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UNH Wildcats 2016 Offseason Thread - Searching for Direction

Re: UNH Wildcats 2016 Offseason Thread - Searching for Direction

I missed this interview with Marty Scarano on the state of the programs:

Men's hockey

It's interesting times, I guess I'd say. We have this transition going on right now with Coach Umile and Mike Souza. We're getting Mike up to speed and there's a lot of things going on behind the curtain as I like to say and they're working awfully hard recruiting. We have a couple of kids coming in, one defenseman in particular that I know they're excited about.

They're going to compete and they did compete last year and we were just a little light here and there in some games. Defense was an issue last year and I think they've strengthened their defensive corps. While we lost Andrew Poturalski, I know Tyler Kelleher is ready to put some points on the board. I think we're going to be fine. We'll be fine and we'll see where that goes.
Click to expand...

http://www.unhwildcats.com/news/201...y-time-in-stadium-i-have-to-pinch-myself.aspx

presented without commentary.
 
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Re: UNH Wildcats 2016 Offseason Thread - Searching for Direction

Yeah... Don't worry your pretty little heads about it. Everything is great behind this little door, too bad we lost the key to it about 7 years ago. Complacency kills, hopefully there are good things on the horizon but the general attitude and apparent lack of drive to make things better is not helping.
 
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deltabravo62 said:
Yeah... Don't worry your pretty little heads about it. Everything is great behind this little door, too bad we lost the key to it about 7 years ago. Complacency kills, hopefully there are good things on the horizon but the general attitude and apparent lack of drive to make things better is not helping.
Click to expand...

Every little thing...gonna be alright...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mACqcZZwG0k
 
Re: UNH Wildcats 2016 Offseason Thread - Searching for Direction

I think Watcher will agree that I first described the head coaching situation as an "imperial presidency." I even think he kept it as a quote at the bottom of his posts for a while. The original use of course was by Arthur Schlesinger. Jr. In essence it seems to refers to misplaced loyalty to a person holding the office of president and not subject to outside approval or control. in other words allowing unilateral actions and unchecked powers. Some might say that "stagnation" can be the result of such a leadership model.

Not sure how one defines stagnation .... but not being in the top 33 in the preseason poll and in the lower echelon of the preseason HE poll might serve as an operational definition.

I can't remember who .... but someone once said that .... "you can't cure a fever by taking apart the thermometer." I would add that you can't cure a fever by a new scoreboard,, new marketing approaches, and whatever else now goes as the "fan experience."

After 40+ years of being a fan on UNH Men's Hockey I have been through some sad times .... most of those were episodic and sudden .... and we moved on. However, the sadness I now feel is somehow "systemic" and different. Ah - what the hell it is just UNH Hockey .... not like it is a matter of life and death. Onward .... although not till 2018.
 
Re: UNH Wildcats 2016 Offseason Thread - Searching for Direction

NCAA watcher said:
I missed this interview with Marty Scarano on the state of the programs:

Men's hockey

It's interesting times, I guess I'd say. We have this transition going on right now with Coach Umile and Mike Souza. We're getting Mike up to speed and there's a lot of things going on behind the curtain as I like to say and they're working awfully hard recruiting. We have a couple of kids coming in, one defenseman in particular that I know they're excited about.

They're going to compete and they did compete last year and we were just a little light here and there in some games. Defense was an issue last year and I think they've strengthened their defensive corps. While we lost Andrew Poturalski, I know Tyler Kelleher is ready to put some points on the board. I think we're going to be fine. We'll be fine and we'll see where that goes.

http://www.unhwildcats.com/news/201...y-time-in-stadium-i-have-to-pinch-myself.aspx

presented without commentary.
Click to expand...

This last message from our all-knowing AD really does put the "BS" in BS35+4.

For the record, "BS" stands for "Blue Skies", but the other familiar BS acronym fits equally as well here.

I guess "we'll be fine" is Sicilian for "hey, 10th place in HE means we're the best 10th place team in the country." :rolleyes:

Bring on the parade of cupcakes, and let's get the show on the road already.
 
Re: UNH Wildcats 2016 Offseason Thread - Searching for Direction

Chuck Murray said:
This last message from our all-knowing AD really does put the "BS" in BS35+4.

For the record, "BS" stands for "Blue Skies", but the other familiar BS acronym fits equally as well here.

I guess "we'll be fine" is Sicilian for "hey, 10th place in HE means we're the best 10th place team in the country." :rolleyes:

Bring on the parade of cupcakes, and let's get the show on the road already.
Click to expand...

I love a parade..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LR2LtV6RRTc
 
Re: UNH Wildcats 2016 Offseason Thread - Searching for Direction

Marty Scarano said:
We have this transition going on right now with Coach Umile and Mike Souza. We're getting Mike up to speed and there's a lot of things going on behind the curtain as I like to say and they're working awfully hard recruiting. .
Click to expand...

Thank you Marty1932, for all of these insider views into the program that are very helpful to understanding where we are and how we will fare in the future. Your statements about Mike's succession track dovetail with C-H-C's August interview and the insight Mike shed on his vision for the future.
Your decision to allow Umile to pick a favorite "son" from the old neighborhood who had never coached at a top-40 program and let him "get up to speed" on college hockey will be your signature contribution to the hockey program.

To quote Rush, "if you choose not to decide you still have made a choice."

It will be interesting to compare your first of its kind succession plan with how long it took other head coaches to "get up to speed", i.e., U.Mass, which hired Carvel in May, BU hiring Quinn in 2013, Nate Leaman was hired in 2011, Denver's Jim Montgomery after his 2013 hire, and Wisconsin, where Tony Granato was hired in April.
 
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Re: UNH Wildcats 2016 Offseason Thread - Searching for Direction

Re: Getting up to speed
Your results may vary

2000-01 U. of North Dakota WCHA Assistant
2001-02 U. of North Dakota WCHA Assistant
2002-03 U. of North Dakota WCHA Assistant
2003-04 U. of North Dakota WCHA Assistant
2004-05 U. of North Dakota WCHA Associate
2005-06 U. of North Dakota WCHA Associate
2006-07 Manitoba Moose AHL Assistant
2007-08 Manitoba Moose AHL Assistant
2010-11 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL Assistant
2011-12 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL Assistant
2012-13 U. of North Dakota WCHA Assistant
2013-14 U. of North Dakota NCHC Assistant
2014-15 U. of North Dakota NCHC Assistant
2015-16 U. of North Dakota NCHC Head

vs.

2011-12 Brown University ECAC Assistant
2012-13 Brown University ECAC Assistant
2013-14 U. of Connecticut AHA Assistant
2014-15 U. of Connecticut H-East Assistant
2015-16 U. of New Hampshire H-East Associate
 
E.J. Smith said:
Re: Getting up to speed
Your results may vary

2000-01 U. of North Dakota WCHA Assistant
2001-02 U. of North Dakota WCHA Assistant
2002-03 U. of North Dakota WCHA Assistant
2003-04 U. of North Dakota WCHA Assistant
2004-05 U. of North Dakota WCHA Associate
2005-06 U. of North Dakota WCHA Associate
2006-07 Manitoba Moose AHL Assistant
2007-08 Manitoba Moose AHL Assistant
2010-11 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL Assistant
2011-12 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL Assistant
2012-13 U. of North Dakota WCHA Assistant
2013-14 U. of North Dakota NCHC Assistant
2014-15 U. of North Dakota NCHC Assistant
2015-16 U. of North Dakota NCHC Head

vs.

2011-12 Brown University ECAC Assistant
2012-13 Brown University ECAC Assistant
2013-14 U. of Connecticut AHA Assistant
2014-15 U. of Connecticut H-East Assistant
2015-16 U. of New Hampshire H-East Associate
Click to expand...

Are you saying that we, too, will get our NC hardware in three years?
 
Re: UNH Wildcats 2016 Offseason Thread - Searching for Direction

E.J. Smith said:
Re: Getting up to speed
Your results may vary

2000-01 U. of North Dakota WCHA Assistant
2001-02 U. of North Dakota WCHA Assistant
2002-03 U. of North Dakota WCHA Assistant
2003-04 U. of North Dakota WCHA Assistant
2004-05 U. of North Dakota WCHA Associate
2005-06 U. of North Dakota WCHA Associate
2006-07 Manitoba Moose AHL Assistant
2007-08 Manitoba Moose AHL Assistant
2010-11 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL Assistant
2011-12 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL Assistant
2012-13 U. of North Dakota WCHA Assistant
2013-14 U. of North Dakota NCHC Assistant
2014-15 U. of North Dakota NCHC Assistant
2015-16 U. of North Dakota NCHC Head

vs.

2011-12 Brown University ECAC Assistant
2012-13 Brown University ECAC Assistant
2013-14 U. of Connecticut AHA Assistant
2014-15 U. of Connecticut H-East Assistant
2015-16 U. of New Hampshire H-East Associate
Click to expand...

I guess our guy is on the fast track then. Lucky us, look how close we came to really messing up ...
 
Re: UNH Wildcats 2016 Offseason Thread - Searching for Direction

C-H-C said:
"Head Coach Dick Umile at UNH Hockey Media Day"
Click to expand...

Personally, for as much criticism as I gave Coach Umile and his team last season about how they handled the captaincy, I think they've made the right decision with Cleland alone this time around. I think several of us have speculated about why Kelleher hasn't gotten a leadership letter, but Coach says the decision was pretty clear-cut, and I've never been a fan of just adding a whole lot of "A's" out just because. I made that mistake myself a couple of years ago. If it's that easy, no need to cloud the leadership issue.

Otherwise, I'm not sure how a defense that admittedly "struggled" last season, and really only adds a promising frosh (Wyse), maybe a healthy Maller, and then just the rest having an additional year's worth of experience becomes a strength? Either Wyse is really good and capable of taking on top pairing ice right from the start, or Quast and Furgele were so bad that it's addition by subtraction (maybe both?).

Coach can say Tirone and Clark start out even-steven, but I'll be shocked if Tirone isn't the top guy again.

Now ... I just want to make sure I'm reading this next part correctly ...

"With the top bracket, there's no question BU with the drafts coming in and what's coming back, and Northeastern's run at the end of the season and they have a lot coming back. It was pretty right on as far as the top bracket goes. But after the top bracket, I believe it's wide open and hopefully we can compete in that area and that will be our goal. There's not much difference between the bottom six."

I'm reading that as Coach conceding UNH is not a top six team, but should be fighting for home ice (7th/8th) in the MBPBEGAM round of the HE Playoffs. Then he talks about how being picked 10th is "motivating".

So being picked to repeat last year's finish - all the while setting the ceiling for your own team as *maybe* 2-3 slots higher - is supposed to be "motivating"??

:confused:

Listen, I understand, playing the so-called "disrespect" card (BTW I hate that word AND that concept with a passion) as a motivation for your team to overachieve, I totally get that. But if you're going to go down that path ... do you then turn into Mr. Realistic ten seconds later and put a "cap" on your team's ceiling that isn't all that much higher??

:confused: :confused:

If you're going to play the "we're (ticked) off and we're gonna prove everyone wrong" card from a 10th place prediction, then you need to follow that with an expectation of a top half finish. Double down. Otherwise, if you don't really disagree with where you've been picked - and I translate "we can finish 7th or 8th" into "their picks aren't really that far off, we might do a little better" - then jeez, leave it alone, just keep it to yourself, and limit your comments to your team.

Maybe I'm reading this too closely ... but it just seems like mixed messages, and those are best avoided.
 
Chuck Murray said:
Now ... I just want to make sure I'm reading this next part correctly ...

"With the top bracket, there's no question BU with the drafts coming in and what's coming back, and Northeastern's run at the end of the season and they have a lot coming back. It was pretty right on as far as the top bracket goes. But after the top bracket, I believe it's wide open and hopefully we can compete in that area and that will be our goal. There's not much difference between the bottom six."

I'm reading that as Coach conceding UNH is not a top six team, but should be fighting for home ice (7th/8th) in the MBPBEGAM round of the HE Playoffs. Then he talks about how being picked 10th is "motivating".

So being picked to repeat last year's finish - all the while setting the ceiling for your own team as *maybe* 2-3 slots higher - is supposed to be "motivating"??

:confused:

Listen, I understand, playing the so-called "disrespect" card (BTW I hate that word AND that concept with a passion) as a motivation for your team to overachieve, I totally get that. But if you're going to go down that path ... do you then turn into Mr. Realistic ten seconds later and put a "cap" on your team's ceiling that isn't all that much higher??

:confused: :confused:

If you're going to play the "we're (ticked) off and we're gonna prove everyone wrong" card from a 10th place prediction, then you need to follow that with an expectation of a top half finish. Double down. Otherwise, if you don't really disagree with where you've been picked - and I translate "we can finish 7th or 8th" into "their picks aren't really that far off, we might do a little better" - then jeez, leave it alone, just keep it to yourself, and limit your comments to your team.

Maybe I'm reading this too closely ... but it just seems like mixed messages, and those are best avoided.
Click to expand...

I don't know - seems pretty benign to me. It seems he's being pretty realistic about where we are, and is avoiding bombast while indicating (in a subtle way) that being preseason 10th in HEA should have us pretty ****ed off. Not only in terms of what happens this season, but generally.

I guess I'd rather this approach than the Rex Ryan approach.
 
Re: UNH Wildcats 2016 Offseason Thread - Searching for Direction

wildcatdc said:
It seems he's being pretty realistic about where we are, and is avoiding bombast while indicating (in a subtle way) that being preseason 10th in HEA should have us pretty ****ed off. Not only in terms of what happens this season, but generally.
Click to expand...

Oh, I think my posts in this thread indicate I'm pretty ******ed off. He and I just differ in a remedy.;)
 
NCAA watcher said:
Oh, I think my posts in this thread indicate I'm pretty ******ed off. He and I just differ in a remedy.;)
Click to expand...

My "us" referred to the team, but I get your point! I'm just glad he's not out there calling out BC et al, telling them how we will OWN them.
 
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