UNH Hockey 2023 Off Season Thread Turn and Face the Strange

[norbert]

So ... let's say one of his players or assistants has tipped off MS7, who is scrolling through these questions over coffee this a.m. ...



Them's my predictions for today's give-and-take, and what will probably be a lot of "nibbling around the edges" answers that don't involve a lot of blame acceptance. I'll be on the road all day today, can't wait to read the actual outcome here.

I am hoping he is more willing to converse today but it could be a lot of coach speak. Hoping for more of a conversation than interview but time will tell. Also hoping he can validate parking for me and I can avoid the UNH Parking Regime.

 

[norbert]

No need for a search party. It was a really good conversation. It is hard to recap due to it being more conversational than direct questions and answers. Did learn a lot of the behind-the-scenes aspects of the daily business of running the program, where we are at comparative to other programs, and the barriers that everyone faces. He did have some slides to show other school facilities, and I was shocked at what other schools have compared to what is at the Whit.

One takeaway is that the loss of the Friends is felt and that the impact of its absence definitely was underestimated by the prior regime.

Not the exciting report that you all have been on the edge of your seats waiting for but hopefully it at least makes a difference in STH communication if the message is delivered to the offices at the field house.

 

[Darius]

Good stuff. Thanks! Any additional thoughts or comments, even mundane behind-the-scenes stuff is appreciated.

There is no reason a friends type organization can’t exist for hockey as it does for football. https://twitter.com/UNHCatClub. AD Rich, Coach Santos, UNH Athletics and many more UNHers follow them on Twitter so clearly there is a good relationship with UNH Athletics. People need to step up and volunteer (hint).

edit: There are reasons such an organization can’t exist. One reason would be the inability or unwillingness of the organization to communicate and work with the Athletic department and their development staff.

 

[HockeyRef]

Good stuff. Thanks! Any additional thoughts or comments, even mundane behind-the-scenes stuff is appreciated.

There is no reason a friends type organization can’t exist for hockey as it does for football. https://twitter.com/UNHCatClub. AD Rich, Coach Santos, UNH Athletics and many more UNHers follow them on Twitter so clearly there is a good relationship with UNH Athletics. People need to step up and volunteer (hint).

edit: There are reasons such an organization can’t exist. One reason would be the inability or unwillingness of the organization to communicate and work with the Athletic department and their development staff.

Are you implying in your last paragraph this is what transpired with the former FOH? Of so I think there are a few who would say it was the other way around...if not my apologies.

 

[HockeyRef]

No need for a search party. It was a really good conversation. It is hard to recap due to it being more conversational than direct questions and answers. Did learn a lot of the behind-the-scenes aspects of the daily business of running the program, where we are at comparative to other programs, and the barriers that everyone faces. He did have some slides to show other school facilities, and I was shocked at what other schools have compared to what is at the Whit.

One takeaway is that the loss of the Friends is felt and that the impact of its absence definitely was underestimated by the prior regime.

Not the exciting report that you all have been on the edge of your seats waiting for but hopefully it at least makes a difference in STH communication if the message is delivered to the offices at the field house.

Did you snag lifetime parking at the Alumni? Thanks for meeting and sharing some concerns.

 

[JB]

One takeaway is that the loss of the Friends is felt and that the impact of its absence definitely was underestimated by the prior regime.

As a former friends member that always paid for a higher level, and no doesn't give to athletics and won't until the friends are back, I am shocked, I say shocked that the change impacted the program. Please note "the prior regime" was BS35+ and MS7 ... as the Friends was still around with Souza head coach. Don't blame Umile for this one.

I am also shocked that BS35+ didn't have any clue what was going on with the fans. You would think when he killed the friends of women hockey and got all sorts of protests he would have picked up on the problem... but nope, totally disconnected... as is the current Athletics Department and Hockey Coaches were it relates to hockey.

 

[Scott]

Are you implying in your last paragraph this is what transpired with the former FOH? Of so I think there are a few who would say it was the other way around...if not my apologies.

+ 1

I was a member of the FOH for several years and my impressions were that they ( meaning Marty and Co.) didn't really like the FOH nor their influence with the thousands of dollars they raised each year.

 

[JB]

edit: There are reasons such an organization can’t exist. One reason would be the inability or unwillingness of the organization to communicate and work with the Athletic department and their development staff.

My hypothesis is a certain previous head coach essentially told the previous AD to leave his Friends of Hockey alone. A certain current head coach either didn't have the political pull or foresight to tell the AD to leave his Friends of Hockey alone. My hypothesis that it is the Athletics Department is based on how wonderful the Athletics Department has always been... I have never experienced them being a customer focused organization.

 

[norbert]

Did you snag lifetime parking at the Alumni? Thanks for meeting and sharing some concerns.

I did not get any perks from going... Even had to pay for parking

 

[HockeyRef]

+ 1

I was a member of the FOH for several years and my impressions were that they ( meaning Marty and Co.) didn't really like the FOH nor their influence with the thousands of dollars they raised each year.

Which included a full scholarship for a player..numerous items like lap top computers for the athletic trainers..new carpet for the lockerroom...feeding the team during the winter break...I could go on.

But I won't because when I outlined how disappointed I was that there was no communication from the AD that the banquet had gone away....at least we got a letter from the AD.

There are most likely two sides to this story..but if anyone wants to discount the huge impact this group had on the welfare of the team...they are sadly mistaken.

I used to have a clue about the team thanks to FOH meetings. Now I really wouldn't recognize a player if I saw them out and about.

It was a family atmosphere of support. I am appreciative of the few times a year we are able to meet players and express our support directly but it was nothing like it used to be.

Ok...rant over.

 

[norbert]

Good stuff. Thanks! Any additional thoughts or comments, even mundane behind-the-scenes stuff is appreciated.

There is no reason a friends type organization can’t exist for hockey as it does for football. https://twitter.com/UNHCatClub. AD Rich, Coach Santos, UNH Athletics and many more UNHers follow them on Twitter so clearly there is a good relationship with UNH Athletics. People need to step up and volunteer (hint).

edit: There are reasons such an organization can’t exist. One reason would be the inability or unwillingness of the organization to communicate and work with the Athletic department and their development staff.

The portal is also a big factor across the landscape. It has provided an opportunity for kids to easily move, especially with the removal of the 1 year penalty for transferring. Additionally there is Cost of Attendence and Alston money out there that some schools are able to offer and it is not something UNH among many other HE schools do not do. The expectations is that the portal will drop in numbers as the Covid year goes away.

 

[HockeyRef]

The portal is also a big factor across the landscape. It has provided an opportunity for kids to easily move, especially with the removal of the 1 year penalty for transferring. Additionally there is Cost of Attendence and Alston money out there that some schools are able to offer and it is not something UNH among many other HE schools do not do. The expectations is that the portal will drop in numbers as the Covid year goes away.

So after your meeting what's your view on UNH now? Do you still.feel the current HC has many valid points regarding how the team fares / has fared since he took over? Does the current HC deserve a pass?

Ps Did you ask him if he expected to be around in 2024?

 

[Snively65]

So after your meeting what's your view on UNH now? Do you still.feel the current HC has many valid points regarding how the team fares / has fared since he took over? Does the current HC deserve a pass?

Ps Did you ask him if he expected to be around in 2024?

Sounds like MS7 is now highlighting his latest excuses in not having as fancy training facilities as the other HEA teams. Should be good for at least another contract extension through the 2026/27 season.

 

[HockeyRef]

Sounds like MS7 is now highlighting his latest excuses in not having as fancy training facilities as the other HEA teams. Should be good for at least another contract extension through the 2026/27 season.

My thoughts exactly....

 

[norbert]

So after your meeting what's your view on UNH now? Do you still.feel the current HC has many valid points regarding how the team fares / has fared since he took over? Does the current HC deserve a pass?

Ps Did you ask him if he expected to be around in 2024?

Based on today I think there is a significant uphill climb but it is not from lack of effort. There is a lot more behind just what we see that factors in. One point of emphasis I made was these are the items, fundraising, portal impact, ect that would be beneficial to pass along to give STH at a minimum insight.

We did not get into contract talk but he was very personable, forthcoming with information he can talk about, and transparent. As for a pass, that is tough as at the end of the day no matter the sport or the school results do matter.

 

[norbert]

Sounds like MS7 is now highlighting his latest excuses in not having as fancy training facilities as the other HEA teams. Should be good for at least another contract extension through the 2026/27 season.

I don't really think these are excuses, but a reality that must be factored in when recruiting. The other facilities that I saw were pro level and do make an impact, which is also what the guys I talked to said. For example, kids need to practice, then walk to the field house, then back to the Whit. Where for as much of a dump Lawler is, kids can do this all in one facility, walk down for treatment, jump in a hot tub, grab food and go. They were not presented as excuses and it is understood that this is the hand dealt.

 

[Felger]

I don't really think these are excuses, but a reality that must be factored in when recruiting. The other facilities that I saw were pro level and do make an impact, which is also what the guys I talked to said. For example, kids need to practice, then walk to the field house, then back to the Whit. Where for as much of a dump Lawler is, kids can do this all in one facility, walk down for treatment, jump in a hot tub, grab food and go. They were not presented as excuses and it is understood that this is the hand dealt.

I consider myself pretty aware of the college hockey universe, but I must admit I was shocked when I watched Ben Barr's fundraising video and saw how far behind Maine also is in terms of facilities. I mean, when Merrimack has a lounge and Maine doesn't? Credit to Barr and his colleague for taking that empty space and doing something with it, but honestly the attic bedroom that Greg and Marcia Brady fought over might have been better. Should such facilities matter to players/recruiting as much as it does? A lot of us on this board might think it shouldn't, but some of us also think there shouldn't be a portal or NIL. Yet wishing doesn't make it so, it is the world live in today.

 

[NCAA watcher]

The portal is also a big factor across the landscape. It has provided an opportunity for kids to easily move, especially with the removal of the 1 year penalty for transferring.

The portal is mentioned a lot, along with the NLI, but I'm not sure how this is a structural disadvantage to UNH. It's basically recruiting continued after the players commit, but with players having more info on the actual option. My question is why are UNH players like Carfagna and Dunlop leaving after having seen UNH in person. Is it a Big 10 lure, is it the lure of a more successful program, or is it simply a "more money" lure?

Trying to look at the HE landscape, I don't necessarily see any "better conference" lure factors that you could say X left a top HE team (BU, BC, etc) to get to the Big 10, or even Y left a mid-level HE team to get to a mid-level Big 10 team. The closest I come is Logan Terness at U.Conn moving on to Ohio State. Maybe Ellis of U.Mass leaving for Nebraska-Omaha. But you also see some purges like Northeastern and U.Mass where it seems like the coach is casting the players off, rather than it being the players choosing to move on (thinking of Dyck also leaving U.Mass TBD, and Colangelo at Northeastern leaving to Western Mich, Jack Hughes TBD) In other words, I don't see a "move on to a better conference" factor or even "more NLI money" issue within HE (which is why I was curious about if he believes HE is less competitive than in the past)

That leaves "moving on to better/more competitive teams" which seems like the real driving force behind the portal movement I am seeing. But that just mirrors what recruiting is done in the first place, with players wanting to commit to the better teams. Which bring me to the original question, why is the Portal an excuse, rather than a symptom of an issue at UNH, i.e., players want to move upstream, and view UNH as downsteam?

 

[HockeyRef]

I don't really think these are excuses, but a reality that must be factored in when recruiting. The other facilities that I saw were pro level and do make an impact, which is also what the guys I talked to said. For example, kids need to practice, then walk to the field house, then back to the Whit. Where for as much of a dump Lawler is, kids can do this all in one facility, walk down for treatment, jump in a hot tub, grab food and go. They were not presented as excuses and it is understood that this is the hand dealt.

So agree that facilities matter...and I do believe they impact where a player might play. There is no doubt that Mike is highly personable and has UNHs interest first and foremost that has never been a doubt.

Now I guess we can just move on and be happy...

 

[Snively65]

So agree that facilities matter...and I do believe they impact where a player might play. There is no doubt that Mike is highly personable and has UNHs interest first and foremost that has never been a doubt.

Now I guess we can just move on and be happy...

No, we cannot move on and be happy. The portal, NIL, facilities (hey, we have a Jumbotron!), etc., are just lame excuses for a total fail in recruiting and coaching over the past eight years. Pure and simple.