UMass and the Carvel/Barr transformation - biggest HEA disruptors since ... ???

[Sean Pickett]

All the others have passes (at least for the time being) for their accomplishments to date.

Well, I would say the Mike Cavanaugh era at UConn has not been a success, but then maybe he is using the Sandelin Plan.

Sean

 

[defkit]

Lots of good points by Chuck and others.

There was a documentary a few years ago, I think it was called "Broke". It talked about the challenges that pro athletes have reigning in their spending (I think it focused on the NBA). One of the quotes from that documentary stuck in my head. It was from an advisor saying he would tell his clients "You can live like a King for a year, or you can live like a Prince for the rest of your life". I think the same quote applies to a successful college coach contemplating a move to the NHL. Is it worth risking what looks like a career where you can get paid well and dictate when you retire, to try a gig where you get paid VERY well, but could be done after two years? It obviously depends on how confident you are win your ability. But the reality is the jobs are VERY different. Yes, at the end of the day, the x's and o's matter, but coaching in college adds so many other aspects.

I agree that Carvel likely stays in college.

 

[buoldtimer]

Can’t applaud what carvel and his staff has done at Umass. Some of the quotes after the game were telling “culture....”, “character over skill”....rolling 4 lines..depth..carvel was the last guy to handle the trophy. You need the players to buy into the culture and it’s evident Umass players did just that. I don’t see that identity/culture at many of the other schools and thus the difference.

Is this an error, typo?

 

[Chuck Murray]

Well, I would say the Mike Cavanaugh era at UConn has not been a success, but then maybe he is using the Sandelin Plan.

Sean

I can't believe I missed a chance to get in another well-deserved shot at Luce ... good catch, Sean.

 

[Lemonade]

Is this an error, typo?

Yes. Corrected. Thanks

 

[alan]

I think you can make a case that coaching an NCAA team is a pretty good gig. Carvel could essentially have a lifetime gig, get paid handsomely (sometimes more than NHL) and less travel and pressure than the grind of the NHL.

Exactly this. Coach's wife is from Amherst, he has a grad degree from UMass. WMass is one of the finest places to live. Plenty of home time as a college coach, all the Hockey East trips are bus trips.

 

[Old Cage]

His father-in-law was a professor at UMASS who just a couple of weeks ago passed away. Also, Carvy has a graduate degree from UMASS, and now the hockey program is #1 at UMASS. He is in a great place professionally and will be beloved no matter what happens from here on in. Not sure the grass is greener elsewhere.

To expand a bit on Carvy's connection: His graduate degree is in Sport Management from the UMass Isenberg School, which is considered #1 in the country for that degree, and fifteen members of the current squad are enrolled in one of Isenberg's undergrad programs.

 

[The Zlax45]

I think Carvel's success puts a lot of pressure on underperforming coaches of established programs to get it together. If UMass can win, why not VT, UNH, BU, etc. PC won recently and has less resources than UMass so no pressure on Leaman obviously. Lowell is a satellite campus of the state system and they punch way above their weight so Bazin is good. Madigan has NU reaching new heights. York has earned a lifetime pass.

But, how BU can justify employing Albie O'connell after watching what's going on in Amherst is beyond me.

I'm also curious if Lowell takes a hit in terms of recruiting. If you're a good player going to a state school, why not go to Amherst instead even despite Bazin's obviously skill as a coach.
​​​​​

And who was the recruiting guy at Providence when that team was assembled? Barr. He left before the national championship season but he had recruited that entire team.

 

[The Zlax45]

Exactly this. Coach's wife is from Amherst, he has a grad degree from UMass. WMass is one of the finest places to live. Plenty of home time as a college coach, all the Hockey East trips are bus trips.

And when he was getting his grad degree at Umass-Amherst, he was coaching at D-3 Amherst College as an assistant.

 

[J.D.]

Zac Jones to the Rangers. What Carvel has done is nothing short of remarkable. But it will obviously be tough to keep up this level of success. We'll see what happens with Lindberg and Kessel. Happens to everyone though. Bazin hasn't had the same success since his lone FF trip. Leaman did get back to a 2nd FF but amazingly they have not won Hockey East during their run of success. It's a grind and ultra competitive these days. Hockey East may not be as top heavy as it was in the Big 4 era but with PC, UML, UMass, NU and even UConn...it's a stronger league from top to bottom.

 

[Chuck Murray]

Zac Jones to the Rangers. What Carvel has done is nothing short of remarkable. But it will obviously be tough to keep up this level of success. We'll see what happens with Lindberg and Kessel. Happens to everyone though. Bazin hasn't had the same success since his lone FF trip. Leaman did get back to a 2nd FF but amazingly they have not won Hockey East during their run of success. It's a grind and ultra competitive these days. Hockey East may not be as top heavy as it was in the Big 4 era but with PC, UML, UMass, NU and even UConn...it's a stronger league from top to bottom.

One of these things is not like the others
One of these things just doesn't belong ...

 

[J.D.]

But they've been on the precipice of a breakthrough in recent years! They just happen to fall on their face in the Hockey East tournament each and every time.

 

[Chuck Murray]

But they've been on the precipice of a breakthrough in recent years! They just happen to fall on their face in the Hockey East tournament each and every time.

Somehow Luce got nominated for HEA Coach of the Year this year, while Coach Carvel didn't.

Wrap your head around that annoying little factoid, and tell me how that makes sense?!?

Carvel probably got shunned for asking Commish PR too many annoying questions ...

 

[jjmc85]

?

 

[jjmc85]

Conference also passed over Carvel for Albie O’Connell and it seems like BU fans want him fired. Baffling.

Is it really the Commissioner who makes the nominations? Not press or something like that?

 

[The Zlax45]

Conference also passed over Carvel for Albie O’Connell and it seems like BU fans want him fired. Baffling.

Is it really the Commissioner who makes the nominations? Not press or something like that?

Remember the college hockey so called "media" said there was nothing in those emails

 

[Chuck Murray]

Remember the college hockey so called "media" said there was nothing in those emails

The media - be it in college hockey or elsewhere - stopped being inquisitive years ago, and now only cares about furthering their own personal interests and agendas. Whether it's currying favor with the new commish here, or with a senile old man down in DC, getting to the actual "truth" in these things takes a distant second place (or even further back?) to "What's in it for me?"

 

[Chuck Murray]

Remember the college hockey so called "media" said there was nothing in those emails

Also ... don't forget the college hockey media has never even gone close to the issue I raised in the outset of the Effingwoods Hockey Alamac thread about the predominance of referees (and other off-ice league officials and employees) from a certain shared HEA school background. Crickets.

Can you imagine the uproar if Jeremy Jacobs' son or one of Mike Ilitch's kids were refereeing real games in the NHL, even if those games didn't involve the B's or the Wings?!?

 

[Rover]

I suspect Albie got some notice for coach if the year when BU went on a mini run in the middle of their shortened season before the wheels fell off after opposing coaches figured them out.

Oh and Chuck, you really shouldn't have worn your Montreal Expos hat to the Capitol riot. You stick out like a sore thumb on that sedition watch website where they identify you guys for the FBI.

 

[Lemonade]

I suspect Albie got some notice for coach if the year when BU went on a mini run in the middle of their shortened season before the wheels fell off after opposing coaches figured them out.

Oh and Chuck, you really shouldn't have worn your Montreal Expos hat to the Capitol riot. You stick out like a sore thumb on that sedition watch website where they identify you guys for the FBI.

Albie got noticed because BU was picked for 6th and finished 2nd well above expectations. Umass was picked 2nd and finished 3rd.