Re: New England Prep 2009-2010
Adieu Nadine Muzerall. After six years at the helm of Northfield Mount Hermon, Nadine Muzerall has moved on. Mississauga native, Patty Kazmaier winner at Univ. of Minn. back in '98(?) Sorry to see her leave, but I can understand why. She had a complete lack of support from the administration, no input whatsoever into admissions, and therefore was unable to do any meaningful recruiting. Add to that the woeful semi-outdoor rink that discouraged any and all players, and there was nothing that she could do about that program. Now they have a history teacher coaching.
A class act all the way. An excellent coach -- teaching both skills and had a terrific rapport with her players. I wish her the very best in her next gig.
I hear ya.
It takes a lot to field a respectable program. Continuity in coaching, support in recruiting, and to some degree a suitable facility.
Many schools like to bring in young, ex-players and give them some experience figuring that they girls will identify with them better and that will help with recruiting and retention. I haven't seen it create consistent championships myself, but it can create competitive team every once in a while.
Don't get me wrong, young coaches can bring a lot of energy to a team and often get more out of a group than others. But all so often, they will take this job as a 3-4 year stepping stone waiting for a better college assistant position to come up. Very few come to a prep school with the idea of that is what they want to be doing in 20 years.
And I think the prep schools that hire these coaches know the drill as well. So if you are a young coach looking to make a mark and go to the administration and say I need this or that player, they will not have the same impact as a careerist coach. It takes time to earn that level of clout within a school.
That being said, It is sad to see a 6-year coach leave a school, no matter how old the coach is. That definitely says there is a failure to support the program, as the longer any coach is in a position, the harder it becomes for them to want to leave.
I wouldn't necessarily beat up NMH about their barn. There are far worse. And if the girls who play in the old barn are tight knit, recruits will sense that first and look beyond the facility. It is a very shallow player who rates the facility first.
Let's hope for a good season for the girls at NMH, despite their loss. It is their HS experience. It should be fun.
