Former Lancer head coach, Gopher and CC assistant and current Des Moines GM and head coach Mike Guentzel has joined Dean Blais and Mike Hastings at UNO.
http://tinyurl.com/24xk2ly
That is all.
http://tinyurl.com/24xk2ly
That is all.
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Trinity: Guentzel joins Blais and Hastings at UNO
- Thread starter MavRick
- Start date
solovsfett
Registered User
Re: Trinity: Guentzel joins Blais and Hastings at UNO
holy chit...Blaiser may be building a new dynasty...he at the very least has put together a coaching staff that rivals anyone anywhere in the NCAA
holy chit...Blaiser may be building a new dynasty...he at the very least has put together a coaching staff that rivals anyone anywhere in the NCAA
Art VanDelay
Importer/Exporter
Re: Trinity: Guentzel joins Blais and Hastings at UNO
Guentzel will be the Head at MN this time next year.
Guentzel will be the Head at MN this time next year.
Re: Trinity: Guentzel joins Blais and Hastings at UNO
Lets not get ahead of ourselves just yet. The WCHA is a grind and UNO is going to find out.
Agree. What is going on with Guentzel?
Lets not get ahead of ourselves just yet. The WCHA is a grind and UNO is going to find out.
Agree. What is going on with Guentzel?
HarleyMC
Registered User
Re: Trinity: Guentzel joins Blais and Hastings at UNO
This coaching staff is very familiar with the WCHA...there's nothing for them to "find out". Mike Guentzel is positioning himself to potentially fulfill his dream of a future head coaching job in the WCHA. He is now in a better position than ever before to see it happen.
I highly doubt it. Don Lucia will get a contract extension from Maturi, who will also get his from Bruinicks next year.
This coaching staff is very familiar with the WCHA...there's nothing for them to "find out". Mike Guentzel is positioning himself to potentially fulfill his dream of a future head coaching job in the WCHA. He is now in a better position than ever before to see it happen.
I highly doubt it. Don Lucia will get a contract extension from Maturi, who will also get his from Bruinicks next year.
Re: Trinity: Guentzel joins Blais and Hastings at UNO
IMO, Guentzel has the hockey mind but why the consistent changing of jobs the last four years?
IMO, Guentzel has the hockey mind but why the consistent changing of jobs the last four years?
HarleyMC
Registered User
Re: Trinity: Guentzel joins Blais and Hastings at UNO
I think there are a few reasons: 1) On the heels of leaving MN, CC was a natural step that kept him close to D1 and his son. But CC was not a complete fit for Mike with the exception of the opportunity to coach his son. I don't think the coaching relationship with Owens was there. 2) USHL was familiar territory (Des Moines) but not D1. 3) Mike's preference has always been focused on coaching in the WCHA and UNO is a better fit than CC. Guentzel was a top candidate to be head coach at UNO last season. Mike Hastings coached under him during his days with the Omaha Lancers where he led the Lancers to back-to-back championships in 1992-93 and 1993-94. Blais is a legendary coach, a Gopher guy with a very similar work ethic, knows how to motivate players and has tons of success including two NCAA championships. Guentzel did work briefly as an asst. to Dean Blais in 1994 on the US Junior National hockey team. 4) UNO gives Mike Guentzel a platform to fulfill a dream and move into the right head coaching position somewhere when it is available and the time is right.
Most importantly, Mike likes to watch David Letterman and Dean Blais looks like him. And of course he was also hired to make sure that Ryan Walters, his former player with the Buccaneers, isn't such a "agitator".
I think there are a few reasons: 1) On the heels of leaving MN, CC was a natural step that kept him close to D1 and his son. But CC was not a complete fit for Mike with the exception of the opportunity to coach his son. I don't think the coaching relationship with Owens was there. 2) USHL was familiar territory (Des Moines) but not D1. 3) Mike's preference has always been focused on coaching in the WCHA and UNO is a better fit than CC. Guentzel was a top candidate to be head coach at UNO last season. Mike Hastings coached under him during his days with the Omaha Lancers where he led the Lancers to back-to-back championships in 1992-93 and 1993-94. Blais is a legendary coach, a Gopher guy with a very similar work ethic, knows how to motivate players and has tons of success including two NCAA championships. Guentzel did work briefly as an asst. to Dean Blais in 1994 on the US Junior National hockey team. 4) UNO gives Mike Guentzel a platform to fulfill a dream and move into the right head coaching position somewhere when it is available and the time is right.
Most importantly, Mike likes to watch David Letterman and Dean Blais looks like him. And of course he was also hired to make sure that Ryan Walters, his former player with the Buccaneers, isn't such a "agitator".
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Re: Trinity: Guentzel joins Blais and Hastings at UNO
Adding Guentzel to the UNO staff gives them as strong a taff as UNH!!!! All coaches on both clubs (plus Brian McCloskey coachig the UNH women's team) are very capable of being head coaches. This is important as it almost guarantees consistentcy for years to come.
Adding Guentzel to the UNO staff gives them as strong a taff as UNH!!!! All coaches on both clubs (plus Brian McCloskey coachig the UNH women's team) are very capable of being head coaches. This is important as it almost guarantees consistentcy for years to come.
dggoddard
New member
Re: Trinity: Guentzel joins Blais and Hastings at UNO
Guentzel is about to turn 48 in August, so he's no spring chicken.
Since he began coaching almost immediately after graduating from Minnesota, his resume is second to none as a #2 college assistant coach.
http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=9615
That being said, sitting around waiting for NCAA coaching vacancies is a pretty futile endeavor. How many jobs open up each off-season? Usually one to three at most. Prime jobs at a Top Ten program maybe roll along once every five years. And when a prime gig becomes available, alums, former NHL players and assistant head coaches are going to almost always land the job.
Guentzel is about to turn 48 in August, so he's no spring chicken.
Since he began coaching almost immediately after graduating from Minnesota, his resume is second to none as a #2 college assistant coach.
http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=9615
That being said, sitting around waiting for NCAA coaching vacancies is a pretty futile endeavor. How many jobs open up each off-season? Usually one to three at most. Prime jobs at a Top Ten program maybe roll along once every five years. And when a prime gig becomes available, alums, former NHL players and assistant head coaches are going to almost always land the job.
Re: Trinity: Guentzel joins Blais and Hastings at UNO
As someone older than Guentzel, I take offense, sir.
And I pose a question: If Guentzel was born in August 1962, can you provide the names of any coach born on or after that date who has won a Division I National Ice Hockey Championship?
Don't underestimate the old guys.
As someone older than Guentzel, I take offense, sir.
And I pose a question: If Guentzel was born in August 1962, can you provide the names of any coach born on or after that date who has won a Division I National Ice Hockey Championship?
Don't underestimate the old guys.
dggoddard
New member
Re: Trinity: Guentzel joins Blais and Hastings at UNO
How old were these National Championship winning coaches when they were hired at their current gigs? And how many of them got their current jobs after establishing themselves at smaller schools.
Jerry York - Born 1945 (Previously @ Clarkson, Bowling Green) Hired by BC @ 47
Jack Parker - Born 1945 - Hired by BU at 38
Rick Comley - Born 1947 (Previously @ Lake Superior, NMU) Hired by MSU at 55
Mike Eaves - Born 1956 - Hired by WI at 44
George Gwozdecky - Born 1958 - (Previously @ Miami) Hired by DU at 43
Don Lucia - Born 1958 - (Previously @ Alaska & CC) Hired by MN at 42
Touche.As someone older than Guentzel, I take offense, sir.
And I pose a question: If Guentzel was born in August 1962, can you provide the names of any coach born on or after that date who has won a Division I National Ice Hockey Championship?
Don't underestimate the old guys.
How old were these National Championship winning coaches when they were hired at their current gigs? And how many of them got their current jobs after establishing themselves at smaller schools.
Jerry York - Born 1945 (Previously @ Clarkson, Bowling Green) Hired by BC @ 47
Jack Parker - Born 1945 - Hired by BU at 38
Rick Comley - Born 1947 (Previously @ Lake Superior, NMU) Hired by MSU at 55
Mike Eaves - Born 1956 - Hired by WI at 44
George Gwozdecky - Born 1958 - (Previously @ Miami) Hired by DU at 43
Don Lucia - Born 1958 - (Previously @ Alaska & CC) Hired by MN at 42
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Re: Trinity: Guentzel joins Blais and Hastings at UNO
Appreciate the stats and thinking.
As for 444's view that the WCHA is a grind, I'll be fascinated to see the differences. It's been a while since anybody joined the W. The frequency of Olympic ice games alone will be new to UNO, who only regularly played on 100-foot sheets at Northern and Alaska. Also, while Blais has assembled what appears to be a formidable freshman class, it is in fact a freshman class. Also, UNO plays on the road virtually every weekend before Christmas - so it's entirely possible that UNO will have distinctly different first and second halves - even more distinctly different from last season.
Anyway - looking forward to seeing some new faces, making some new friends, etc. Drive carefully.
Rick
Appreciate the stats and thinking.
As for 444's view that the WCHA is a grind, I'll be fascinated to see the differences. It's been a while since anybody joined the W. The frequency of Olympic ice games alone will be new to UNO, who only regularly played on 100-foot sheets at Northern and Alaska. Also, while Blais has assembled what appears to be a formidable freshman class, it is in fact a freshman class. Also, UNO plays on the road virtually every weekend before Christmas - so it's entirely possible that UNO will have distinctly different first and second halves - even more distinctly different from last season.
Anyway - looking forward to seeing some new faces, making some new friends, etc. Drive carefully.
Rick
Skeeterman
Bob is making me nervous
Re: Trinity: Guentzel joins Blais and Hastings at UNO
Guentzel- good enough for Dean Blais, but not good enough for Don Lou Chia?
Guentzel- good enough for Dean Blais, but not good enough for Don Lou Chia?