Darius
Go 'cats!
Re: UNH 2018 Offseason- Out with the old , in with the semi new?
Now his buddy MW goes all McDaniels on him.
USCHO Fan Forum
This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
-
The USCHO Fan Forum has migrated to a new plaform, xenForo. Most of the function of the forum should work in familiar ways. Please note that you can switch between light and dark modes by clicking on the gear icon in the upper right of the main menu bar. We are hoping that this new platform will prove to be faster and more reliable. Please feel free to explore its features.
UNH 2018 Offseason- Out with the old , in with the semi new?
- Thread starter Nifty16
- Start date
- Status
Darius
Go 'cats!
Re: UNH 2018 Offseason- Out with the old , in with the semi new?
Mike Lowry: When you renewed the recruiting process, what college programs did you consider? Which schools did you visit and which ones made an offer to you?
Will MacKinnon: I went through an extensive recruiting process two years ago so I had a pretty good sense of the type of schools and programs that would be a good fit for me this time around. We (my advisors, my dad, and I) spoke to a couple different schools but UNH quickly emerged as the top choice. They had an immediate roster need as well the resources to fill it and I am thrilled with the quality of UNH as a school and institution. I fit well with strong cultures and I liked everything Coach Souza had to say in regards to what he wants the UNH Men’s Hockey Program to stand for.
Slight over statement.
Mike Lowry: When you renewed the recruiting process, what college programs did you consider? Which schools did you visit and which ones made an offer to you?
Will MacKinnon: I went through an extensive recruiting process two years ago so I had a pretty good sense of the type of schools and programs that would be a good fit for me this time around. We (my advisors, my dad, and I) spoke to a couple different schools but UNH quickly emerged as the top choice. They had an immediate roster need as well the resources to fill it and I am thrilled with the quality of UNH as a school and institution. I fit well with strong cultures and I liked everything Coach Souza had to say in regards to what he wants the UNH Men’s Hockey Program to stand for.
Re: UNH 2018 Offseason- Out with the old , in with the semi new?
Not sure you can blame Souza for Commesso leaving. The goalie coach - Mike Buckley at the time got offered a pro NHL job with the Penguins and left UNH - cant blame anyone for that. He is probably the #1 goalie guy in hockey and couldnt pass that up. I am sure that played a massive role in the decommit. Buckley/Quinn both leave for NHL jobs - thats why you can never blame a kid for switching commitments - a lot can change.
Despite the "innovative" three year plan put in place by the geniusin the corner office, the fact of the matter is, Coach Souza is still basically a rookie head coach. His predecessor never really gave up the reins to his position until he was literally walking out the door. Now his buddy MW goes all Hamlet on him. There are many more rookie mistakes to be made, I'm sure. This is why I've been saying all along that the UNH Hockey program hasn't hit bottom yet, and it won't turn around until MS (or his successor, or God forbid his successor's successor) inject some urgency AND competency to make this all work.
Recent events also make me question why we've seen the snail's pace of the in-season recruiting these last few years, which now seems to be routinely followed by the late-season rush for what's left? One of two explanations - neither good - one, DU held him back (which seems to make no sense on its surface, but … ), and two, maybe Souza and Stu just aren't that good at recruiting the front line prospects? And even when they did (Commesso) they found a way to mess that up (rookie mistake?).
It will be fascinating to see how the next few seasons play out, as we'll be seeing a parallel universe of sorts playing out less than an hour away in North Andover, where what can probably be fairly described as BS35+6's "Plan B" coaching team (Borek, Tortorella and Ciocco) will be going ahead with the "Plan A" dream team of Souza, Stewart, and <s>White</s> someone else. I'd propose this will serve as a referendum on our esteemed AD's savvy, and a chance for him to prove to naysayers (like me and a few others) that he really does know what he's doing with the UNH Hockey program. Or to look like an idiot.
I'd rather look like an idiot with a perennial winning team on the ice in Durham. I can live with that.
Not sure you can blame Souza for Commesso leaving. The goalie coach - Mike Buckley at the time got offered a pro NHL job with the Penguins and left UNH - cant blame anyone for that. He is probably the #1 goalie guy in hockey and couldnt pass that up. I am sure that played a massive role in the decommit. Buckley/Quinn both leave for NHL jobs - thats why you can never blame a kid for switching commitments - a lot can change.
Re: UNH 2018 Offseason- Out with the old , in with the semi new?
Not sure why you need to split hairs over this?? He de-committed from Denver, he picked UNH after he renewed the recruiting process.
Not sure why you need to split hairs over this??
He de-committed from Denver, he picked UNH after he renewed the recruiting process.
Chuck Murray
WIS & Effingwoods Hockey Almanac
Re: UNH 2018 Offseason- Out with the old , in with the semi new?
The goalie coach was attached to UNH primarily by Skype. Souza was the lead assistant and coach-in-waiting, and certainly was in position to build a relationship with what was clearly a "blue chip" type prospect that was in high demand. He could (and should) have handled it more proactively than just assuming the kid was in the "committed" column. Again, another rookie mistake, and if the Taylor kid comes in this season and does the job for the next 3-4 seasons, may be no big deal?
It may be a good thing in the long run that Coach Souza has gotten kicked in the teeth both by decommitting recruits, and his buddy-buddy, would-be associate head coach, right at the outset of his time as HC. Might start to see some of that urgency I always kvetch about, that we haven't seen at UNH in WAY too long.
The goalie coach was attached to UNH primarily by Skype. Souza was the lead assistant and coach-in-waiting, and certainly was in position to build a relationship with what was clearly a "blue chip" type prospect that was in high demand. He could (and should) have handled it more proactively than just assuming the kid was in the "committed" column. Again, another rookie mistake, and if the Taylor kid comes in this season and does the job for the next 3-4 seasons, may be no big deal?
It may be a good thing in the long run that Coach Souza has gotten kicked in the teeth both by decommitting recruits, and his buddy-buddy, would-be associate head coach, right at the outset of his time as HC. Might start to see some of that urgency I always kvetch about, that we haven't seen at UNH in WAY too long.
Chuck Murray
WIS & Effingwoods Hockey Almanac
Re: UNH 2018 Offseason- Out with the old , in with the semi new?
Good call. I like that one better. Certainly more relevant and timely.
Good call. I like that one better. Certainly more relevant and timely.
Re: UNH 2018 Offseason- Out with the old , in with the semi new?
Good stuff on MW's defection, if that is what happened? But, McDaniels probably reconsidered that Bellichek's years remaining as HC are low-numbered, whereas MW might have realized finally that he could wait for decades should MS remain HC for the long term? As for Hamlet? "You get nothing!"
Longest tenure of NCAA Div 1 HC's for one team?
Inclusive of upcoming 2018/19 season, if applicable:
Parker, 40 yrs, BU
Jack Riley, 36 yrs, Army
Peters, 35 yrs, Bemidji
Berenson, 33 yrs, Michigan
Gotkin, 31 yrs, Mercyhurst
Brose, 30 yrs, Mankato
Umile, 28 yrs, UNH
Daniels, 27 yrs, Ferris
Vaughan, 27 yrs, Colgate
Marsh, 26 yrs, St Laurence
McInnes, 26 yrs, Mich Tech
Good stuff on MW's defection, if that is what happened? But, McDaniels probably reconsidered that Bellichek's years remaining as HC are low-numbered, whereas MW might have realized finally that he could wait for decades should MS remain HC for the long term? As for Hamlet? "You get nothing!"
Longest tenure of NCAA Div 1 HC's for one team?
Inclusive of upcoming 2018/19 season, if applicable:
Parker, 40 yrs, BU
Jack Riley, 36 yrs, Army
Peters, 35 yrs, Bemidji
Berenson, 33 yrs, Michigan
Gotkin, 31 yrs, Mercyhurst
Brose, 30 yrs, Mankato
Umile, 28 yrs, UNH
Daniels, 27 yrs, Ferris
Vaughan, 27 yrs, Colgate
Marsh, 26 yrs, St Laurence
McInnes, 26 yrs, Mich Tech
Last edited:
Re: UNH 2018 Offseason- Out with the old , in with the semi new?
Very valid points...and the bigger issue is the lack of recruiting on several levels. Land a blue chip and then do nothing for months on end....not a good strategy. Thats when UNH had to get more aggressive yet they are getting more conservative. The recruiting strategy seems to be sitting back and waiting on kids that decommit from other schools and then try to land them....ugh.
Very valid points...and the bigger issue is the lack of recruiting on several levels. Land a blue chip and then do nothing for months on end....not a good strategy. Thats when UNH had to get more aggressive yet they are getting more conservative. The recruiting strategy seems to be sitting back and waiting on kids that decommit from other schools and then try to land them....ugh.
Not exactly the same process, but seems to have worked for the LVGK in their first NHL season.
NCAA watcher
Registered User
Re: UNH 2018 Offseason- Out with the old , in with the semi new?
Who knows what happened with Mark White. Maybe MS has had some self-scouting, and realized that he doesn't just need a guy on his same wavelenth, but someone with skills missing on the Coaching staff. The new glass half-full Watcher will read the re-set this way. Does he get someone he knows, or someone from outside? I know nothing about Beal, and Jeff seems to be speculating, but if Souza is actually evaluating the broader (i.e., non Mass) market, then I'm all for it.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sacred Heart associate head coach Joel Beal is in the running for Miami assistant gig. He’d be a good hire at UNH too with his Ontario connections. Played for Kevin Sneddon and Nate Leaman at Union.</p>— Jeff Cox (@JeffCoxSports) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffCoxSports/status/1000048791184166913?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Dan, I think Carle and O'Connell are far out of our league given their credentials.
Despite the "innovative" three year plan put in place by the genius
Who knows what happened with Mark White. Maybe MS has had some self-scouting, and realized that he doesn't just need a guy on his same wavelenth, but someone with skills missing on the Coaching staff. The new glass half-full Watcher will read the re-set this way. Does he get someone he knows, or someone from outside? I know nothing about Beal, and Jeff seems to be speculating, but if Souza is actually evaluating the broader (i.e., non Mass) market, then I'm all for it.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sacred Heart associate head coach Joel Beal is in the running for Miami assistant gig. He’d be a good hire at UNH too with his Ontario connections. Played for Kevin Sneddon and Nate Leaman at Union.</p>— Jeff Cox (@JeffCoxSports) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffCoxSports/status/1000048791184166913?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Dan, I think Carle and O'Connell are far out of our league given their credentials.
Last edited:
Nick Papagiorgio
Holding court
Re: UNH 2018 Offseason- Out with the old , in with the semi new?
Whoa whoa whoa... who are you to tell someone what LEAGUE they are in!?!?! You're going to send some folks running to their safe spaces Watcher!
Whoa whoa whoa... who are you to tell someone what LEAGUE they are in!?!?! You're going to send some folks running to their safe spaces Watcher!
TFW you realize all you're capable of is shtick and you lean into it (albeit passive aggressively)...
Last edited:
I think (after waiting this long) waiting a couple more weeks and finding out would be the best play. You could even inquire right now - as to their thought process if they are not promoted to HC jobs. Yes, both are more experienced than, say, Souza himself - but if either are passed over for there respective head coaching positions than it's not outside the realm of possibility that either, or both, could find themselves out of a job all together...
It may cost them the Sacred Heart assistant (if they'd even be interested), but would that be the end of the world? Most likely many, if not all, of the other candidates theyre choosing from will still be available two weeks from now. Considering they're still available 12 weeks after the position first opened...
Last edited:
Chuck Murray
WIS & Effingwoods Hockey Almanac
Re: UNH 2018 Offseason- Out with the old , in with the semi new?
First reaction to Beal (admittedly only a speculative candidate at this point) … a Sacred Heart assistant? Next!! Second, after looking a little more closely, he's got some good early experience (arguably nearly as advanced now as a much older Souza was when DU brought him here), involved in the Union build-up a few years ago (not unlike Leaman via Walshy's UMaine?), and has apparently helped the SHU program make some progress with his recruiting being a key.
Could be a compelling option. My guess is, Beal (like most in his shoes) probably has HC aspirations, but needs some time in a high(er) profile program (like UNH) to get his name out there, and show what he can do. So UNH might be as good a fit for him (if not more so) than he might be for UNH. Plus the Ontario connection is also very compelling.
Not to mention, he already has experience working for a clown AD, might help him in transition here.
First reaction to Beal (admittedly only a speculative candidate at this point) … a Sacred Heart assistant? Next!! Second, after looking a little more closely, he's got some good early experience (arguably nearly as advanced now as a much older Souza was when DU brought him here), involved in the Union build-up a few years ago (not unlike Leaman via Walshy's UMaine?), and has apparently helped the SHU program make some progress with his recruiting being a key.
Could be a compelling option. My guess is, Beal (like most in his shoes) probably has HC aspirations, but needs some time in a high(er) profile program (like UNH) to get his name out there, and show what he can do. So UNH might be as good a fit for him (if not more so) than he might be for UNH. Plus the Ontario connection is also very compelling.
Not to mention, he already has experience working for a clown AD, might help him in transition here.
Beal is a compelling option. Call me crazy but I'd like to see some defensive experience on the bench!First reaction to Beal (admittedly only a speculative candidate at this point) … a Sacred Heart assistant? Next!! Second, after looking a little more closely, he's got some good early experience (arguably nearly as advanced now as a much older Souza was when DU brought him here), involved in the Union build-up a few years ago (not unlike Leaman via Walshy's UMaine?), and has apparently helped the SHU program make some progress with his recruiting being a key.
Could be a compelling option. My guess is, Beal (like most in his shoes) probably has HC aspirations, but needs some time in a high(er) profile program (like UNH) to get his name out there, and show what he can do. So UNH might be as good a fit for him (if not more so) than he might be for UNH. Plus the Ontario connection is also very compelling.
Not to mention, he already has experience working for a clown AD, might help him in transition here.
Ya, and maybe Beal could provide some insights on how to beat Atlantic Hockey cupcakes, like Sacred Heart (that 2-2 tie at the Whitt in 2016-2017 was one of many low points that season).
Yup. Bad result for UNH but good point!
After the Whistle
Active member
Re: UNH 2018 Offseason- Out with the old , in with the semi new?
e.cat, I'll call you crazy! couldn't agree with you more. A little defensive experience would be a great addition to this staff.
e.cat, I'll call you crazy! couldn't agree with you more. A little defensive experience would be a great addition to this staff.
- Status