Re: UNH Wildcats 2012-2013 Postseason Thread
I don't like, I think it is bogus. What you're telling me is that Umile has had no positive influence on the team in his entire 24 year career. That when the team wins, it's the players, and when they lose, or don't meet expectations of a certain subset of the fan base, then it's on him. I have always considered you an erudite fan JB. Tell me something more so I won't have to change my mind.
Erudite - wow great word! I haven't seen that used in sometime... by the way thanks.
I think you are missing my point not sure if it is your reading or my writing probably a little of both. But your comments are way outside of what I am trying to express.
UNH and Umile have changed tremendously over the 24 years. That evolution from what I see on the ice has been based on coaching growth / philosophy and talent (players) you have and can get based on the programs growth. Stealing a line from a football coach, I think Umile has made some really good meals while not being able to shop for all gourmet groceries.
So try this:
Between 1997-97 and 1998-99 there was a tremendous philosophy growth from run and gun with little D to a more rounded team that played two way hockey. Some of that was driven by the talent available. I like to think, Bekar stays - UNH wins it all in 1999, but I don't know if Bekar had stayed would the style have changed from run and gun to solid 2-way play. Some of that change had to be born from the dismantling at the hands of Michigan's two way play. However change isn't comfortable and normally happens out of some necessity. That need was 160+ points walking out the door. Maybe the change happens anyway maybe not. That change made UNH better long term.
I don't think the 1999 team makes the title game without that coaching shift. Another year of run and gun and they probably don't make the NCAAs as great as Krog was. It was the more focused style UNH played that year that got them to the game. That team was really one super line and 3 lines of just play solid 2-way even and we win. For that I give the credit to the coaches.
However at the same time UNH still didn't demonstrate the ability to play in big games (HE title, NCAA title). In that year they came out tight in both games and fought back for a chance. So why do I give the credit to the players for fighting back, well the tight play in "big" games and even not as big elimination games has dogged the team for years before and since. Several times as the better team getting blown of the ice and not fighting back. If that fight was inherent to the coaching (not the staff but the coaching get through to the players) UNH would have always been a tough out, not a repeated tight starting team that sometimes won, sometimes lost but was rarely a tough out.
Now the last 4 years we have seen another change, winning all those opening round NCAA games, being a tough out in the 2nd round even if not getting the frozen 4 is new for UNH. There has clearly been another coaching step forward. For years I doubt team looked at UNH in the NCAAs and went boy that game is going to be tough, today I would think that happens, even when they lose to superior talent it isn’t the 7-2 / 9-2 blow outs of years past. Maybe Umile of today doesn't have a tight 1999 group and he wins that one too.
I see the spikes as player performance and the long term trends or philosophy shifts as coaching. The fighting back in the 99 big game was a spike; the 2-way play for the year was a shift. In college with players around 4 years or less, with early departure or players not hitting the ground running 1st year, any trend that exists for 4 years plus is now a coach programmatic change, single year anomalies are player talent.
I do give Umile credit. I am frustrated by the glacial pace at which he has changed but he has significantly grown the program. I honestly think some of his best coaching has been the last 5 years when the talent on the ice would have had a hard time getting on that 97-98 teams 4th line. Yes he buys the groceries but that GM work isn’t the same as coaching up the players once they are on campus.