What's new
By:
USCHO Fan Forum

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

  • The USCHO Fan Forum has migrated to a new plaform, xenForo. Most of the function of the forum should work in familiar ways. Please note that you can switch between light and dark modes by clicking on the gear icon in the upper right of the main menu bar. We are hoping that this new platform will prove to be faster and more reliable. Please feel free to explore its features.

UNH Wildcats 2016-17 Vol II -- We Do Have a Hockey Season Here!?!

Status
Not open for further replies.
Chuck Murray said:
There's only one year left on his deal. Not to mention, I'm guessing Souza will get paid much less to start.

IF there was ever going to be a time they could buy Umile out, it would be during this offseason.

For the record ... I don't want this to happen. But if this is another 11 or 12 win season ... :(
Click to expand...

Be careful what you wish for
 
Chuck Murray said:
There's only one year left on his deal. Not to mention, I'm guessing Souza will get paid much less to start.

IF there was ever going to be a time they could buy Umile out, it would be during this offseason.

For the record ... I don't want this to happen. But if this is another 11 or 12 win season ... :(
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what people were expecting over the last six weeks of the season. This is a team that lost to Bentley, Arizona State and CC. Could anyone really expect that they were going to beat teams like BC, Lowell and Providence, never mind UVM and BU to come. Weak goalie, porous defense, forwards with limited ability. Hard combo to overcome.

As for Umile, people who think he's going to be bought out are dreaming. He has a deal with UNH and both sides will live up to it, fans or the program be ****ed. Well maybe if they get another unrestricted donation from a research librarian who had an epiphany for beleaguered hockey coaches late in life maybe then there could be a buyout.
 
Re: UNH Wildcats 2016-17 Vol II -- We Do Have a Hockey Season Here!?!

We interrupt this thread to bring you a very important message....PATRIOTS BABY!!!!!:D
 
Re: UNH Wildcats 2016-17 Vol II -- We Do Have a Hockey Season Here!?!

Greg Ambrose said:
As for Umile, people who think he's going to be bought out are dreaming. He has a deal with UNH and both sides will live up to it, fans or the program be ****ed.
Click to expand...

I've always tended to agree with this ... even if the latter highlighted bit is the price we as fans have to pay.

But if it's about getting to the next round number - which it is - and there's no realistic shot at it ... awkward ...
 
Re: UNH Wildcats 2016-17 Vol II -- We Do Have a Hockey Season Here!?!

Chuck Murray said:
I've always tended to agree with this ... even if the latter highlighted bit is the price we as fans have to pay.

But if it's about getting to the next round number - which it is - and there's no realistic shot at it ... awkward ...
Click to expand...

I honestly think Umile will leave at the end of this season on his own terms....
 
Re: UNH Wildcats 2016-17 Vol II -- We Do Have a Hockey Season Here!?!

Lemonade said:
I honestly think Umile will leave at the end of this season on his own terms....
Click to expand...

I tend to agree. 600 is a stretch and he could just say, "hey time to pass the.....fill in the blank.
On another page, we all comment that he is/was the highest paid state employee. Do you think his 240,000 +/- would attract a name coach? What do other top schools pay? Would we have trusted an up and coming. I'm not sure. Hopefully the 3rd slot will come from outside the family, we need another perspective, and hopefully they have a better handle on coaching the D.
 
Re: UNH Wildcats 2016-17 Vol II -- We Do Have a Hockey Season Here!?!

After the Whistle said:
I tend to agree. 600 is a stretch and he could just say, "hey time to pass the.....fill in the blank.
On another page, we all comment that he is/was the highest paid state employee. Do you think his 240,000 +/- would attract a name coach? What do other top schools pay? Would we have trusted an up and coming. I'm not sure. Hopefully the 3rd slot will come from outside the family, we need another perspective, and hopefully they have a better handle on coaching the D.
Click to expand...

You are aware that Mike Souza has been named as the next HC right? There isn't going to be nationwide search, at least, that's how it's been put out there. As per the next associate head coach, or assistant head coach, a defensive minded person seems to be in order. And who knows what Stewie is going to do...all pure speculation at this point.
 
Re: UNH Wildcats 2016-17 Vol II -- We Do Have a Hockey Season Here!?!

After the Whistle said:
I tend to agree. 600 is a stretch and he could just say, "hey time to pass the.....fill in the blank.
On another page, we all comment that he is/was the highest paid state employee. Do you think his 240,000 +/- would attract a name coach? What do other top schools pay? Would we have trusted an up and coming. I'm not sure. Hopefully the 3rd slot will come from outside the family, we need another perspective, and hopefully they have a better handle on coaching the D.
Click to expand...

Souza is HC in waiting. They need to bring in an associate coach that can recruit with a defensive background. I am sure they know who they want. Assistants handle most of the recruiting so its an important role. In terms of salary - Jerry York makes $576K per year at BC which is less than supposed salary of Quinn at BU to give you a ballpark.
 
Re: UNH Wildcats 2016-17 Vol II -- We Do Have a Hockey Season Here!?!

On the recruiting side of things. Good to see both Souza and Stewart with recruits each of the last 3 weekends either at the Whit or walking around Durham before the games. Whether any of this translates to some upcoming commitments remains to be seen but at least they are getting kids on campus.
 
Re: UNH Wildcats 2016-17 Vol II -- We Do Have a Hockey Season Here!?!

Lemonade said:
Souza is HC in waiting. They need to bring in an associate coach that can recruit with a defensive background. I am sure they know who they want. Assistants handle most of the recruiting so its an important role. In terms of salary - Jerry York makes $576K per year at BC which is less than supposed salary of Quinn at BU to give you a ballpark.
Click to expand...

Guess i jumped to far afield on that comment - sorry. I fully realize that MS is the man. It just keeps creeping in about his fitness for the job etc. and the fact that we perhaps can't touch some of the high priced spread just needs to be kept on the table. I believe he will be an immediate improvement as I remember his fire as a player. One of the feistiest in my memory so i can't believe that he has lost that desire to win.
Just hoping he has some new ideas on both sides of the game.

Next year is lighter than I originally thought but you just don't ever really know. No one needs to say that it has no blue chipahs. And other than, the most recent pickups, none of them don't belong to MS, and perhaps not GS.
 
Re: UNH Wildcats 2016-17 Vol II -- We Do Have a Hockey Season Here!?!

Lemonade said:
I honestly think Umile will leave at the end of this season on his own terms....
Click to expand...

After the Whistle said:
I tend to agree. 600 is a stretch and he could just say, "hey time to pass the.....fill in the blank.
On another page, we all comment that he is/was the highest paid state employee. Do you think his 240,000 +/- would attract a name coach? What do other top schools pay? Would we have trusted an up and coming. I'm not sure. Hopefully the 3rd slot will come from outside the family, we need another perspective, and hopefully they have a better handle on coaching the D.
Click to expand...

I think most coaches we've seen in the past (not here at UNH) might have similar thoughts at this stage of their careers, which is why I keep this whole discussion going. But I think the point that Greg (and others, and I consider myself leaning in Greg's direction on this) is that Coach Umile probably had plans to stay forever. We're not kidding when we talk about the so-called "lifetime contract" many feel has been in place since the 2000 (?) offseason when he forced former UNH AD Judy Ray's hand by making eyes at moving to UMass Amherst.

Coach probably considers himself in the same company as Coach York, who can probably stay as long as he wants to at The Heights, while Coach Parker arguably had the same kind of plans until he started running things a little too loosely, and got pushed out. He probably took the "lifetime" thing seriously, and when BS35+4 pushed him off the "lifetime" thing two off-seasons ago, it was probably quite the shock to Coach. Maybe BS35+4 "sold" it to him with a commitment to get him to the next round number so he could leave with style and dignity?

40 wins in 3 seasons was a modest, easily attainable goal for where this program used to be ... who'd a thunk it would turn out to be life & death on whether he can get there? Even if he makes it - and I do think he will - it's not going to happen until 2018. In the old days, 40 wins was a season-and-a-half, tops. So I guess while I do hope Coach can read the writing on the wall if this year's team ends up stuck on 11 or even 12 wins, and decides to leave voluntarily a year early ... based on what I know of the guy from folks who know him way better than I do (and I'm pretty close to zero there, other than observations from afar), it sounds like they think he will have to be pried away with significant force to get him to forego Year Three of the long goodbye. And if he does get to 13 or more wins, I think that's a lock. 'Cuz in Coach's mind, Year Three is part and parcel of "his own terms".
 
Re: UNH Wildcats 2016-17 Vol II -- We Do Have a Hockey Season Here!?!

Chuck Murray said:
Maybe BS35+4 "sold" it to him with a commitment to get him to the next round number so he could leave with style and dignity?
Click to expand...

No, I actually think 2018 was picked because it was the best chance to win a championship and exit on top. If you recall, that class had 11 members, including top recruits Poturalski, Foegele, Eiserman, etc. If they remained together, and supplemented with those in the pipeline, Ryczek, Masonius, would have been in line with the UNH talent level from 2010-2014 that were on the cusp of the NCAAs. That large a senior class would be experienced and have a chance to make a good run at the HE championship and potential NCAA run.

What we came to learn is how important Borek was to holding the whole thing together for an aloof and disingaged coach. Umile thought himself king maker, and pushed a decision that alienated Borek to leave. With Borek went the kids who would have supplemented the senior class. Foegele was minimalized and left, Masonius never materialized, and the four defensive recruits, Marks, Chanter, Boyd and Furgele did not live up to potential.

And then the new hire that Umile insisted upon has taken two or three years to get used to recruiting, so there was no help in filling the void of Farabee, Ryczek, Masonius. So the whole thing splintered to the point that within the first post-Borek year it became clear that any great success upon which Umile could retire was illusory.

I think only at that point did Umile focus on other means to cement his legacy, and 600 seemed a good goal. With that slipping away, and his legacy really being tarnished by the complete dysfunction, maybe Umile does decide to walk away. Losing can't be too much fun for a guy who was able to get wins with Borek and McCloskey's talent, but now has an AD checking in on him regularly. Accountability is a *****.


Sorry Greg, I know you hate it when I do pop psych.
 
Last edited:
Re: UNH Wildcats 2016-17 Vol II -- We Do Have a Hockey Season Here!?!

I think Souza is the shot in the arm the program needs. Umile has been a fantastic coach and legend but I feel recruits want a younger and more energetic coach to play for. Someone they can relate to. If you look what BU did with the hiring of Quinn I could see the same results once UNH moves on from Umile. Jack Parker was 18-17-3, 19-12-8, 23-15-1 and 21-16-2 over his last 3 years then Quinn arrived with energy and put BU back to the top. It can happen. Look around the NCAA landscape and it almost always takes a younger coach coming in to turn a program around.
 
Re: UNH Wildcats 2016-17 Vol II -- We Do Have a Hockey Season Here!?!

Well it was a long time in coming, the Claude Julien firing...any thoughts? I doubt a new coach is going to help these Bruins...like Wally from Maine likes to say "be careful what you wish for".
 
Re: UNH Wildcats 2016-17 Vol II -- We Do Have a Hockey Season Here!?!

HockeyRef said:
Well it was a long time in coming, the Claude Julien firing...any thoughts? I doubt a new coach is going to help these Bruins...like Wally from Maine likes to say "be careful what you wish for".
Click to expand...

Maybe the Bruins will hire Dick Umile. :D :D :D Then the quest will be over...
 
Re: UNH Wildcats 2016-17 Vol II -- We Do Have a Hockey Season Here!?!

HockeyRef said:
Well it was a long time in coming, the Claude Julien firing...any thoughts? I doubt a new coach is going to help these Bruins...like Wally from Maine likes to say "be careful what you wish for".
Click to expand...

But seriously...mixed thoughts. "Normally" I would say, "Oh, sure, so now the players start playing better and that was the coach's fault?" Personally, I think the problem with this team is Cam Neely. Sweeny is just a Neely puppet. Why do you think Chiarelli left? Neely wouldn't let him draft the way he wanted. Neely still thinks the game is played like it was when he played. I'm not taking anything away from the guy as a player...but he needs to get with it.
 
Re: UNH Wildcats 2016-17 Vol II -- We Do Have a Hockey Season Here!?!

For any interested folks who haven't heard, the NHL Network is running a special on the Making of Slap Shot tomorrow evening to celebrate the 40th anniversary of that classic.
 
Re: UNH Wildcats 2016-17 Vol II -- We Do Have a Hockey Season Here!?!

chickod said:
But seriously...mixed thoughts. "Normally" I would say, "Oh, sure, so now the players start playing better and that was the coach's fault?" Personally, I think the problem with this team is Cam Neely. Sweeny is just a Neely puppet. Why do you think Chiarelli left? Neely wouldn't let him draft the way he wanted. Neely still thinks the game is played like it was when he played. I'm not taking anything away from the guy as a player...but he needs to get with it.
Click to expand...

Yeah there's a lot to be said about that management team. Bruins will most likely miss the playoffs for the 3rd consecutive year. Sounds like some other team I know..:rolleyes:
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top