UNH- How Far West Do We Go?

[Chuck Murray]

I think looking back MS7 was supposed to be able to hit the ground running, be the recruiter and set himself up for taking over as coach. Looking at the results, I don't think he knew what he was doing. Maybe it was not putting in the effort, but if you don't know what you are doing and learning as you go lots of effort tends to go to waste.

That was the plan. In retrospect, it's clear he was too inexperienced for the job. I do still think he underestimated the demands of the job, at least in part due to the fact that Dick was in the soft landing portion of his otherwise impressive career, and Souza just assumed this is the way it worked. Plus, he initially leaned so heavily on dated quotes and comments attributable to other coaches in other sports, you had to wonder if he had ever developed his own coaching "voice" and I do think he has yet to entirely dispel that notion after a decade on the job. Even his post-game interviews after a win nowadays seem stilted.

Unfortunately Umile was never the recruiting guy that was McCloskey and then Borek (along with Lassonde, Serino, even back to Coady). McCloskey always said if he could get the kid to campus Umile was an amazing closer with the kids and parents. Hidden in that statement is Umile probably wasn't doing much of the road work, unlike say York who was a famous recruiting rink rat all the way to the end.

Umile was The Godfather (not to be confused with Da Godfaddah) and he had top quality guys - all of the ones you listed - out there doing the legwork for him for most of his career. That was the system, and for a long time, that system worked wonderfully. MS7 never had that same quality of assistant coach, but when you are the guy in charge, it is your decision on who works for you. They need to first be able to ID and then attract talent, then coach and develop them. That's not happening, at least not consistently. And if you keep those guys on board without demanding those results, it's either because you actually believe the "shrink the rink" etc. ad nauseum excuse culture is valid, and/or you are insecure with the idea of having truly competent people on staff. Makes one wonder why Ty Conklin is no longer with the program, doesn't it?

Bring in MS7 into that environment and having MS7 needing more work as a talent evaluator / recruiter wasn't a good fit. Didn't set MS7 or the program up for success. The question I have is, did MS7 over sell himself, or were the questions never asked. How much of an paisan, in the family job was it?

With Blue Skies also firmly in the picture back then ... never underestimate the importance of being paisan in that hiring "process" ...

 

[JB]

Thanks for sharing this. Wasn't aware of the Nate Hardy award or Nate Hardy's story. Very sad but wonderful that he is honored with that award. Not surprised to hear Philbrick shined in offseason workouts, really hope he doesn't leave this offseason. His performance has been a highlight for the program.

The Hardy family story is a tough one. For those that don't know I went online and found this old story: UNH Today Lessons of Loss

I knew Josh. It was hard to hear of Nate passing (or to read this story when it came out) not because I knew Nate other than in passing rather I knew his older brother and could only imagine the pain of their father losing 2 sons.

War is hell for "in peace sons bury fathers, but war violates the order of nature, and fathers bury sons" Herodotus. Fathers aren't supposed to bury their sons, and to do it twice...

 

[JB]

Umile was The Godfather (not to be confused with Da Godfaddah) and he had top quality guys - all of the ones you listed - out there doing the legwork for him for most of his career. That was the system, and for a long time, that system worked wonderfully. MS7 never had that same quality of assistant coach, but when you are the guy in charge, it is your decision on who works for you. They need to first be able to ID and then attract talent, then coach and develop them. That's not happening, at least not consistently. And if you keep those guys on board without demanding those results, it's either because you actually believe the "shrink the rink" etc. ad nauseum excuse culture is valid, and/or you are insecure with the idea of having truly competent people on staff. Makes one wonder why Ty Conklin is no longer with the program, doesn't it?

For me it is the stories of Walsh in his early days at Maine. He was extremely hands on in recruiting: 1) he knew how from his time at MSU (?) and 2) he understood you had to have great talent evaluation, needed the best ingredients and in particular when building (or rebuilding) a program you had to get it right fast. Famously Standbrook recruited for Maine, but only after he proved himself to Walsh. I don't believe Umile ever had to be that hands on, Kullen and Coady had the ship turning by the time Umile arrived. Umile ultimately was to build on what was started, we didn't know it then, hindsight. Now Umile certainly made some excellent hires. You have to wonder if he understood his own blind spots and knew the things he needed, that he wasn't. It would make Umile self aware and might be part of explaining several decades of success, along with another pivot that happened after 97-98.

 

[HockeyRef]

From March 19, 2015:​

"UNH Eliminates Providence, Advances to Hockey East Semifinals"​

Includes videos of a talented UNH team

Oh man when Jon Gilles skates by....!!!! Great memory of this W....I was not there as it was on Sunday and I had school the next day...remember pacing back and forth (and hyperventilating) during the OT.

 

[HockeyRef]

Not feeling it this weekend ... probably still struggling with the total el foldo the team did the last time they faced PC, when the Friars snoozed through the first half of the game, and then fell behind briefly to what turned out to be a disallowed goal, then flipped the switch and totally dismantled the 'Cats afterwards in Titletown.

I think it's gonna be a PC sweep, maybe our guys get lucky and grind out an OT loss. Providence should be focused, and when they are, it's Men vs. boys ...

Yeah kind of feeling the same. In other news Mike McMahon says our HE tourney chances at 4 / 11 And with 2 games in hand could finish higher than UMl. That would be nothing short than amazing. Let's get through this weekend.