The schedule offers some big tests early on, with the always tough Maine trip and Norwich, plus that New Years journey to Hobart. But four home games ahead of Christmas against Conn College, Tufts, Hamilton and Amherst, an opportunity to pick up points against teams Middlebury will need to beat if it wants to move upwards in the table.
Will also be interesting to see if some good results start to bring back what had been one of DIII's best fan bases, particularly with a passionate student following. It stuns me that Middlebury's attendance has fallen so far.
Let's gooooo!
It’s shocking! Hockey used to be numero uno at Middlebury and now it is a secondary sport in terms of interest and attendance. I imagine Coach Ceglarski can shed the “interim” label if he is successful this year. He really hasn’t had much time to make changes since most of the recruiting done for the freshman class was when the previous coach was in charge. I hope they give him some help and a few seasons to turn things around, otherwise he will be out and the coaching search will begin again. Sad!