Re: NMU Wildcats 2010-2011 Season Thread
Comley sucked pond water many seasons as coach at NMU, but they never even discussed getting rid of him. He moved on to a sweet gig in East Lansing.
Walt does a good job with what he gets. Face it, top notch players are not going parade to Marquette, so that means top notch coaches aren't either. Many empty seats and a luke warm love for the team by the local community, not to mention the student body really does not get behind the team, either. All that plays into a limited budget, which effects recruiting, so you fire Walt we could easily end up with a much worse situation. Look how long it has taken Tech to climb out of their hole.
I don't think you can expect much better than 500, with an occasional good team that can make a run for it, based on the support Wildcat Hockey gets the school and community.
Another issue that arises is the conference that NMU plays in requires a huge travel budget. Even taking busses down to Ohio and Kentucky (BGSU), it still adds up to be pretty expensive. Spread that out with the fact that all of the other teams play in the GLIAC, which now has many schools in Ohio. The problem is that there are only 2 legitimate schools within a 5 hour drive. (Then you start to pick up hockey schools of Duluth and Wisconsin if you go a little further out, and a few GLIAC schools as well). Going outside of Lake State, the nearest opponent for NMU hockey is Ferris. That budget gets stretched thin.
Lukewarm community support? Sounds familiar. I think there is a great disconnect between the athletics of the universities in the U.P. and the communities they reside in. The community will come out and support you as "their team" if you start to win, but they don't feel that connection to stick with you when you lose. How many Widcat (/Husky/Laker) fans from the community are alumni? It seems to me that there are few collegiate-level jobs for us diehards when we graduate, and we end up moving away (downstate, Chicago, to the coasts). The average local fan does not have an attachment to the school. That means, if you start to lose, then it snowballs into a more empty arena.
Student body not getting behind the team? Again, there are diehards that will be there for every game. But there are entertainment options out there for students who would rather do something else if the team is struggling, even so far as there are plenty of bars in Marquette. Are the student tickets still free?
The huge issue that hasn't been brought up is revenue sharing. What type of cut does NMU get from the money that comes out of the CCHA tournament? (I would assume 1/11th). How much money does the tournament bring in? I know that Tech relies heavily on the revenue of the Final Five in St. Paul in running the hockey program, and that tournament sells out just about every game. Is the CCHA tournament that profitable for the teams? If not, is it time to start rotating the site? Would the television coverage of FSD follow? Will it be different if Illitch builds his new palace?
Marquette has a lot to offer a recruit, especially those coming from small towns in Canada. You can sell the "We have everything you need here, and a chance to play major teams and be recognized. You can get the NHL from here, and you don't have to get lost in the big city to do it. Oh, and you get a free education." angle.
It is good to point out that a successful coach wasn't always successful with the Wildcats. The mid-90's were pretty bleak, as I remember from my days of growing up.
The CCHA keeps what it takes in at the Joe. That's how they throw the free fan party at the Ren Center. 
