Re: Ohio State Next Coach?
I wonder how much of it was Pooley and how much was the environment. Esp since Army hasn't been much better.
Then again, Bill Belichik was terrible in Cleveland.. but the PC people who watched them on the ice closely seem to think that it their on-ice strategies were pretty abysmal.
Steve Poapst from the Chicago Steel of the USHL. Outstanding coach, highly regarded in all arenas, pro guys and D 1 guys like and respect, players kill for him and he gets recruiting. He also has an in with all of the USHL teams who hold him in high regard and would push high end players his way. He also went the college rioute and amde it to the frozen four as a captain at Colgate.
Steve Poapst -- Head Coach /General Manager
Steve Poapst, 41, enters his fourth season as General Manager and Head Coach of the Chicago Steel, after being named the USHL Coach of the Year two seasons ago. A native of Cornwall, Ontario, (where he was inducted into the Cornwall Sports Hall of Fame in August 2008) Poapst retired as a player after splitting the 2005/06 season with the Pittsburgh Penguins and the St. Louis Blues of the NHL.
Poapst attended Colgate University and graduated in 1991 with a B.A. degree. In his junior year, Poapst helped the Red Raiders win the ECAC Championship and earn the school's first trip to the NCAA Frozen Four before being defeated in the final game against Wisconsin.
A veteran of over 1,000 professional games spanning a fifteen-year career, Poapst displayed perseverance, dedication and a diligent work ethic that helped him move up through the ranks of the ECHL, the AHL, and the NHL.
In 1992, Poapst helped the Hampton Roads Admirals of the ECHL win the Kelly Cup Championship and was selected to play in the 1993 ECHL All-Star Game.
From 1993-2000 Poapst became a stalwart defenseman for the Portland Pirates of the AHL, playing in 454 games. Poapst was a member of the 1994 Calder Cup Championship team and was chosen to represent the Pirates in the 1995 AHL All-Star Game. He was twice voted the "Unsung Hero" by the fans of Portland, and, in 2001, Poapst was inducted into the Portland Pirates Hall of Fame.
Poapst made his NHL debut with the Washington Capitals during the 1995-1996 season recording his first NHL goal in that game against the NY Rangers' Mike Richter.
During the 2000-2001 season, Poapst split time between the Norfolk Admirals (AHL) and the Chicago Blackhawks (NHL) before sticking with the Hawks in January 2001. Over the next four seasons with the Hawks, Poapst played in 220 games where his smart, stay at home style earned him upwards of 20 minutes of ice time most games. In 2003, Poapst was the Blackhawks nominee for the Bill Masterson Trophy, the award granted yearly to the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.
Poapst and his wife Kelly, along with son Braden, 13, and daughter Mara, 11, currently reside in Lombard, IL.