OHIO STATE. Who will be the new 2013/14 Head Coach?

[osualum86]

Re: OHIO STATE. Who will be the new 2013/14 Head Coach?

He may work out but again, one of MANY unanswered questions, is he really their best choice or did everyone they were interested in for the job decide not to touch it with a ten foot pole?

I am going to guess it was the latter. I think Oz had a lot more friends out there than what Gene Smith counted on, and no one wanted the job. I doubt if Gene Smith counted on being left with having to promote an unproven assistant, and it could turn out to blow up in his face.

 

[Hockeybuckeye]

Re: OHIO STATE. Who will be the new 2013/14 Head Coach?

If he doesn't, Smith and Schneider are going to have egg on their faces, big time.

I agree that there is indeed something on their faces and it sure ain't egg!

 

[osualum86]

Re: OHIO STATE. Who will be the new 2013/14 Head Coach?

I agree that there is indeed something on their faces and it sure ain't egg!

Yeah, I think they realize they screwed this up. They'll be lucky if this doesn't set the program back for years.

 

[Hockeybuckeye]

Re: OHIO STATE. Who will be the new 2013/14 Head Coach?

Yeah, I think they realize they screwed this up. They'll be lucky if this doesn't set the program back for years.

And as usual when Gene Smith screws up there will be no negative consequences for him and they'll probably give the bas*ard another raise!

 

[THE OHIO STATE]

Re: OHIO STATE. Who will be the new 2013/14 Head Coach?

College hockey news Twitter says Rohlik is the permanent coach, will be named tomorrow

GOOD LUCK to Coach Rohlik. Also to Coach Exter & the new Assistant Coach coming in.


http://www.collegehockeynews.com/news/2013/04/23_rohlik_to_be_named_at_ohio.php

 

[Draighlicht]

Re: OHIO STATE. Who will be the new 2013/14 Head Coach?

I approve.

If anyone is interested the assistant coaching position is now posted at the OSU website. Sharpen up your resume's guys!

 

[Sportsfan1]

Re: OHIO STATE. Who will be the new 2013/14 Head Coach?

I've been looking at a number of the write ups on the web on this story and I still can't get over several things. OSU did state there were no NCAA issues that motivated this decision so that theory of mine is out the window.
Second, OSU continuously stated it was a management issue but Oz stated there were no prior discussions with or mention by the administration that they were not pleased. Gene Smith's direct quote is "There was a difference of opinion over the management of the program that could not be resolved."
OK, so someone explain to me if there WAS NO DISCUSSION with the coach how do you know or explain it couldn't be resolved?
This whole thing is just fishy beyond belief on OSU's end! I know several posters were not Oz fans and are glad he's gone but surely you must agree the way this was done hurts us and casts the program and the university's commitment to the program in a much more negative light than the things you claim OZ was doing that you didn't like?

I am not an Osiecki fan. Haven't been since day one. I think that his removal will ultimately benefit the program. If OSU was being proactive on removing Osiecki due to events that were bringing potential negative attention to the program, then neither side would publicly advertise the issues.
Hence the reason that OSU has not made any formal statements. Let's not forget that Osiecki is now without a job, and needs to put a postive spin on his abrupt firing.
As for Rohlik...let's remember that Osiecki was not an NCAA head coach before being hired by OSU. Rohlik's promotion at this time doesn't seem to be out of the ordinary. It may help to keep the new recruits in place as he was instrumental in getting most of them to commit to this program in the first place.
He knows and respects the players and has their support. He seems to have a good rapport with the staff at OSU as well as the media. All good in my books....

 

[Bleachered]

Re: OHIO STATE. Who will be the new 2013/14 Head Coach?

Seems that tOSU went for the last, safest, and cheapest option. I wish the Rohlik and the program well. A lot of unanswered questions that will most likely remain so.

 

[Sportsfan1]

Re: OHIO STATE. Who will be the new 2013/14 Head Coach?

Seems that tOSU went for the last, safest, and cheapest option. I wish the Rohlik and the program well. A lot of unanswered questions that will most likely remain so.

This staff all brought in by Osiecki. Probably a good move to keep Rohlik on for now. It will definitely help with keeping the present recruits on board with their commitments to OSU.
Having said that, I think Rohlik and the coaching staff's days are numbered at OSU now too.

 

[osualum86]

Re: OHIO STATE. Who will be the new 2013/14 Head Coach?

As for Rohlik...let's remember that Osiecki was not an NCAA head coach before being hired by OSU.

Osiecki may not have had NCAA head coaching experience, but he did have head coaching experience with the USHL's Green Bay Gamblers, so unlike Rohlik, he at least had some head coaching experience.

 

[Brewmaster]

Re: OHIO STATE. Who will be the new 2013/14 Head Coach?

I've been away from OSU hockey since leaving the Football City late last fall. Yet, having seen the strange turn of events over the last week or so, I have to comment.

In short, how sad: one wonders about the thinking behind all of this. As Bleachered and osualum86 have pointed out, there is an odd feeling of Gene Smith saying, "oops, we did it again," and then jumping at his last (and only) best option. Maybe the administrative geniuses thought the Ohio State name would buy them some clout when recruiting the next coach. I picture good old Gene saying, "how come whenever I call this Gwoz guy I get his voice mail???" It's almost deja vu from 1994 when Welsh was replaced by then assistant coach John Markell.

Like Osiecki or not as a coach (and I did), it's important to remember that his connections spread well beyond cowlumbus. And perhaps that is, indeed, why they're stuck with an unproven entity at the helm (assuming Rohlik is named head coach). At least choosing Rohlik might (speculation) keep some of the current players and future recruits from bolting. But a long-term pick? I wonder.

Still, these shenanigans confirm my view of how low of a profile hockey has at OSU. I wish the new coach well. But more importantly, I wish that OSU would wake up and realize what a great (and profitable) sport college hockey can be. That, however, will be a long, long, long time coming.

Good luck, hockey Buckeyes.

 

[osualum86]

Re: OHIO STATE. Who will be the new 2013/14 Head Coach?

Rohlik's promotion at this time doesn't seem to be out of the ordinary. It may help to keep the new recruits in place as he was instrumental in getting most of them to commit to this program in the first place. He knows and respects the players and has their support. He seems to have a good rapport with the staff at OSU as well as the media. All good in my books....

All good things, maybe, but the real question will be can he win? Can he build off what Oz had started and keep it rolling? When things go awry during a game, will he be able to make necessary adjustments and right the ship? Having the support of the players and a good rapport with the OSU staff is all well and good, but the bottom line is winning. Show us wins. Put a championship-caliber hockey team on the ice. That's what it's about, or should be about. If we're not trying to put a championship-caliber team on the ice, then we have the wrong people in place, whether it's the coach, the AD, or the assistant AD who works with the hockey program.

I agree with Bleachered, this was the last and cheapest option. Actually, I think it was the only option as I don't think anyone else wanted the job. Not sure it was the safest option as it could end up setting our program back for years.

As for Rohlik's days being numbered at OSU, well, the way we just fired a coach who clearly had the program moving in the right direction, yeah, if I were Rohlik and the assistants, I would definitely be looking over my shoulder! As someone alluded to in an earlier post, Rohlik and his assistants can erase the question marks and the negativity surrounding the program by just winning.

 

[thebrain]

Re: OHIO STATE. Who will be the new 2013/14 Head Coach?

A long time ago, Steve Rohlik was the lunchroom monitor at my elementary school as his dad was the principal. Rohlik was also the head coach at Hill Murray High School in Maplewood, Minnesota, for a few years. It's always one of the top hockey high schools in Minnesota.

 

[Greenbayguy]

Re: OHIO STATE. Who will be the new 2013/14 Head Coach?

Couldn't agree more with your last paragraph and everything I've read indicates that this has caused OSU to be looked at in a negative light by the rest of the college hockey world.

I think Coach Rohlik will do fine. He is hungry for the opportunity, and will outwork many of the coaches in the B1G conference. That said, the dismissal of Oz did hurt tOSU, and while I do not know if other offers were made, I know there were a few others contacted to gauge their interest, who politely declined due to the lack of clarity on the past issues. One got an extension out of the process, and a second will likely show up in CT or ME.

 

[Puck Buck]

Re: OHIO STATE. Who will be the new 2013/14 Head Coach?

I am going to guess it was the latter. I think Oz had a lot more friends out there than what Gene Smith counted on, and no one wanted the job. I doubt if Gene Smith counted on being left with having to promote an unproven assistant, and it could turn out to blow up in his face.

I find this hard to believe.

There are like 60 of these jobs in the entire world...and someone is going to turn one down based on the fact they were friends with the guy who may or may not have gotten a raw deal?

Guys like Rico (for example -the top tier guys) were never going to come to OSU, and it had nothing to do with the circumstances surrounding Oz's firing. This played out during the Oz hiring as well.

My guess is they would have any top assistant in the country lined up for the chance to be the head guy somewhere, anywhere. I also think a large sub-set of the current head coaches would have jumped at the opportunity, including USHL guys. There just arent that many of these jobs out there, everyone who doesnt have one is concerned they will never get one, or never get another chance. Friends are friends, this is business and they all think they are up to the job, it will be different with me, I can make it work...yada, yada.

 

[osualum86]

Re: OHIO STATE. Who will be the new 2013/14 Head Coach?

I find this hard to believe.

There are like 60 of these jobs in the entire world...and someone is going to turn one down based on the fact they were friends with the guy who may or may not have gotten a raw deal?

Guys like Rico (for example -the top tier guys) were never going to come to OSU, and it had nothing to do with the circumstances surrounding Oz's firing. This played out during the Oz hiring as well.

My guess is they would have any top assistant in the country lined up for the chance to be the head guy somewhere, anywhere. I also think a large sub-set of the current head coaches would have jumped at the opportunity, including USHL guys. There just arent that many of these jobs out there, everyone who doesnt have one is concerned they will never get one, or never get another chance. Friends are friends, this is business and they all think they are up to the job, it will be different with me, I can make it work...yada, yada.

If this is correct, it sure makes me wonder why we ended up promoting an unproven assistant. I didn't word it as well as Greenbayguy did, but what I meant when I talked about Oz having friends out there was that the way this was handled definitely hurt OSU's chances to bring in a big name coach. This was not looked at favorably by the rest of the college hockey world. Then again, like I said earlier, all Rohlik has to do to squelch the negativity surrounding the program is put a championship-caliber hockey team on the ice.

 

[Puck Buck]

Re: OHIO STATE. Who will be the new 2013/14 Head Coach?

If this is correct, it sure makes me wonder why we ended up promoting an unproven assistant. I didn't word it as well as Greenbayguy did, but what I meant when I talked about Oz having friends out there was that the way this was handled definitely hurt OSU's chances to bring in a big name coach. This was not looked at favorably by the rest of the college hockey world. Then again, like I said earlier, all Rohlik has to do to squelch the negativity surrounding the program is put a championship-caliber hockey team on the ice.

I may be wrong about this, but my sense is this was the plan all along. This appears to be something very Oz specific that didnt spread to the program as a whole (there were not systemic issues, ncaa issues, etc). It appears Oz and Oz only did something they either didnt like, couldnt agree on, couldnt reconcile in some way. They generally liked what was going on with the program, but whatever happened made it impossible for him specifically to carry on as head coach. The natural progression in that case is the promote the #2 guy and continue on with the plan. That is what I am left with based on my reading of the timeline of things, the "fact" they apparently didnt interview anyone else, the expectation that they would have an annoucment just after the posting expired and legal requirements like that were checked off when posting a state job...

They may be making a mistake, I dont know, but my sense is they may have kicked the tires on a few high profile guys, but what you see happening was the plan all along - because they really believe this is the best way to proceed.

 

[Dump it In]

Re: OHIO STATE. Who will be the new 2013/14 Head Coach?

Its offical

Steve Rohlik has been named the 9th coach in the history of Ohio State Hockey. Steve is a great guy who has worked extremely hard and is deserving of this GREAT opportunirty.
The players supported his appointment so lets go with it and get ready fopr a great 2013-2014 season, the first in the BIG TEN!

 

[MUnRPI]

Re: OHIO STATE. Who will be the new 2013/14 Head Coach?

I approve.

If anyone is interested the assistant coaching position is now posted at the OSU website. Sharpen up your resume's guys!

thanks for the opportunity

 

[THE OHIO STATE]

Re: OHIO STATE. Who will be the new 2013/14 Head Coach?

Its offical

Steve Rohlik has been named the 9th coach in the history of Ohio State Hockey. Steve is a great guy who has worked extremely hard and is deserving of this GREAT opportunirty.
The players supported his appointment so lets go with it and get ready fopr a great 2013-2014 season, the first in the BIG TEN!

I AGREE. Good Luck to Head Coach Steve Rohlik. I wish him the best for the OSU program. I had the chance to talk with him & Coach Exter and both of these Coaches have great respect for the OSU program.