Re: UNH Wildcats 2015 Offseason - Future Planning ...or Just Rearranging the Deck Cha
Watcher, I with you more or less on what you have to say here but, like Chuck, I am taking a wait-and-see attitude. I can see the negative of committing to an untested rookie as your head coach but, on the other hand, I can understand the rationale of having continuity in the program. My overall takeaway is twofold. First, Umile is looked upon as an institution at UNH. He is been around longer than any other coach and is the highest paid. Based on the respect that the UNH institutional community has for him, it is understandable that he would hold sway if he made known his idea of a succession plan. Secondly, UNH Hockey is not in the position it was 15 years ago. Then it was a hot commodity, with highly competitive teams and sellout crowds. Back then I could see head coaches of other teams knocking down the door if a vacancy occurred. Not now though. So best to go a different route and hitch your wagon to someone you think who can carry on the tradition.
Chuck, why do you goad me into criticism when I try, I really try, to be positive
The positive. Umile finally got one good recruiting class, 2013-14 to 2017-18, which should keep the program stable if not a puncher's chance at a HE title (not NCAA worthy).
The negative. Outside of 2014 class, the list of recruits vs. de-commits is staggering. Recruiting and management of the incoming recruits to keep them on track was abysmal.
The neutral to negative. It is good that Umile finally set his personal loyalties aside and made a hard decision. The utter mess of hiring a friend in Tortorella (a mess not because he was a bad on ice coach, but he lacked the youth and recruiting chops that the program needed) took another 3 years to fix. He also addressed recruiting, but I have a hunch this was less him holding Borek accountable, but rather him telling Borek that he finally had an end-point, the 2018 season, and therefore Borek would be wise to jump to a new spot.
Finally, reverting back to an overarching theme with which others may/will agree, I think the best for the program's long-term return to vitality was a change at the HC. I went into this viewing the HC coaching change as a way to get momentum. Let's just say, in the abstract, I hate the concept of a HC in waiting. It has some positives, but also a lot of negatives. But more importantly, it was an artificial construct needed because of what I view as a selfish decision to hang on for as long as possible (until your last accomplishment, the 2014 class, leaves.) Apres mois, le deluge.
Naming a presumptive HC diffuses the "change" that one can sell, and also ties UNH to someone who would have been available to them in 2018. On the plus side, everyone is recruiting for 2018 now, so perhaps getting a head start will be a positive. The results of the next few months, as they fill the 2018 class, will begin to tell whether Mike can sell a 16 year old kid on the "trust me, I'll be your HC when you arrive, you'll be one of my first core guys" speech.
So, Chuck, to get to the answer of your question of why I do not post about the team, I have always been more interested in the GMing -- picking the team -- and seeing a long-term plan (same with the Sox, and Anderson Espinoza, Yoan Moncada, Andrew Benintendi). The Umile regime is locked in until 2018. What I will be interested in is the UNH Recruits thread, and if we start seeing 1999s, 2000s and 2001s buying into what Souza is selling. That, more than how Umile duct-tapes the absence of Masonius, will be the interesting thing this season.
Watcher, I with you more or less on what you have to say here but, like Chuck, I am taking a wait-and-see attitude. I can see the negative of committing to an untested rookie as your head coach but, on the other hand, I can understand the rationale of having continuity in the program. My overall takeaway is twofold. First, Umile is looked upon as an institution at UNH. He is been around longer than any other coach and is the highest paid. Based on the respect that the UNH institutional community has for him, it is understandable that he would hold sway if he made known his idea of a succession plan. Secondly, UNH Hockey is not in the position it was 15 years ago. Then it was a hot commodity, with highly competitive teams and sellout crowds. Back then I could see head coaches of other teams knocking down the door if a vacancy occurred. Not now though. So best to go a different route and hitch your wagon to someone you think who can carry on the tradition.
