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Shannon Miller out at UMD?

Re: Shannon Miller out at UMD?

I think in a sport like women's hockey, a coach who is suing her former employer, or at least threatening to do so, is less attractive as a hire. She may have to decide what is more important to her: continuing to coach college hockey, or having her day in court.

At the same time if you read Berlo's letter to Banford, which is linked in the article above on Banford, it would appear that this guy can't be trusted to be truthful even about things that he has put in writing. One would think that this should mitigate in Miller's favour. Then again, we no longer live in a logical world.
 
Re: Shannon Miller out at UMD?

Then again, we no longer live in a logical world.
We do in certain respects, and that's why I think no AD is likely to start down this path in a sport that is not revenue-producing. It doesn't matter if the current UMD administration is making a mess of things or not, because it's not like Miller's past is spotless. By the time things play out in court and the other shoe drops, you've already signed the contract. I think it will be a red flag and cause potential suitors, at least in the NCAA, to hesitate. Might be a better fit for the IIHF or some such opportunity.
 
Re: Shannon Miller out at UMD?

She may have to decide what is more important to her: continuing to coach college hockey, or having her day in court.
Personally I think Option I is no longer an option. She probably already realizes this, and will therefore decide to pursue Option II.
 
Re: Shannon Miller out at UMD?

I think in a sport like women's hockey, a coach who is suing her former employer, or at least threatening to do so, is less attractive as a hire. She may have to decide what is more important to her: continuing to coach college hockey, or having her day in court.

+1
 
I She may have to decide what is more important to her: continuing to coach college hockey, or having her day in court.

Instead, I think she is choosing between coaching and standing up for women in athletics across the globe. No one actually wants to go through. 3-5 year court process. Miller has continually stood up and advocated for women in the Duluth community and across the globe. At the end of the day, there are far bigger things in life than coaching hockey.
 
Re: Shannon Miller out at UMD?

We do in certain respects, and that's why I think no AD is likely to start down this path in a sport that is not revenue-producing. It doesn't matter if the current UMD administration is making a mess of things or not, because it's not like Miller's past is spotless. By the time things play out in court and the other shoe drops, you've already signed the contract. I think it will be a red flag and cause potential suitors, at least in the NCAA, to hesitate. Might be a better fit for the IIHF or some such opportunity.
That's well said
 
Re: Shannon Miller out at UMD?

Why would MSU need a new coach? The guy there now has 12 frosh & they play with intensity. I expect them to be winning a lot in the near future. As for the Miller experience, they have witnessed it first hand & I doubt they want to partake.

In women's hockey at a low end program, your Freshmen are typically supposed to be better than the players already there. Only 5-6 of those 12 Freshmen are producing and in the top half of the team in points, which doesn't mean much on a last place team, and it's still not helping the team get any better. That calls into question his recruiting ability and his overall coaching ability which right now is very unimpressive.
 
Re: Shannon Miller out at UMD?

In women's hockey at a low end program, your Freshmen are typically supposed to be better than the players already there.
The reason that MSU has so many freshmen is because it lost so many players from last year's team to graduation, including most of the team's top point producers. So one problem is that there aren't that many "players already there." MSU wasn't a bad team last year; it was good enough to sweep at North Dakota and shut out Wisconsin in a WCHA quarterfinal game. A couple of its veteran players missed much of the first half with injuries, so if you expected much more from the Mavericks thus far, you don't really understand the situation. Freshmen typically don't step into the WCHA and produce big numbers right out of the gate. Look at some of the top-scoring seniors in the league in the year to date, and then go back and look at how many points they had as freshmen. Karley Sylvester at Wisconsin has 32, after 11 during her rookie season. Rachael Bona at Minnesota also has 32, and she had 61 as a junior, but only 15 as a freshman. Zoe Hickel has 28 points at UMD, but she only had 12 as a freshman. Some of that is the roles they are given, but it is also because they are adjusting to a faster game and haven't spent the hours in the weight room that the older kids have. Nicole Schammel is actually having a great season, given she hasn't gotten a lot of help from veteran forwards for much it.

There are exceptions, such as Annie Pankowski at Wisconsin or Kelly Pannek at Minnesota, but the lower-ranked teams don't usually get those caliber recruits, and if they do, they can't surround them with as much talent. Perhaps Means won't be back, but it won't be because of the reasons you give.
 
Re: Shannon Miller out at UMD?

....standing up for women in athletics across the globe. No one actually wants to go through. 3-5 year court process. Miller has continually stood up and advocated for women in the Duluth community and across the globe. At the end of the day, there are far bigger things in life than coaching hockey.

How is her stance standing up globally for women's athletics? It isn't like UMD is shutting the program down. I personally think she is doing a disservice to women's athletics by the way she conducts herself behind the bench and in this case.
 
Re: Shannon Miller out at UMD?

Who knows what coaches will be fired after the season, but the RPI thread got me thinking about where Miller might end up next season. Candidates:

- RPI - Hmmm...... tough to see the fit there - as noted in the RPI thread, pretty low profile program - but maybe they want to shake it up?
- Union - Talk about low profile - I just don't see this one
- Brown - Well..... they just got rid of Digit Murphy a few years ago ..... thinking they don't want to relive that experience
- Providence - This is one that I could see....
- Minnesota State - Could see this one also....

Providence or Minnesota State look like the potential winners....

no way in hell will Miller ever coach a MN university again, I'd be surprised if even one of the flaky private schools out east would hire her

“As a strong, successful woman who is also gay, … When you have a strong, winning female coach who is a good role model and known in the sport globally, you would think she would be treated with respect, but I’ve been totally disrespected.”

I find it interesting that she describes herself as:
1) Strong, others may use another term, I’ll just say that she’s similar to Woody Hayes, Bobby Knight, Bill Mussleman, … while these guys were winning they appeared to have respect, but once the winning stopped …. Turns out they weren’t respected, they were feared, everyone was afraid to speak up, once they were gone nobody had anything nice to say about them. I feel sorry for her players if this is the sort of person they need to bring out the best in them.
2) Gay, Really? Shopping for gay male support are we?
3) Good role model, if she is a good role model for her players, what were/are the players parents like? Mommy Dearest?
4) Known in the sport globally, yeah, I bet the Russians are happy with the medal they earned in Sochi, well, she didn’t say what she was known for.
5) I've been totally disrespected, no, you have a grandiose view of yourself, any disrespect was earned

Instead, I think she is choosing between coaching and standing up for women in athletics across the globe. No one actually wants to go through. 3-5 year court process. Miller has continually stood up and advocated for women in the Duluth community and across the globe. At the end of the day, there are far bigger things in life than coaching hockey.
she's the Don Quixote of Women's Rights
 
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Re: Shannon Miller out at UMD?

The reason that MSU has so many freshmen is because it lost so many players from last year's team to graduation, including most of the team's top point producers. So one problem is that there aren't that many "players already there." MSU wasn't a bad team last year; it was good enough to sweep at North Dakota and shut out Wisconsin in a WCHA quarterfinal game. A couple of its veteran players missed much of the first half with injuries, so if you expected much more from the Mavericks thus far, you don't really understand the situation. Freshmen typically don't step into the WCHA and produce big numbers right out of the gate. Look at some of the top-scoring seniors in the league in the year to date, and then go back and look at how many points they had as freshmen. Karley Sylvester at Wisconsin has 32, after 11 during her rookie season. Rachael Bona at Minnesota also has 32, and she had 61 as a junior, but only 15 as a freshman. Zoe Hickel has 28 points at UMD, but she only had 12 as a freshman. Some of that is the roles they are given, but it is also because they are adjusting to a faster game and haven't spent the hours in the weight room that the older kids have. Nicole Schammel is actually having a great season, given she hasn't gotten a lot of help from veteran forwards for much it.

There are exceptions, such as Annie Pankowski at Wisconsin or Kelly Pannek at Minnesota, but the lower-ranked teams don't usually get those caliber recruits, and if they do, they can't surround them with as much talent. Perhaps Means won't be back, but it won't be because of the reasons you give.

+1
 
Re: Shannon Miller out at UMD?

the other thing I find interesting about her PR is that she includes players that were Olympians BEFORE attending UMD in the totals as if she created them
and also wins that were later vacated by the NCAA
 
Re: Shannon Miller out at UMD?

By the time this thing is over, I might very well be feeling sympathy for Miller. And I don't like that idea one bit!
 
Re: Shannon Miller out at UMD?


That was a very thoughtful article. Thanks. Funny - I don't see a lot of UMD, or Coach Miller, but the times I have, her team looks very relaxed around her, and she seems to have a good rapport with them. There haven't been an excessive amoubnt of transfers out, either, which to me suggests that her team likes playing for her.
 
Re: Shannon Miller out at UMD?

There haven't been an excessive amoubnt of transfers out, either, which to me suggests that her team likes playing for her.
I agree that her players seem to like playing for her -- at least those that she doesn't cut. There have been at least three times where several players left at once, and the rumors on those occasions were that it was her decision, not the players. The most recent of these was this offseason, and I think that was five or six players, which some might regard as excessive.
 
Re: Shannon Miller out at UMD?

Instead, I think she is choosing between coaching and standing up for women in athletics across the globe. No one actually wants to go through. 3-5 year court process. Miller has continually stood up and advocated for women in the Duluth community and across the globe. At the end of the day, there are far bigger things in life than coaching hockey.

except that she has near zero chance of being hired as a college coach in the future, so spending 3-5 years on a court case, what else is she going to do with her time?

write a book? How to Part with An Employer and Assure You Are Never Hired Again

I agree that her players seem to like playing for her -- at least those that she doesn't cut. There have been at least three times where several players left at once, and the rumors on those occasions were that it was her decision, not the players. The most recent of these was this offseason, and I think that was five or six players, which some might regard as excessive.

the departed could provide some juicy stories about the program
but I suspect most just want it forgotten
 
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Re: Shannon Miller out at UMD?

That was a very thoughtful article. Thanks. Funny - I don't see a lot of UMD, or Coach Miller, but the times I have, her team looks very relaxed around her, and she seems to have a good rapport with them. There haven't been an excessive amoubnt of transfers out, either, which to me suggests that her team likes playing for her.
I agree. Coach Miller and her players most often seem to be on the same page as far as strategy and consequently share an amicable relationship.
 
Re: Shannon Miller out at UMD?

By the time this thing is over, I might very well be feeling sympathy for Miller. And I don't like that idea one bit!

If you go to the games this weekend, I'm sure she'll give you plenty of reminders why not to give her sympathy.
 
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