Ohio State Buckeyes - Coach Rohlik - First Year in the Big Ten

[osualum86]

Re: Ohio State Buckeyes - Coach Rohlik - First Year in the Big Ten

Amus had not signed a LOI. Not sure about guadreau

I wouldn't lose much sleep about Watson or Vallau. Stephen would probably make me toss and turn a little though, but I'd be fine the next day.

Doesn't the B10 have an additional inter conference transfer rule require an athlete to sit out and lose a year of elgibility?

Now that you mention it, the Big Ten does have a rule that if a player transfers from one Big Ten school to another, they have to pay their own way (in addition to sitting out a year). They cannot get a scholarship from the other school. However, I don't recall any rules regarding recruits decommitting from one school and committing to another school within the Big Ten Conference. In regard to Jerryj's post regarding Stepan switching over to Minnesota, I have not read anything or heard anything indicating that Stepan is not still committed to Ohio State, so at this point, I would say the talk about a decommitment is just that, talk. If that does materialize, though, I agree that the athletic department has to take some blame in that by firing a coach who had us moving in the right direction and was bringing in some great recruits like Stepan. On the other side of that coin, I think Rohlik will do a good job bringing in talented recruits, so moving forward, I think we will be fine. Would hate to lose a blue chipper like Stepan, though.

 

[osualum86]

Re: Ohio State Buckeyes - Coach Rohlik - First Year in the Big Ten

Not sure who Layne Label is. You'll have to provide a link or fill us in on that. I haven't read anything about Layne Label.

 

[Draighlicht]

Re: Ohio State Buckeyes - Coach Rohlik - First Year in the Big Ten

Not sure who Layne Label is. You'll have to provide a link or fill us in on that. I haven't read anything about Layne Label.

not sure if you are being facetious or not but he simply misspelled the last name...

Layne LeBel enters his second year as the director of operations for the Buckeyes after spending 2010-11 as Ohio State's volunteer coach. LeBel coached alongside third-year Buckeye head coach Mark Osiecki with the Green Bay Gamblers in the USHL and has been a coach in the CCHA, spending two seasons as an assistant coach at Notre Dame.

In his first season at Notre Dame, LeBel contributed to the success of a talented defensive corps that helped the Irish set school records for lowest goals-against average (2.42), save percentage (.925) and shutouts in a season (6). The same year, Notre Dame made its first ever NCAA tournament appearance.

LeBel was with the Gamblers for two years and paired with Osiecki to lead the team to the USHL Eastern Division title in 2000-01. Prior to his stint in Green Bay, LeBel was the head coach for the Wisconsin Midget AAA hockey club.

A 1994 graduate of Michigan Tech University, LeBel, a defenseman, was a four-year regular with the Huskies and is sixth all-time among Michigan Tech defensemen in scoring with 25 goals and 68 assists for 93 points in 149 career games. He also had 71 penalties for 156 minutes during his career. A two-time finalist for the WCHA Defensive Player of the Year, LeBel was an honorable mention All-WCHA selection and a WCHA All-Academic selection following the 1992-93 season. That year, he also was awarded Michigan Tech's Harold Meese Sportsmanship Award. He was a key member of the 1994 Michigan Tech team that orchestrated one of the biggest upsets in college hockey when the 10th-place Huskies upset top-ranked Colorado College in the first round of the WCHA playoffs.

Following graduation, LeBel played one season in the Central Hockey League for the Memphis Riverkings, finishing seventh in scoring with 13 goals and 27 assists for 40 points in 45 games. He then moved on to Germany for five seasons with Duisburg EV and Regensburg EV in the German Division I and II leagues.

LeBel and his wife, Molly, reside in Lewis Center, with their children, Mason and Emme. Since retiring from hockey LeBel competed in both the 2009 Columbus and 2010 Boston Marathons.

 

[jerryj]

Re: Ohio State Buckeyes - Coach Rohlik - First Year in the Big Ten

Osualum- yeah i would agree that the stepan thing to this point is just talk. I certainly have no information myself on it. And generally i wouldnt post a rumor but in this case i didnt mind posting it on this forum because it has been discussed on several other forums, "reported" on twitter and even talked about on espn's minneapolis sports talk radio station so the rumor, wherever it came from, is out there.. as far as i know though he is still committed to ohio

 

[osualum86]

Re: Ohio State Buckeyes - Coach Rohlik - First Year in the Big Ten

not sure if you are being facetious or not but he simply misspelled the last name...

Layne LeBel enters his second year as the director of operations for the Buckeyes after spending 2010-11 as Ohio State's volunteer coach. LeBel coached alongside third-year Buckeye head coach Mark Osiecki with the Green Bay Gamblers in the USHL and has been a coach in the CCHA, spending two seasons as an assistant coach at Notre Dame.

In his first season at Notre Dame, LeBel contributed to the success of a talented defensive corps that helped the Irish set school records for lowest goals-against average (2.42), save percentage (.925) and shutouts in a season (6). The same year, Notre Dame made its first ever NCAA tournament appearance.

LeBel was with the Gamblers for two years and paired with Osiecki to lead the team to the USHL Eastern Division title in 2000-01. Prior to his stint in Green Bay, LeBel was the head coach for the Wisconsin Midget AAA hockey club.

A 1994 graduate of Michigan Tech University, LeBel, a defenseman, was a four-year regular with the Huskies and is sixth all-time among Michigan Tech defensemen in scoring with 25 goals and 68 assists for 93 points in 149 career games. He also had 71 penalties for 156 minutes during his career. A two-time finalist for the WCHA Defensive Player of the Year, LeBel was an honorable mention All-WCHA selection and a WCHA All-Academic selection following the 1992-93 season. That year, he also was awarded Michigan Tech's Harold Meese Sportsmanship Award. He was a key member of the 1994 Michigan Tech team that orchestrated one of the biggest upsets in college hockey when the 10th-place Huskies upset top-ranked Colorado College in the first round of the WCHA playoffs.

Following graduation, LeBel played one season in the Central Hockey League for the Memphis Riverkings, finishing seventh in scoring with 13 goals and 27 assists for 40 points in 45 games. He then moved on to Germany for five seasons with Duisburg EV and Regensburg EV in the German Division I and II leagues.

LeBel and his wife, Molly, reside in Lewis Center, with their children, Mason and Emme. Since retiring from hockey LeBel competed in both the 2009 Columbus and 2010 Boston Marathons.

Yeah, that one is on me. I didn't catch the misspelling.

Jerryj, yeah, until I see a story or something concrete, I'll look very forward to seeing Zach Stepan in Scarlet & Gray this fall.

 

[Hockeybuckeye]

Re: Ohio State Buckeyes - Coach Rohlik - First Year in the Big Ten

Got some hot inside info today and it was in confidence and it's killing me not to share!!

 

[Draighlicht]

Re: Ohio State Buckeyes - Coach Rohlik - First Year in the Big Ten

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Brett Larson has been named associate head coach for the Ohio State men's hockey team, Steve Rohlik, who was named the Buckeyes' head coach in April, announced. Larson spent the last two seasons as the head coach and general manager of the Sioux City Musketeers in the United States Hockey League after serving as an assistant coach at Minnesota Duluth for three seasons.

"I would like to thank the Sioux City Musketeers organization for helping prepare Brett for this opportunity over the last two years," Rohlik said. "We are excited about all the qualities Brett adds to our staff. His experience as a defenseman, as well as his coaching experience both as an assistant at the collegiate level and as a head coach in junior hockey will be a great asset to the Ohio State program. He is a great teacher of the game and will help develop not just our d-corps, but our entire roster. Brett brings great passion, work ethic and leadership skills as well as relationships throughout the United States and Canada at both the junior and college levels."

A four-time letterwinner at Minnesota Duluth, Larson served on the coaching staff of his alma mater for three seasons and was a part of the staff that won the 2011 NCAA Championship, as well as the 2009 WCHA playoff title. With the Bulldogs, Larson coached and/or recruited five players who combined for seven All-America honors, a Hobey Baker Award winner and a current NHL defenseman.

"I am excited to be back on a campus and part of a premier university and hockey program," Larson said. "I look forward to building on the foundation that is already here and making it even better. I wouldn't be here without the great opportunity I had to grow and learn as a coach with Sioux City. I thank the organization for helping me get to the next step in my career."

With the Sioux City Musketeers, Larson led the team to the playoffs in 2011-12 and had two players selected to Team USA for the 2013 World Junior A Challenge, as well as a 2012 NHL draft pick. Four of the team's 2012-13 players are listed in the most recent NHL Central Scouting rankings heading into the 2013 draft.





Larson served as the head coach for Team USA in the 2012 World Junior A Challenge, leading the squad to a gold medal in the tournament in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. He was an instructor at USA Hockey Select 17 Camp in 2009 and 10 and has been a presenter for various USA Hockey Level 4 and 5 clinics.

Larson served as a team captain for Minnesota Duluth as a senior in 1995. He and the Bulldogs won the 1992 WCHA title and he was a three-time WCHA All-Academic Team selection, as well as the recipient of the team's community service award as a senior. He skated in 133 games for UMD in his career, with 24 goals, 43 assists and 67 points.

Larson, who was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft, played professional hockey in a number of leagues over parts of 12 seasons. He won three league championships during his career, including as the player/assistant coach of the San Diego Gulls (WCHL), and he was the captain of four squads. Larson was a WCHL All-Star in both 1998 and `99.

A native of Duluth, Minn., Larson and his wife, Kelly, have a 4 year old son, Lane. Larson earned a degree in criminology, with a minor in coaching, from the University of Minnesota (Duluth) in 2004.

 

[Hockeybuckeye]

Re: Ohio State Buckeyes - Coach Rohlik - First Year in the Big Ten

That's interesting news but what I was told didn't have anything to do with this hire.

 

[Hammy]

Re: Ohio State Buckeyes - Coach Rohlik - First Year in the Big Ten

Stepan is definitely considering other options outside of Ohio State. It is openly discussed among the people that know him well.

As for the Big Ten rules, those things have changed in recent years. If OSU grants him a full release, he can attend any other Big Ten program without penalty. If OSU doesn't give him a full release, he could still go to another Big Ten school and receive scholarship... but he'd have to sit out a year and lose a year of eligibility. This all came about after some basketball transfer situations a few years ago.

jerryj is correct. Rohlik would be smart to just let the kid go free if that is really what the kid wants. The last thing you want to do is start off your college head coaching career looking like a dick. It is pretty standard for schools to fully release a kid after a head coaching change.

 

[Puck Buck]

Re: Ohio State Buckeyes - Coach Rohlik - First Year in the Big Ten

I think it is a really touching gesture that Minnesota fans are worried that our new coach will be looked at unkindly if he doesn't let a top recruit out of his LOI so he can presumably attend.....Minnesota?

Altruism at its finest. I am sure they would feel the same if the presumption was he was considering, say, Wisconsin.

 

[osualum86]

Re: Ohio State Buckeyes - Coach Rohlik - First Year in the Big Ten

Got some hot inside info today and it was in confidence and it's killing me not to share!!

I like the sound of this! I hope it has something to do with a certain recruit.

 

[osualum86]

Re: Ohio State Buckeyes - Coach Rohlik - First Year in the Big Ten

I think it is a really touching gesture that Minnesota fans are worried that our new coach will be looked at unkindly if he doesn't let a top recruit out of his LOI so he can presumably attend.....Minnesota?

Altruism at its finest. I am sure they would feel the same if the presumption was he was considering, say, Wisconsin.

This.

 

[osualum86]

Re: Ohio State Buckeyes - Coach Rohlik - First Year in the Big Ten

"I am excited to be back on a campus and part of a premier university and hockey program," Larson said.

I think our program is moving in the right direction, but I am not sure I would characterize it as a "premier" hockey program. Appreciate Coach Larson's enthusiasm, though. Sounds like a good hire.

 

[thetruthhurts]

Re: Ohio State Buckeyes - Coach Rohlik - First Year in the Big Ten

If OSU doesn't give him a full release, he could still go to another Big Ten school and receive scholarship... but he'd have to sit out a year and lose a year of eligibility...

Hammy, I don't think he is eligible to receive athletic aid in that 1st year either, though I might be wrong. I'm not really familiar with the B10 transfer rule, as you don't hear about it very often, probably for a good reason, as it is pretty stiff and really discourages inter-conference transfers

 

[Hammy]

Re: Ohio State Buckeyes - Coach Rohlik - First Year in the Big Ten

Hammy, I don't think he is eligible to receive athletic aid in that 1st year either, though I might be wrong. I'm not really familiar with the B10 transfer rule, as you don't hear about it very often, probably for a good reason, as it is pretty stiff and really discourages inter-conference transfers

I had to look it up elsewhere and they apparently changed it where a guy can get scholarship the first year but he can't play. It was sort of a negotiated middle ground from the looks of it.

As for the other comments above, I never said he was going to MN. I know it is one of the options he is looking into but not the only one. The reality is it is pretty standard for new coaches to give a player a full release when requested after there is a head coaching change. If Rohlik doesn't want to do it, it is certainly his prerogative... but it would make him look bad and it will be used against him in the recruiting game. That's just reality. When you are a struggling program, the last thing you want to do is make life more difficult for yourself.

I'll be a little surprised if Stepan ends up at OSU from all I hear. Not saying he absolutely won't be but it sounds like he's pretty interested in going elsewhere.

 

[thetruthhurts]

Re: Ohio State Buckeyes - Coach Rohlik - First Year in the Big Ten

As for the other comments above, I never said he was going to MN. I know it is one of the options he is looking into but not the only one.

With the current incoming freshman class committed and registered for summer classes, does MN even have $ to bring Stephen in?

 

[4four4]

Re: Ohio State Buckeyes - Coach Rohlik - First Year in the Big Ten

With the current incoming freshman class committed and registered for summer classes, does MN even have $ to bring Stephen in?

For the most part Minnesota doesn't give out full rides, they are known to give half or partial scholarships out to players. The money may be there.

 

[Hammy]

Re: Ohio State Buckeyes - Coach Rohlik - First Year in the Big Ten

With the current incoming freshman class committed and registered for summer classes, does MN even have $ to bring Stephen in?

I don't think the scholarship is a big deal there. It doesn't sound like that is a driving factor at all in his situation. $$$

 

[pgb-ohio]

Re: Ohio State Buckeyes - Coach Rohlik - First Year in the Big Ten

I hate that both Michigan games in columbus are on monday.

Understandable reaction. But the bigger story is that Friday/Saturday format survived mostly intact, despite all of the dire rumors. Consider the breakdown of the 22 Home Games:

Friday: 9 Games
Saturday: 9 Games
Sunday: 1 or 2 Games
Monday: 1 or 2 Games
Tuesday: 1 Game

Note that the second Michigan game might yet be on Sunday, March 2nd -- which would likely draw just fine. And who knows? Maybe Michigan is the one opponent that will draw well on a weeknight. Guess we'll find out on Monday, December 2nd.

It is too bad that the Home & Home with BG is on a pair of Tuesday nights. But hey, at least BG is still on the schedule. Miami as well. All things considered, the 2013-2014 home schedule is a very nice package.

 

[osualum86]

Re: Ohio State Buckeyes - Coach Rohlik - First Year in the Big Ten

Understandable reaction. But the bigger story is that Friday/Saturday format survived mostly intact, despite all of the dire rumors. Consider the breakdown of the 22 Home Games:

Friday: 9 Games
Saturday: 9 Games
Sunday: 1 or 2 Games
Monday: 1 or 2 Games
Tuesday: 1 Game

Note that the second Michigan game might yet be on Sunday, March 2nd -- which would likely draw just fine. And who knows? Maybe Michigan is the one opponent that will draw well on a weeknight. Guess we'll find out on Monday, December 2nd.

It is too bad that the Home & Home with BG is on a pair of Tuesday nights. But hey, at least BG is still on the schedule. Miami as well. All things considered, the 2013-2014 home schedule is a very nice package.

I agree, especially that last sentence. Not gonna hear me complain about 21 out of 34 games being at home!