UNH Hockey 2023 Off Season Thread Turn and Face the Strange

[HockeyRef]

I think that they must have meant Joe Dumais who played four years for Pecknold and now has been a Pecknold assistant for several years, a similar career path to Reid Cashman, now head coach at Dartmouth. Would be ironic if Pecknold could place a second former Quinnipiac player and assistant in a Div 1 head coaching position in Cow Hampsha, with Dartmouth the doormat of ECAC and UNH the doormat of HEA for the foreseeable future. Any improvement in either program would lead indirectly back to Pecknold, who apparently has family in Cow Hampsha.

He sure does, right in my town; I taught his nephew and we'd talk hockey ALOT as you can imagine. I mean he's from the state, right? WMUR said "NH's own Rand Pecknold"...Be a big cut in pay for him to come here, but, once you've won it all...(oops this has been mentioned in 'Watchers post)

Welp, another season come and gone. Wishing everyone a great Spring (?) and Summer! Time to put the jerseys away but oh wait, am going to the B's Tuesday night...playing
the Caps so that will be one last 'UNH' blast (TvR) for the season...Do take care all..

 

[Snively65]

Nice piece about a talented and largely forgotten D-1 star who made an impact in The Show a generation or so ago.

As you know Snives, Nunavik and Nunavat are northern Canadian territorial neighbors. Nunavat is way larger area-wise but even less populated than its northern Quebecois neighbor to the east. The point was, if that's you're scouting assignment, then you are probably not highly thought of by your organization. Small sparse Inuit communities spread out over miles and endless miles of glaciers, etc. Land of the almighty Polar Bear!!!

Nunavut can claim Jordin Tootoo ... Nunavik can claim Joe Juneau ... in comparison, PEI is bursting at the seams with NHL talent, including former Dead Wing alums Gerard Gallant, Errol Thompson and John Chabot, and a few dozen more over the years.

How many avowed pacifists have played in the NHL? You'd be shocked - I know I was - when reading this item ...

Top 10 Mennonite Players in NHL History (thehockeywriters.com)

Cool article about pacifist Mennonites in the NHL, with most ironic being Dave Schultz, I think. He led the NHL in penalty minutes every year that he played, including a NHL record 472 during the 1974/75 season. I followed game 7 of the Bruins-Leafs 2013 series on CHN game tracker during the wee hours of the morning while in a remote village with Wi-Fi in Iceland when James Reimer blew the Leafs 4-1 lead.

But, back to ice hockey in Nunavut vs Nunavik. Agreed that Nunavut, where I have spent over two years total from over two dozen expeditions to Baffin Island, is geographically much larger than Nunavik to the east AND SOUTH (the northern third of Quebec) where former RPI aeronautical engineering student and Boston Bruins Joey Juneau was instrumental in youth hockey for over a decade.

However, Nunavut has only five indoor manufactured ice arenas (similar to ours) in the entire territory, with two in Iqaluit (formerly Frobisher Bay) on Baffin Island (the eastern capital of NT, where the Arctic Winter Games Arena has seating for 2500), and one each in Baker Lake, Taloyoak, and Rankin Inlet (900 seats), where Jordin Tootoo (723 NHL games, 65 goals, 161 points, and 1010 penalty minutes [compare with pacifist Dave Schultz]) grew up.

There are also six “zero energy sand floor” arenas in Nunavut (similar to those in our back yards when growing up, but larger, of course, with walls and a roof) in Arviat, Coral Harbor, Iglooliq, Pangnirtung (built for $2.7 mil CDN in 2016), Sankiluaq, and Whale Cove. I have spent about three quarters of my two years on Baffin Island working out of Pangnirtung, as that area is where the largest glaciers are located. The Inuit kids look up to Jordin Tootoo the way our kids look up to …….. Connor McDavid.

In contrast, in much geographically smaller Nunavik, there are 14 manufactured ice arenas, including in Kuujjuaq (formerly known as Fort Chimo) in northernmost Quebec.

I have not been to PEI, but it is on my bucket list of places to visit.

 

[Snively65]

There's still hope for UNH as they advanced to the Reg final in the Futile four.Here's hoping...lol

Miss Thundercat, the Commissioner of the Bottom Feeders tournament and the Futile Four, apparently has an extreme dislike for MS7, and announced way back in January that UNH would be placed in the top (bottom) bracket of the BF tournament, regardless where they finished in the PWR. Of course, UNH never gets to play in the BF Northeast Regional, which seems to be semi-permanently located on the summit parking lot of Mt Washington, where Nimbus the mascot cat inherited the job as chief BF ref from his predecessor, Marty the Cat.

 

[HockeyRef]

Miss Thundercat, the Commissioner of the Bottom Feeders tournament and the Futile Four, apparently has an extreme dislike for MS7, and announced way back in January that UNH would be placed in the top (bottom) bracket of the BF tournament, regardless where they finished in the PWR. Of course, UNH never gets to play in the BF Northeast Regional, which seems to be semi-permanently located on the summit parking lot of Mt Washington, where Nimbus the mascot cat inherited the job as chief BF ref from his predecessor, Marty the Cat.

My brother's outing club back in the 70's climbed the Mt Wash summit and got a big tongue lashing from Marty...I bought Marty's book about life on the rockpile amd have postcards of Nimbus!!

 

[Chuck Murray]

NOW is the time for UNH to strike to deal with its Hockey "problem". I can't see Pecknold moving on, and if that's the case, then Dumais would be blocked from advancing to the top job in Hamden. He's not going to stick around as second banana forever (see Barr, Ben) and if Pecknold is not gonna move on - and why should he, now that he's built a national program over many years, and is part of the USA Hockey set-up - then as 'Watcher points out, Dumais (age-wise a slightly younger Ben Barr) becomes the hottest free agent on the D-1 hockey market. Most of the HEA schools have relatively new coaches, and/or long-term successful coaches, with one exception - UNH. That may not change over the next year, but HEA is hardly the only place where a guy like Dumais could write his own ticket. For one, he's a CT guy who has spent more time coaching in the ECAC, and I can think of several schools in that league who would/should have interest. UNH would offer him a chance to rebuild a formerly prominent national program while keeping a respectful distance from Quinnipiac in terms of league competition. Barr - an RPI guy who coached as an assistant in both leagues - jumped at the chance of resurrecting UMaine. I can't believe Dumais wouldn't similarly jump at a shot at UNH.

I was relatively pleased with AD Rich's recent hoops hire. I would be over the moon if she hired Dumais right now. She can pass on this year, and run the risk that a second shot at a Barr-like candidate escapes to another program. OR she can act right now and immediately re-energize everything about UNH Hockey. I don't think you can afford to let this opportunity pass.

Imagine looking ahead to next season with Santos, Hubbard, Davis and Dumais being the roster of UNH Men's head coaches. That's pretty darned impressive, and you would think it would be at least another five years before you'd have to give serious thought to replacing any of that group. That has to be attractive to any AD - especially one who managed to replace the two most wanting slots across UNH Athletics.

Men's HC positions set. Now you can spend the next year assessing the Women's HC positions.

As someone who has stated reservations previously about our new AD, this would be a fantastic first year.

Now just make it happen. Opportunity is knocking. Fortune favors the brave. Become a legend!!

 

[Chuck Murray]

Selfishly speaking for WIS ... it would be awesome if after spending the last decade plus deriding her paisan predecessor "Blue Skies for Infinity" for his inability to pull his thumb out of his posterior, it would be unbelievable to have this brand-new action figure superhero on our hands, who won't tolerate the prior regime's seeming contentment with mediocrity. The possibilities are boundless, and I hope she acts immediately and decisively to force my hand!!

Another possibility I don't think many of us have considered ... perhaps AD Rich turns out to be highly ambitious, and sees herself someday as a Power Five conference AD? If so - how do you show the world you're qualified to do that job? Yup - aggressively make important hires and turn your Athletics programs around in short order. Bad news - she leaves for greener pastures, good news is we're left with the fantastic new hires.

I think you folks know which way I'd be leaning if offered that theoretical choice ...

 

[e.cat]

NOW is the time for UNH to strike to deal with its Hockey "problem". I can't see Pecknold moving on, and if that's the case, then Dumais would be blocked from advancing to the top job in Hamden. He's not going to stick around as second banana forever (see Barr, Ben) and if Pecknold is not gonna move on - and why should he, now that he's built a national program over many years, and is part of the USA Hockey set-up - then as 'Watcher points out, Dumais (age-wise a slightly younger Ben Barr) becomes the hottest free agent on the D-1 hockey market. Most of the HEA schools have relatively new coaches, and/or long-term successful coaches, with one exception - UNH. That may not change over the next year, but HEA is hardly the only place where a guy like Dumais could write his own ticket. For one, he's a CT guy who has spent more time coaching in the ECAC, and I can think of several schools in that league who would/should have interest. UNH would offer him a chance to rebuild a formerly prominent national program while keeping a respectful distance from Quinnipiac in terms of league competition. Barr - an RPI guy who coached as an assistant in both leagues - jumped at the chance of resurrecting UMaine. I can't believe Dumais wouldn't similarly jump at a shot at UNH.

I was relatively pleased with AD Rich's recent hoops hire. I would be over the moon if she hired Dumais right now. She can pass on this year, and run the risk that a second shot at a Barr-like candidate escapes to another program. OR she can act right now and immediately re-energize everything about UNH Hockey. I don't think you can afford to let this opportunity pass.

Imagine looking ahead to next season with Santos, Hubbard, Davis and Dumais being the roster of UNH Men's head coaches. That's pretty darned impressive, and you would think it would be at least another five years before you'd have to give serious thought to replacing any of that group. That has to be attractive to any AD - especially one who managed to replace the two most wanting slots across UNH Athletics.

Men's HC positions set. Now you can spend the next year assessing the Women's HC positions.

As someone who has stated reservations previously about our new AD, this would be a fantastic first year.

Now just make it happen. Opportunity is knocking. Fortune favors the brave. Become a legend!!

Couldn’t agree more on all counts but I thought the consensus was that we are stuck with Souza until his contract runs out.

 

[deltabravo62]

Couldn’t agree more on all counts but I thought the consensus was that we are stuck with Souza until his contract runs out.

Well, unless a care package containing $240,000 in unmarked non consecutive twenties arrives on the AD's doorstep with the memo "for early termination of Michael Souza"... I think we are likely stuck with him. Thanks a lot Marty, you talentless hack.

 

[e.cat]

Well, unless a care package containing $240,000 in unmarked non consecutive twenties arrives on the AD's doorstep with the memo "for early termination of Michael Souza"... I think we are likely stuck with him. Thanks a lot Marty, you talentless hack.

Yup. $100k here and $100k there pretty soon adds up to real money.

 

[Chuck Murray]

Well, unless a care package containing $240,000 in unmarked non consecutive twenties arrives on the AD's doorstep with the memo "for early termination of Michael Souza"... I think we are likely stuck with him. Thanks a lot Marty, you talentless hack.

If you're a highly-placed and experienced administrator of an 8-figure concern, I'm sorry, but if you lack the creativity and experience to "find" $240,000 tucked in between the so-called seat cushions, you're simply not savvy and/or not trying hard enough. db62, you've led the way here to disclose the details of what is involved as far as term/amount of contract, and the mechanics of any early separation. With a 365 day notice clause, AD Rich can easily trim almost 3 months off the payoff by noticing him tomorrow (Monday), which would in all likelihood trigger their negotiation over the buyout, and a settlement for something far less than the full 12 months' worth of salary, as I doubt Souza will want to sit around and collect salary from UNH for 12 months while watching a years' worth of opportunities pass him by, leaving him a one year gap in his CV. These are all real life concerns any one of us would be concerned about, even sans contract.

At the end of the day, by triggering the one year notice early (i.e. now) AND thus pressuring MS7 into a buyout, you probably end up saving at least half of the $240,000 right there. And finding $100,000 floating around in a $30+ million Athletics budget-stripping away three zeros from each side of the ledgher - is pretty much like a $30,000/year entry level worker finding $100 in their personal budget for an anniversary dinner with their special someone. Sure, maybe it's tight, but it's something you just have to make happen.

After all, looking back at the McCloskey incident ... he'd just signed a long extension, and I'm sure he didn't go away for free, despite the very obvious over-the-top pressure that was unduly placed on him (truly despicably, actually), and a replacement was found for him too. There's no one who can tell me they couldn't afford to make Souza disappear in short order if we had assurances Dumais would be accepting a long-term deal. Said deal could also be back-loaded to allow "savings" in the first year or two to make it fit the budgeting.

If there's anything spending four years at Bentley taught me, it's that budgets are pliable, and for reasons like this ...

 

[Snively65]

My brother's outing club back in the 70's climbed the Mt Wash summit and got a big tongue lashing from Marty...I bought Marty's book about life on the rockpile amd have postcards of Nimbus!!

Your brother must have met Marty Engstrom, engineer and weather broadcaster in Channel 8’s (Poland Spring, Maine) old transmitter building on the summit, as opposed to Marty the Cat, mascot and chief mouser in the Mount Washington Observaotry (MWO) building. Marty Engstrom served on the summit (week on, week off) for 38 years between 1964 and 2002, and was voted into the Maine Broadcaster's Hall of Fame in 2013. Marty the Cat, a black Maine Cooncat, lived for considerably less time on the summit, after winning an internet voting competition with two other rescue cats at a North Conway shelter. Marty the Cat succeeded Ingrid and preceded Nimbus, the current mascot and chief mouser in the MWO. I think the Bottomefeeder’s (BF) Commish has a warm spot for the MWO and its cat mascots that have refereed the BF Eastern Regional for the past several years. Imagine the Northeast Regional of that other tournament being held at SNHU Arena every year, year after year after year.

 

[Snively65]

If you're a highly-placed and experienced administrator of an 8-figure concern, I'm sorry, but if you lack the creativity and experience to "find" $240,000 tucked in between the so-called seat cushions, you're simply not savvy and/or not trying hard enough. db62, you've led the way here to disclose the details of what is involved as far as term/amount of contract, and the mechanics of any early separation. With a 365 day notice clause, AD Rich can easily trim almost 3 months off the payoff by noticing him tomorrow (Monday), which would in all likelihood trigger their negotiation over the buyout, and a settlement for something far less than the full 12 months' worth of salary, as I doubt Souza will want to sit around and collect salary from UNH for 12 months while watching a years' worth of opportunities pass him by, leaving him a one year gap in his CV. These are all real life concerns any one of us would be concerned about, even sans contract.

At the end of the day, by triggering the one year notice early (i.e. now) AND thus pressuring MS7 into a buyout, you probably end up saving at least half of the $240,000 right there. And finding $100,000 floating around in a $30+ million Athletics budget-stripping away three zeros from each side of the ledgher - is pretty much like a $30,000/year entry level worker finding $100 in their personal budget for an anniversary dinner with their special someone. Sure, maybe it's tight, but it's something you just have to make happen.

After all, looking back at the McCloskey incident ... he'd just signed a long extension, and I'm sure he didn't go away for free, despite the very obvious over-the-top pressure that was unduly placed on him (truly despicably, actually), and a replacement was found for him too. There's no one who can tell me they couldn't afford to make Souza disappear in short order if we had assurances Dumais would be accepting a long-term deal. Said deal could also be back-loaded to allow "savings" in the first year or two to make it fit the budgeting.

If there's anything spending four years at Bentley taught me, it's that budgets are pliable, and for reasons like this ...

Maybe a couple more UNH portal defections will seal the deal.

 

[Basement Bias]

Hubs went to a Bobby Knight bball camp 'back in the day'. Quite the firey guy! Rachel Phelps..?

Bobby is much beloved in my neck of the woods. Fierce on the court but outside of basketball, many mentioned how kind, generous, & personal he was to the average Joe. He basically fit the mold of most in my area to say the least.

See Strand left OSU to be the HC at Mankato so guessing that's where one of our portal guys will jump to.

 

[deltabravo62]

If you're a highly-placed and experienced administrator of an 8-figure concern, I'm sorry, but if you lack the creativity and experience to "find" $240,000 tucked in between the so-called seat cushions, you're simply not savvy and/or not trying hard enough. db62, you've led the way here to disclose the details of what is involved as far as term/amount of contract, and the mechanics of any early separation. With a 365 day notice clause, AD Rich can easily trim almost 3 months off the payoff by noticing him tomorrow (Monday), which would in all likelihood trigger their negotiation over the buyout, and a settlement for something far less than the full 12 months' worth of salary, as I doubt Souza will want to sit around and collect salary from UNH for 12 months while watching a years' worth of opportunities pass him by, leaving him a one year gap in his CV. These are all real life concerns any one of us would be concerned about, even sans contract.

At the end of the day, by triggering the one year notice early (i.e. now) AND thus pressuring MS7 into a buyout, you probably end up saving at least half of the $240,000 right there. And finding $100,000 floating around in a $30+ million Athletics budget-stripping away three zeros from each side of the ledgher - is pretty much like a $30,000/year entry level worker finding $100 in their personal budget for an anniversary dinner with their special someone. Sure, maybe it's tight, but it's something you just have to make happen.

After all, looking back at the McCloskey incident ... he'd just signed a long extension, and I'm sure he didn't go away for free, despite the very obvious over-the-top pressure that was unduly placed on him (truly despicably, actually), and a replacement was found for him too. There's no one who can tell me they couldn't afford to make Souza disappear in short order if we had assurances Dumais would be accepting a long-term deal. Said deal could also be back-loaded to allow "savings" in the first year or two to make it fit the budgeting.

If there's anything spending four years at Bentley taught me, it's that budgets are pliable, and for reasons like this ...

Agreed on all accounts, especially regarding the ability to find the funds needed. However at this point there is no "trimming" to be had as the end date of the contract is 4/30/2024. The trimming would have had to happen before the Christmas break in the 13 game winless skid to save a few bucks. I would like to think that there is room to "get serious" now and start working on a removal and replacement, my pessimism leaves me thinking that is fantasy. Meanwhile my deep pessimism worries this season may not be the end of his tenure at UNH, that was cooled off by the decision to replace Herrion though. Sad to say the best I think we can realistically hope for is that We hear of a replacement starting 5/1/2024.

Edit: Also, the notice to terminate is 30 days with a 365 day payout.

 

[HockeyRef]

Bobby is much beloved in my neck of the woods. Fierce on the court but outside of basketball, many mentioned how kind, generous, & personal he was to the average Joe. He basically fit the mold of most in my area to say the least.

See Strand left OSU to be the HC at Mankato so guessing that's where one of our portal guys will jump to.

Most definitely...gee...no word of anyone coming to UNH as of yet from the portal? Recognizing these things take time etc...And that new coach, he's got alot going for him-
fully knows the recruiting landscape, has a proven record of winning...perfect combo. Bet there's more like that where he came from..

 

[Darius]

Agreed on all accounts, especially regarding the ability to find the funds needed. However at this point there is no "trimming" to be had as the end date of the contract is 4/30/2024. The trimming would have had to happen before the Christmas break in the 13 game winless skid to save a few bucks. I would like to think that there is room to "get serious" now and start working on a removal and replacement, my pessimism leaves me thinking that is fantasy. Meanwhile my deep pessimism worries this season may not be the end of his tenure at UNH, that was cooled off by the decision to replace Herrion though. Sad to say the best I think we can realistically hope for is that We hear of a replacement starting 5/1/2024.

Edit: Also, the notice to terminate is 30 days with a 365 day payout.

I am with you on just about all of this. If UNH absolutely needed to find money they could. It wasn’t all that long ago that massive cuts and restructuring happened when it had to. The bigger issue is the optics. Buying out the hockey coach’s contract doesn’t look good when you are requesting millions for the hockey program. Perhaps AD Rich is serious, is making contacts, is getting word out (I have no idea how any of this works) that UNH is looking to make a change at the end of next season. If there is interest from an incredible candidate(s) then think about accelerating the schedule and finding buyout money. I still feel this is highly unlikely, but extremely beneficial in being ready to move quickly at the end of next season. Again, I have no idea how this works. I think you want to avoid posting a help wanted sign that prospects, recruits, current staff can see.

 

[Sean Pickett]

I submitted a public records request for UNH's 2021 & 2022 NCAA Financial Reports last week, but I haven't received them yet. In the meantime, here is all the severance UNH reports for 2009-2020 by year:

[TABLE="width: 268"]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl63"]Year of[/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl63"]Reports[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64"]Severance[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64"] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl63"]2009[/TD]
[TD="class: xl65"] [/TD]
[TD="class: xl65"] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl63"]2010[/TD]
[TD="class: xl65, align: right"]41,843[/TD]
[TD="class: xl65"]Women's Basketball[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl63"]2011[/TD]
[TD="class: xl65, align: right"]202,429[/TD]
[TD="class: xl65"] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl63"] [/TD]
[TD="class: xl65, align: right"]69,545[/TD]
[TD="class: xl65"]Women's Basketball[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl63"] [/TD]
[TD="class: xl65, align: right"]15,822[/TD]
[TD="class: xl65"]Men's Ice Hockey[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl63"] [/TD]
[TD="class: xl65, align: right"]15,821[/TD]
[TD="class: xl65"]Women's Ice Hockey[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl63"] [/TD]
[TD="class: xl65, align: right"]101,241[/TD]
[TD="class: xl65"]no specific team[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl63"]2012[/TD]
[TD="class: xl65, align: right"]129,009[/TD]
[TD="class: xl65"] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl63"] [/TD]
[TD="class: xl65, align: right"]9,544[/TD]
[TD="class: xl65"]Women's Basketball[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl63"] [/TD]
[TD="class: xl65, align: right"]119,465[/TD]
[TD="class: xl65"]no specific team[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl63"]2013[/TD]
[TD="class: xl65, align: right"]78,490[/TD]
[TD="class: xl65"] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl63"] [/TD]
[TD="class: xl65, align: right"]12,045[/TD]
[TD="class: xl65"]Women's Lacrosse[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl63"] [/TD]
[TD="class: xl65, align: right"]66,445[/TD]
[TD="class: xl65"]Women's Soccer[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl63"]2014[/TD]
[TD="class: xl65, align: right"]77,137[/TD]
[TD="class: xl65"] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl63"] [/TD]
[TD="class: xl65, align: right"]76,927[/TD]
[TD="class: xl65"]Women's Ice Hockey[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl63"] [/TD]
[TD="class: xl65, align: right"]210[/TD]
[TD="class: xl65"]Women's Soccer[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl63"]2015[/TD]
[TD="class: xl65, align: right"]3,366[/TD]
[TD="class: xl65"]Women's Soccer[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl63"]2016[/TD]
[TD="class: xl65, align: right"]66,189[/TD]
[TD="class: xl65"]Women's Gymnastics[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl63"]2017[/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl63"]2018[/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl63"]2019[/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl63"]2020[/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]


and by sport:

[TABLE="width: 204"]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl65, align: right"]15,822[/TD]
[TD="class: xl65"]Men's Ice Hockey[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl65, align: right"]120,932[/TD]
[TD="class: xl65"]Women's Basketball[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl65, align: right"]92,748[/TD]
[TD="class: xl65"]Women's Ice Hockey[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl65, align: right"]12,045[/TD]
[TD="class: xl65"]Women's Lacrosse[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl65, align: right"]70,021[/TD]
[TD="class: xl65"]Women's Soccer[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl65, align: right"]66,189[/TD]
[TD="class: xl65"]Women's Gymnastics[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl65, align: right"]220,706[/TD]
[TD="class: xl65"]no specific team[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]


So the university has paid out severance not long ago, but none from 2017-20. Once I receive the lastest 2 reports I will post an update.

Sean

 

[Chuck Murray]

I am with you on just about all of this. If UNH absolutely needed to find money they could. It wasn’t all that long ago that massive cuts and restructuring happened when it had to. The bigger issue is the optics. Buying out the hockey coach’s contract doesn’t look good when you are requesting millions for the hockey program. Perhaps AD Rich is serious, is making contacts, is getting word out (I have no idea how any of this works) that UNH is looking to make a change at the end of next season. If there is interest from an incredible candidate(s) then think about accelerating the schedule and finding buyout money. I still feel this is highly unlikely, but extremely beneficial in being ready to move quickly at the end of next season. Again, I have no idea how this works. I think you want to avoid posting a help wanted sign that prospects, recruits, current staff can see.

Good post, and thanks again to db62 and Sean for providing updated/corrected info. With Souza's 4/30/24 expiration date and 30 day notice requirement, there isn't much (if anything) to be saved there IF you noticed MS7 tomorrow, and he was content to sit out the next year before seeking further employment. Sean's data strongly suggests UNH paid McCloskey $76,927 in 2014 to get out from under his remaining multi-year contract, for what I would guess was maybe 50% (possibly less?) of a single year's salary. I've written at length in the past about what a raw deal McCloskey got at the time, and it remains a stain/black mark against those who perpetrated it against him (most if not all of those folks are gone now, I believe). The U needed leverage to push back on an undesirable long-term commitment, so they fought dirty. They don't have to here, it's only a (relatively expensive) year. The fact that Souza is less than 30 days away from being a lame duck with no extension, virtually posts that "Help Wanted" sign Darius is referencing out, for all the world to see. It's unavoidable without an extension.

Which brings us back to the simple question, "Why not act now, especially if someone like Dumais might be interested?"

The rampant commentary before, during and after Quinnipiac's win - some of it from Pecknold himself - was clearly Dumais putting himself in the shop window. "Hi, I'm Joe, everyone thinks I'm the next big thing, make me an offer I can't refuse!" This is Ben Barr 2.0 circa 2021, and UMaine was either at or near "lame duck" territory with Coach Gendron when the unthinkable happened, but then UMaine gathered itself and made the crucial hire their program needed. UNH is entering a period of unprecedented uncertainty already, as you all can see from the latest outgoings in the portal, and the limited incomings from the recruiting trails/portal combined. It's not going to be getting any better any time soon, so unless there was some reason to believe the current leftovers who finished in 10th place in HEA are somehow going to rocket into the top four in the league between now and next Fall ... then what's the reason to postpone the ugliness further?

Make the move, and make the move NOW if Dumais or someone of that ilk is willing to come NOW. Twelve months is a long time to hope guys like Barr (two years ago) and Dumais can't get a nibble for their first D-1 head coaching job, and the "first" piece of that puzzle ensures you're never going to get a better financial deal than being first to the post. Look at how quickly Barr has begun to turn things around at UMaine, and look at all the genuine excitement and anticipation. Wouldn't we all want to have a similar situation here with Dumais as of Fall 2023? Think of the resurrection of UNH Hockey in general, and relish the resurrection of the UNH-UMaine "Border War" rivalry for the foreseeable future. It's all there within touching distance, and all we need to make it happen is an ambitious, creative and motivated AD looking to make their mark.

Mark my words ... if UNH doesn't move now for Dumais, we will all regret it. I said the same thing two years ago when BS+infinity was doing his paisan a favor, and doing the U a dirty with the unwarranted extension, and we can already see where that's going. We are now fortunate enough to get a possible do-over, and it's all luck that's transpired to land us a second chance to re-do what we effed up first time around.

 

[Snively65]

HEA incoming from portal so far: UMass-Flagship 4, Mac 3, PC 3, UVM 3, Maine 2, NU 2, UML 2, BC 1, UConn 1, BU 0, UNH 0

 

[NCAA watcher]

I am with you on just about all of this. If UNH absolutely needed to find money they could. It wasn’t all that long ago that massive cuts and restructuring happened when it had to. The bigger issue is the optics. Buying out the hockey coach’s contract doesn’t look good when you are requesting millions for the hockey program. Perhaps AD Rich is serious, is making contacts, is getting word out (I have no idea how any of this works) that UNH is looking to make a change at the end of next season. If there is interest from an incredible candidate(s) then think about accelerating the schedule and finding buyout money. I still feel this is highly unlikely, but extremely beneficial in being ready to move quickly at the end of next season. Again, I have no idea how this works. I think you want to avoid posting a help wanted sign that prospects, recruits, current staff can see.

I've come to accept the fact that UNH is not going to buy out Souza.

We also have to accept that the AD better be ready to pay a lot more. Minnesota State, hardly a big revenue or Big 10 school, is paying Strand $340,000 annually.

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images...Bwl_normal.jpg
Kevin Dudley

The contract for new @MinnStMHockey coach Luke Strand is a five-year deal that pays $340,000 annually.

He is far more qualified that Souza ever was, but that is a big jump in the market for "unproven" never before head coaches. Bear in mind UNH does have an advantage of being State tax free, and sales tax free, so that boosts the effective salary of $240,000 more into the $260 range,

Mark my words ... if UNH doesn't move now for Dumais, we will all regret it.

As for Chuck's concern that Dumais has other options, I think this year's hiring market is now complete. So unless something happens unforeseen this summer, Dumais will have to wait for March 2024. I also think that even though Dumais has an impressive resume (more than Souza ever could have dreamed of), there are other candidates I'd like to consider. Dan Muse of the US National Program has an NHL pedigree and won a championship with Yale. He's another NE guy.
Noreen, of the USHL is like Luke Strand, a successful USHL coach. My first email to AD Rich suggested Ryan Hardy, who I indicated is probably out of our league.
https://www.eliteprospects.com/staff/17511/ryan-hardy

My follow up email to AD Rich in December suggested Muse, along with:

This is in addition to the regular names of candidates you should at least consider: Casey Jones, Mike Ayers, Dane Jackson, Peter Mannino, Kevin Dean, Jared DiMichel, Anthony Noreen, Fred Harbison and Joe Dumais.

So there will be lots of candidates, and as I indicated, other than Vermont, not a lot of openings in the East (or college hockey generally). AD Rich better be putting soft feelers out for people so she can move quickly in early March when UNH bows out of the play in game.

I mean, face it, any candidate is going to be more qualified that Souza, who never was successful at any level. Seeing even second tier unproven coaches who we could have hired just makes Marty Scarano and Umile forcing Souza upon us so galling, compounded by Marty rewarding that failure with an even more crippling extension.

Great hire for the Mavs! Coach Strand is a great person, leader, developer on and off the ice and players enjoy playing for him. His style is very similar to the previous regime.

One little nugget that caught my attention was him saying I know players that aren’t here that wanna be here. Transfer portal players and a few commits that could flip to MSU.

Great day to be a Maverick!

Imagine that: confidence from a Coach that players want to play for him and may follow him to Minnesota State. Let's see if he can pull Carfagna from Ohio State, where he was slotted.

ICYMI this morning, Minnesota State has its new head coach. Luke Strand has an impressive @USHL resume and has spent over 600 games behind the bench at the junior, college and pro level. More on the new bench boss in Mankato.

So, after another 9-11th place finish in March, there should be a sufficient market of candidates. That we have to wait one more year before being able to feel hopeful about the program is a true shame. I can't believe President Dean permitted Scarano that authority on his way out the door.