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The Great Badger Coaching Search of '23: Start Drinking Heavily

Todd Knott and Tavis McMillan, read up on them...they certainly peak my interest, but I don't know a lot about them. The only thing about Minnesota State that scares me is that they played in the "WCHA"/CCHA...which certainly wasn't BigTen/NCHC, so could we expect the same amount of success coming from MnSt where they play the likes of Bowling Green and LSSU?? Not to disparage the CCHA, but the BigTen and NCHC are a tangible step up in competition from week to week.
 
Would they hire someone like Knott or MacMillan with little to no head coaching experience? I am not sure.

This is from Mike Hastings bio on Mankato's site: Coaching the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League, Hastings never had a losing season and captured three Clark Cup playoff championships in the junior league, along with a pair of USA Hockey national championships in 2001 and 2008. A three-time coach of the year and five-time general manager of the year, he was the USHL’s all-time winningest coach (529-210-56) when he left the league for college hockey in 2008.

This is what I would be more interested in. Someone that is from the USHL and an up and comer, that has built and run a winning program and understands today's young men. then you hire a Knott or MacMillan to lead recruiting.

There is definitely more risk than a current coach, but who knows what they are going to do.
 
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WiscTJK said:
Would they hire someone like Knott or MacMillan with little to no head coaching experience? I am not sure.

This is from Mike Hastings bio on Mankato's site: Coaching the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League, Hastings never had a losing season and captured three Clark Cup playoff championships in the junior league, along with a pair of USA Hockey national championships in 2001 and 2008. A three-time coach of the year and five-time general manager of the year, he was the USHL’s all-time winningest coach (529-210-56) when he left the league for college hockey in 2008.

This is what I would be more interested in. Someone that is from the USHL and an up and comer, that has built and run a winning program and understands today's young men.

There is definitely more risk than a current coach, but who knows what they are going to do.
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I don't disagree at all. Certainly need someone that can tap into the recruiting and modern day approach to the lifestyle of playing junior hockey these days (there's tons more exposure). Anyone's guess is as good as mine here. All I have is the sniff test, but I pretty much know that there isn't much point in going after someone on the East Coast that has no/limited ties to hockey in the Midwest.
 
GoBucky18 said:
..but I pretty much know that there isn't much point in going after someone on the East Coast that has no/limited ties to hockey in the Midwest.
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We definitely agree on that. But a coach with a system that would work and a midwest recruiting assistant or two might work.
 
As per the press conference from Mac on what the criteria for the new coach is that was just posted up at UWBadgers.com:

"Proven track record of success who understands and appreciates Wisconsin, and what it means here...understands the expectations and understands what Wisconsin values.......I'm confident that person exists."
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKGDdW6D-gk Mac press conference.

Interesting comment about next coach: "top tier coach with a proven track record." Later when asked about rushing due to the portal and having to wait for playoffs to end he said this: "my priority is to get this search right. Sure there's urgency and we'll be expeditious, but not at the cost of getting the search right. I hope the members of the current team are patient and trust that we can find a leader they can be fired up about and confident in where we're heading...."

Sounds like they will be looking for a current head coach and one that very well could be in the NCAA playoffs.

In addition, Tony was willing and allowed to answer questions in the hallway..
 
GoBucky18 said:
As per the press conference from Mac on what the criteria for the new coach is that was just posted up at UWBadgers.com:

"Proven track record of success who understands and appreciates Wisconsin, and what it means here...understands the expectations and understands what Wisconsin values.......I'm confident that person exists."
Click to expand...

beat me to it......LOL
 
WiscTJK said:
beat me to it......LOL
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No worries haha! I think what you got, I got as well from that standpoint that the person they ideally want is a current proven coach and that the players should be patient (i.e. let's let this NCAA tournament thing get in our rear view mirror gents before you go jumping into the portal) :P Now is that an absolute that the coach they want is in the tourney? Hard to say, but it is certainly plausible and possible.

I certainly don't put it past Mac to already have his candidate list. If he said he's been evaluating all year, there's no way they JUST hired a search firm. If you add in Brandt as the fourth assistant for the 23/24 year...I have some gut feelings on which way this is going to go. Oddly enough, Oz was the Coach at OSU before Rohlik....with essentially the same players, and had a lot more success than Oz. It didn't help that Oz basically called out the AD at OSU publicly and got into a confrontation with him. Lol
 
John J. MacInnes said:
I don't know why you wouldn't at least approach the guy in the other coach's office in the building.
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Concur 100%. I feel like thats not out of the question and he deserves an honest interview as well. I still think there isnt a college hockey player on this planet that wouldnt stab everyone in front of them to play for MJ.

He turned down Miami and Penn St. That guy is WI as WI comes.
 
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John J. MacInnes said:
I don't know why you wouldn't at least approach the guy in the other coach's office in the building.
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He's not in touch at all with the landscape of the men's game. Right now recruits are basically knocking his door down to come to Wisconsin based on the level of success. Whereas on the men's game you've got to fight for every single player. Right now he basically just has to outrecruit Minnesota and Ohio state. Whereas on the men's side he'd have to outrecruit 15 other teams.
 
True, but there are only a few teams we really recruit against...MN, St. Cloud, MN-Duluth, and Mankato.

And I mean that on a regional basis. Obviously recruits can come from all over but regionally is where we need to improve.

It actually is interesting when you look at the roster for OSU though. Rohlik poached guys from all over the place.
 
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