Re: Providence - 2009-10 What is in the glass?
I agree with that completely. Schneider has gone from quaint to dated to depressing in the span of the last 10-15 years. I haven't seen the FOF room since the renovation but you have to do a lot more than that to get the facility up to speed, especially considering the majority of attending fans don't have any interest in the FOF room. The building has fallen behind the times and the lack of effort and renovation speaks volumes.
I still wonder what, in the grand scheme of things, PC really has in mind for the hockey program. What kind of a priority it is. How much money they're losing annually on both the men and the women's program...
However, even in the best of situations, I think the case can be made Army is a poor coach no matter how many resources he has at his disposal. Even if the school was handling the situation right, and funding it properly, I think I've seen enough of him and the way he coaches to know he was just another bad hire. From his lack of in-game adjustments to the intermission "just for the camera" highlight speeches, he's another phony who talked his way into the job and suckered the school into giving him a sweetheart deal. So far he has proven to be completely undeserving of it, and hasn't fulfilled one promise he had when he walked in there.
That's a different matter altogether that we agree to disagree on it sounds like, but if your main point is that it's going to be hard for anyone to win there right now, I'd go along with it.
I really should split this up and try to make this a little clearer, but answering the others has limited my time to answer this.
The jist will be obviously we seem to share "a concern" about the future and neither of us see as it as rose colored.
I think the part you write as agree to disagree is more a difference on how we see priorities and how we perceive the reality.
The test for the administration is coming. Schneider is now in its 37th season. it never has gotten what is a signficant overhaul and it was built to be upgraded and built on the cheap and quickly. Its been abused since Lou left. Marinatto acted like it didn't exist and Smith keep killing the athletic budget and hockey took the hardest hit.
There are 17 sports at PC and I thought the D1 threshold was you had to have 16. Also as it is 3 are borderline in getting anything so I don't know how that plays in. I know when they cut baseball hockey had to have been seriously considered. Ultimately that was the reason the women's hockey coach at that point left because she did not feel the security was there. Minimally it would seem they would need to find a sport to replace the women's side or the threshold is broken. I guess eventually lacrosse will exist on both sides and that might be one tipping point. The other tipping point is when Schneider becomes to much of a burden
On the last point. Priorities. I think obviously the first choice is to get some committment. If they give it and Army doesn't relatively quickly move things onto a better plain its time to make a move. Yes you have to be careful about future extentions etc.
That said, seeing the state of the program, the lack of support why are you going to dump money into it. First as I noted before I suspect Army moves on on his own. Maybe kind of like the rationale behind moving failed recruits you give them the message and they look elsewhere. Second. I think transitions are bad. Pooley lived two years off McShane's recruits then had a 2 year slump when the transition players became the upperclassmen. Pooley did not get his next good years till his own players became the seniors. The Army transition went even poorer. Now teams get committments 2 even 3 years early. You have to be in on these kids that soon. through you contacts. They are just getting their feet on the ground now. In the state the program is in it would just set us back that much more
Ultimately you simply would be setting up another coach to fail. Why bother and why put someone else in that position. Just who do you think we'll get. We are on Merrimack's level. Their last search was prolonged and in the end Dennehy is simply a recylced coach from Fairfield that has yet to get them into the playoffs. Why now would PC fare any better. The last PC search might have been as prolonged if they had not wanted to try to frame it like they were bringing back the 80's. I suspect they thought the miracle Tim would produce would be to get Lou back on board. If they had really searched and said A) we aren't going in house (which I think Berard would have been the next choice and maybe he would have transitioned us better knowing what he was walking into) B) we aren't putting that lipstick on the pig by bringing back our past, we would be no better situationed right now
As I said priorities solve the infrastructure problems first. Do more then pretend you care. My understanding Army was promised 2 things when hired. An upgrade to Schneider (which might building up or out not replacing seats and rooms) and support on building the depth of the roster. He has gotten neither and we are at the bottom because of it.
