Re: UNH Wildcats 2014 Post-Season Thread: "Maybe Dick" Hunts the Great White Whale
Re: UNH Wildcats 2014 Post-Season Thread: "Maybe Dick" Hunts the Great White Whale
I think Chuck Murray's been over his house for dinner and drinks, so maybe he can help out.
Sad to say, Coach Umile hasn't ever so much as sent me a Christmas card, even though I've admittedly "gone soft" since the old days (even if "Maybe Dick" was my invention here). Probably at least in part because I've heard from too many people who know a lot LOT more about the inner workings at UNH than I do that Coach is on a
virtual lifetime contract at this point. At some point, it makes no sense to me personally to beat the guy up for trying hard but coming up short. And I have no question in my mind whatsoever that Coach Umile is totally committed and still invested in whatever success the program continues to enjoy. I honestly do not see him just sticking around to pad his State of NH pension. We can disagree with his "motions", but this is not a guy "going through the motions".
IF I was a young AD (y'know, someone with FAR less than the 35+ years of experience the incumbent enjoys) and wanted to make my mark at UNH, I would probably be pushing hard for a change. Someone younger (like the "hypothetical me" as AD
) who shared the same long-term drive and ambitions. And at the very least, if my hands were tied as BS35's may indeed be now (see lifetime contract) then maybe I'd be firing assistants and pressing Coach to hire younger guys. That's not meant as a slight to Coaches Tortorella and/or Borek BTW. It's just the only "move" that might be out there on the table, IF the "big" move indeed needs to wait.
But we don't have that guy in charge now. We have a guy in charge (BS35) who embraces the status quo to the extreme. When Coach Lassonde moved on, there was an opportunity for the UNH coaching staff to "get younger". From what I've seen to date, I have a lot of time for Coach Tortorella ... but if I'm the hypothetical young hard-charging AD, you can bet your bottom dollar that guys like Pat Foley, Mark White, Mike Souza, Josh Cicocco, etc. would have been on the short list for that position. Give Coach Umile the option to keep Coach Borek or hire Coach Tortorella (not both), and bring in one of the young alums with baseline coaching experience.
But that didn't happen, now did it? Presumably, Coach Umile insisted that he get his guys on board (keep Borek and hire Tortorella) and given the choice of standing up and forcing some sort of change in the current dynamics, BS35 presumably caved in to his wishes. Short of one of those guys deciding to move on voluntarily, or some unexpected *opportunity* arising (see
McCloskey, November 2013), any changes at the assistants level now are unlikely for the forseeable future as well.
As I've said elsewhere on here months (if not over a year) ago, UNH Athletics right now is all about complacency. And for better or for worse, nowhere is it more evident in the Men's Hockey program.
For what it's worth ... I'm rooting for UMass-Lowell in the D-1 tourney. Second option is ABBC&ND. Coach Bazin has things running like a top at Lowell, he's still relatively young AND he's an alum. We all better get used to the idea that UML is more than Hellebuyck (sp?) and promises to be around as a factor for the forseeable future. It's up to them whether they become "UMaine" (period of glory, which includes D-1 honors) or if they become "UNH" (period of glory, without D-1 honors). But they are up there for keeps, make no mistake.
Any takers?
. Good luck Club 'Cats!
Double Meh. 