UNH Wildcats 2017/2018 - Umile's Last Stand - The Grand Finale

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017/2018 - Umile's Last Stand - The Grand Finale

I enjoyed reading a lot of the feedback and I'm frankly ambivalent about the events of the last couple of evenings to honor Coach Umile. There were so many good years and great experiences he brought the program through - not the least of which was the transformative construction of the Whittemore Center in the mid-'90s, which only happened when it did because of the upswing in the program that kicked in once Coach had been in charge for a few seasons. In retrospect, I'm sure it was going to happen at some point ... but to those who were not fortunate enough to have experienced those years, it's hard to explain the game-changer that The Whitt was at the time. BU was still playing in WBA, Conte (BC) was always predominantly designed as a basketball arena (as was Mullins in Amherst), and Tsongas was just coming on line a year or so after The Whitt. Places like The Gutt, Alfond and Mathews Arenas, and the North Andover High School Arena are still in place, and The Coffin a/k/a Scheider was only recently renovated. So maybe The Whitt wasn't as inevitable as some of us might think? And maybe Coach deserves more credit for that having happened?

But the one sentence I highlighted in HR's post just highlights the daunting task that lies before Coach Souza and his staff, as we look ahead to the future of the UNH Hockey program. A lot - LOT - of Coach Umile's goodwill built up over the first 20 or so (give or take) of his career has been squandered in this decade. In fact, there's almost nothing left of it. Everything is in a downward spiral. And even the first couple of years where Coach Souza should enjoy a "honeymoon" period, that's really non-existent. He's already been here for the last three seasons, and those seasons have without question coincidentally (or not) been the longest (arguably only) extended truly down stretch during Coach Umile's 3 decades in charge.

So I guess my point is, I'm not sure Coach Souza deserves anything more than he works to produce himself. And the early returns have hardly been encouraging. As much as we want to criticize (and even vilify at times) Coach Umile for staying around too long, and (apparently) insisting on having a say on his successor ... it takes two to tango, and to reiterate a point that I think others (including Dan) and myself have been making over and over in recent seasons, Coach Souza knew the deal coming in, and Day One of being head coach will not be September 2018. It was back in June 2015 when he was hired. And if he showed too much deference to his former coach by not putting his imprint on the program sooner ... then shame on him. To revisit a term overused during the offseason ... Coach Souza doesn't get a "mulligan" for the last three seasons. That was supposed to be his springboard. Patience for him and his future staff should be curtailed accordingly. Besides the fact that Coach Umile hand-picked Souza as his successor, I'd be tempted to say that Coach Umile himself arguably is the most aggrieved party for Souza's lack of success on the recruiting trails. If that's not prototypical boomerang UNH ironic "karma", I'm not sure I can think of a more apropos example.

Final thought, and I'm sure 'Watcher and some of the other long-timers who raised criticisms of the process will have picked up on this already, given the timing of things ... Coach Josh McDaniels just recently walked away from a really good coaching opportunity to stay on as an assistant with his professional "alma mater", so to speak. There was no proclamation or announcement during all the publicity about how the mentor was going to basically open the book to his institutional knowledge and methods to the protégé that McDaniels was guaranteed diddly squat when the mentor eventually decides to "go fishing". I think his only REAL guarantee is that he'll get the last first interview AND a second interview. Query why this was not the way our esteemed uber-experienced AD played things with Coach Souza in June 2015? Especially after the way the last three seasons have only seen the program wallowing in a deeper state of mediocrity, when the recruiting experts among us were talking about how Borek had the pipeline looking so promising that deep tourney runs were predicted in 2017 and/or 2018?

The idea that a national search is apparently NOT going to happen here, and that Coach Souza - who frankly has done little over the last three seasons to show he is ready for this HUGE challenge - is just going to walk into the head coach's job, is disappointing. I'm willing to see what decisions are going to be made to fill out his staff, whether Coach Stewart stays, and what comes of some of the interesting candidates' names that have been posted on this thread, or discussed in more discreet places. But the Souza Era will be starting on a short leash, at least from this corner. JMHO.

How short is that leash going to be Chuck? One season? And just how much 'power' did the guy have during this 'transition' was he expected to turn the team around into teams of the past? He's NOT the HC (yet) and none of us on this board have any real idea about just how much input he's had other than he runs the D and the PP. I think that's hardly a realistic POV given the circumstances, the recruits, etc. that have been in place when he arrived. Not to impugn any of the current players absolutely not. And yes the PP hasn't been exactly on fire but that's not entirely his fault if he doesn't have the finisher/playmakers of the past. (and yeah, not thrilled about our 5 on 3 if I was totally honest) But to determine how he's going to be as HC from these past 3 years which, I will say, was NOT an ideal situation for anyone, MS, or anyone else for that matter.

Now...I do understand your (and others) points about recruiting results and I hope that we will hear more about that in the coming weeks to fill out what's needed on the team NOW and beyond. I'm encouraged by the recent recruits that have come our way like Ty Taylor, and Tim Stutzle. Really hopeful that Angus Crookshank develops quickly into that pure goal scorer at the D1 level they desperately need. But I just feel to say he's done 'little' over the past 3 years does him a great disservice. Granted...talk is cheap, and results, speak. He's got a lot to prove there is no doubt that he can indeed, turn the program around.

That being said, no question he's got to produce competitive teams but it's not going to happen overnight. By overnight I am not talking about next season, maybe even the next 2. What would it realistically take? I believe he has a strong vision for the program. As a heavily invested fan I do indeed have big hopes and expectations for the new coach trust me on that. But man he doesn't even have the center spot yet and it's already doom and gloom. I say give the guy a fighting chance...not a choke collar.

 

[Dan]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017/2018 - Umile's Last Stand - The Grand Finale

Umile accomplished a lot at UNH. He turned out some incredible teams and magical seasons. I'm happy his players revere him. I'm glad there is a family atmosphere at UNH. However, the unfortunate reality is that the turnout for Coach's weekend is directly correlated with the team's performance the last five years. Friends of the program and former players can be 'disappointed' with the fans if they wish - but the vast majority of the fault for that turnout lays at the feet of one man and not at the feet of a fan base that was gouged in the good times and has been ignored in the bad times...

Thanks HockeyRef.....���� I think you hit the key difference.....for those fans of the last 5-8 years, there isn’t much of what made UNH hockey around! Unfortunately, the brain trust in the field house forgot what put UNH on the national stage.......there are many of us that are now hoping that Souza and Stewy can turn that around! Ask yourself how a top recruit would choose Lowell or Providence over the UNH campus that ranks nationally.......if the program gets the true support it needs to compete off the ice, it won’t be long before UNH gets back to those games of national importance!

UNH will NEVER sniff national importance again, UNTIL the excuses stop. The coach's job is to win with what he has. The athletic department is not immune in this. They could be more competitive. They could be more creative in generating revenue and fan interest. They could stop enabling mediocrity and these excuses. All that is true. What is not true, is that UNH Hockey does not have all it needs to win at the highest level. They have everything they need. The AD, those close to the program and especially the coaches need to stop imagining reasons why the program can't be successful and start doing what it takes so that it can be successful. Accountability, until then nothing changes...

I'd love to hear specifics about what UNH isn't getting from the athletic department. What do they want that they don't have. Unless they are being prevented from traveling to recruit, have less than 18 scholarships to work with or assistant coach salaries haven't been bumped since Umile took over (only matters when you hire outside of your circle, anyway) than they have what they need.

Facilities is certainly the wrong answer. There are TWO schools in the East with markedly better arenas/facilities than UNH - BU and BC. Everyone else is in the same general 'arena' (so to speak) or much worse. Many of the teams with much worse are winning. Clarkson is winning. Union has won for a decade. Northeastern is winning. Cornell and Harvard win with lesser facilities and actual admissions difficulties. Out West St. Cloud, Michigan Tech, Northern Michigan and Western Michigan are winning, or have recently won, with less. UNH has a better arena than three Big Ten schools - two of which would be in the tournament if it started today.

In general UNH competes with TWO types of schools. Schools that have basically the same facilities and budgets as UNH. And schools that have ALWAYS had better facilities and budgets than UNH. It never stopped them from competing before. What is different now than when Umile started his career? When UNH's facilities actually were awful and they still won (So much so that they EARNED upgrades, money and AD attention)? When they didn't make excuses?

Tsongas Arena is a Whittemore Center clone that is off campus and shared. The renovations at Schneider have pulled it even with the Whitt. So why do both schools trump UNH in recruiting despite their campuses? Like the schools mentioned above, it has nothing to do with facilities and everything to do with having coaching staffs who make recruiting a priority, posses the confidence and drive to target high-end prospects and the enthusiasm, salesmanship and plan in place to close recruits.

After falling asleep at the switch and failing to monitor the transcripts of recruits or emailing the wrong age groups, Umile was never willing to do what it took (being heavily involved) to re-claim the program's footing. Borek wasn't capable. Since Souza's arrival UNH has decided to take a casual approach to recruiting. Recruiting is why UNH finds itself behind so many other programs. Not facilities or anything else tangible they don't have. Umile, Borek, Souza, Stewart - they haven't been good enough and the program is suffering...

Any coach - in any sport - making excuses like this are indicating they aren't up for the job. Its fair to quietly ask for - or want - better facilities and bigger budgets. In the meantime, you maximize what you have...

 

[Dan]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017/2018 - Umile's Last Stand - The Grand Finale

How short is that leash going to be Chuck? One season? And just how much 'power' did the guy have during this 'transition' was he expected to turn the team around into teams of the past? He's NOT the HC (yet) and none of us on this board have any real idea about just how much input he's had other than he runs the D and the PP. I think that's hardly a realistic POV given the circumstances, the recruits, etc. that have been in place when he arrived. Not to impugn any of the current players absolutely not. And yes the PP hasn't been exactly on fire but that's not entirely his fault if he doesn't have the finisher/playmakers of the past. (and yeah, not thrilled about our 5 on 3 if I was totally honest) But to judge how he does coming into the center position from the very get go isn't entirely realistic.

Now...I do understand your (and others) points about recruiting results and I hope that we will hear more about that in the coming weeks to fill out what's needed on the team NOW and beyond. I'm encouraged by the recent recruits that have come our way like Ty Taylor, and Tim Stutzle. Really hopeful that Angus Crookshank develops quickly into that pure goal scorer at the D1 level they desperately need. But I just feel to say he's done 'little' over the past 3 years does him a great disservice. Granted...talk is cheap, and results, speak. He's got a lot to prove there is no doubt that he can indeed, turn the program around.

That being said, no question he's got to produce competitive teams but it's not going to happen overnight. By overnight I am talking about next season, maybe even the next 2. I believe he has a strong vision for the program. As a heavily invested fan I do indeed have big hopes and expectations for the new coach trust me on that. But man he doesn't even have the center spot yet and it's already doom and gloom. I say give the guy a fighting chance...not a choke collar.

The ONLY thing Souza needed to have control over was the one thing he ABSOLUTELY had full control over. Recruiting. Umile hasnt been directly involved in recruiting for decades - he wasn't starting in the last three years of his career. Souza has managed recruiting on his own and the results have not been good enough. There is simply no getting around that. His best gets to date have been players dropped by other programs months prior to the season. He's targeted a number of projects who projected as role players and haven't exceeded initial expectations. A number of high-end prospects decommitted on him initially - and Commesso did too. The pace of recruiting has been glacial and without any urgency. Its hard to review this one area in which he, undoubtedly, had full-control, see mediocrity and expect much when he is running the whole show...

Stutzle, Crookshank and Taylor are nice pick-ups. Still, we need to remember that a team with Poturalski and Kelleher and a bunch of role players stunk. That is the type of team they're building right now - A team with a few nice pieces and a lot of replaceable parts. Its not close to good enough yet. We also all know that a goaltender is only as good as the team in front of him. The team being built in front of Taylor right now is not good enough yet. Stutzle is years away and a huge flight risk to MJ. He has to get here first (Taylor, too). As for Crookshank - he's good. But he is more Liam Blackburn good than AP/TK or Jason Krog good. They need to start stacking Crookshanks if they want this boat to turnaround...

Souza has shown he's willing to drop a recruit (Darcy) when he recruits over him. The fact that he hasn't recruited over the remaining Borek recruits is another red flag. Its either because he hasn't been able to or he thinks they're the difference makers he needs. This is a three year body of work leading the recruiting charge for UNH. The results are mixed at the absolute best. He's also been in charge of the defense which is constantly maligned on this board (personnel not withstanding). The PP has proven completely stagnant sans a superstar forward and adjustments have been few and far between.

He had four-years of experience before coming here - its not really surprising or even his fault. It was a horrible position to put both him and the program into. That said, he starts year two on the hot-seat for me unless there is noticeable on-ice and, more importantly, recruiting improvement. If year one is noticeably bad and recruiting continues to sputter I wont even want him to get a second season. The three years starts his resume without question. If they recognize shortly after promotion, he isn't the guy for the job they need to do what they should have done in the first place. A national search for the highest qualified candidate. They can't afford a grace period. If he is given too long a leash, the program likely never recovers...

---

And this is where concern about an apathetic Athletic Department with 'little UNH' syndrome has the potential to become a REAL problem. See Marty Scarano and the high-standards for the basketball program. That sort of future is a real possibility for UNH Hockey if they don't get this right...

The older posters can correct me if I'm wrong - but looking back, it seems like they were more than a bit lucky when replacing Holt. Kullen was a fairly experienced assistant - but was still the first of two in-house hires and he was a part of the Holt downfall. Umile had (yup!) four-years of assistant experience when he basically 'took over' as the 'associate head coach', then he was handed the full-time job and became an all-time great.

They can't simply count on getting lucky in this transition. They have to be proactive in making sure they get the right guy - no matter who it is or what it takes.

 

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017/2018 - Umile's Last Stand - The Grand Finale

The ONLY thing Souza needed to have control over was the one thing he ABSOLUTELY had full control over. Recruiting. Umile hasnt been directly involved in recruiting for decades - he wasn't starting in the last three years of his career. Souza has managed recruiting on his own and the results have not been good enough. There is simply no getting around that. His best gets to date have been players dropped by other programs months prior to the season. He's targeted a number of projects who projected as role players and haven't exceeded initial expectations. A number of high-end prospects decommitted on him initially - and Commesso did too. The pace of recruiting has been glacial and without any urgency. Its hard to review this one area in which he, undoubtedly, had full-control, see mediocrity and expect much when he is running the whole show...

Stutzle, Crookshank and Taylor are nice pick-ups. Still, we need to remember that a team with Poturalski and Pesce and a bunch of role players stunk. That is the type of team they're building right now - A team with a few nice pieces and a lot of replaceable parts. Its not close to good enough yet. We also all know that a goaltender is only as good as the team in front of him. The team being built in front of Taylor right now is not good enough yet. Stutzle is years away and a huge flight risk to MJ. He has to get here first (Taylor, too). As for Crookshank - he's good. But he is more Liam Blackburn good than AP/TK or Jason Krog good. They need to start stacking Crookshanks if they want this boat to turnaround...

Souza has shown he's willing to drop a recruit (Darcy) when he recruits over him. The fact that he hasn't recruited over the remaining Borek recruits is another red flag. Its either because he hasn't been able to or he thinks they're the difference makers he needs. This is a three year body of work leading the recruiting charge for UNH. The results are mixed at the absolute best. He's also been in charge of the defense which is constantly maligned on this board (personnel not withstanding). The PP has proven completely stagnant sans a superstar forward and adjustments have been few and far between.

He had four-years of experience before coming here - its not really surprising or even his fault. It was a horrible position to put both him and the program into. That said, he starts year two on the hot-seat for me unless there is noticeable on-ice and, more importantly, recruiting improvement. If year one is noticeably bad and recruiting continues to sputter I wont even want him to get a second season. The three years starts his resume without question. If they recognize shortly after promotion, he isn't the guy for the job they need to do what they should have done in the first place. A national search for the highest qualified candidate. They can't afford a grace period. If he is given too long a leash, the program likely never recovers...

---

And this is where concern about an apathetic Athletic Department with 'little UNH' syndrome has the potential to become a REAL problem. See Marty Scarano and the high-standards for the basketball program. That sort of future is a real possibility for UNH Hockey if they don't get this right...

The older posters can correct me if I'm wrong - but looking back, it seems like they were more than a bit lucky when replacing Holt. Kullen was a fairly experienced assistant - but was still the first of two in-house hires and he was a part of the Holt downfall. Umile had (yup!) four-years of assistant experience when he basically 'took over' as the 'associate head coach', then he was handed the full-time job and became an all-time great.

They can't simply count on getting lucky in this transition. They have to be proactive in making sure they get the right guy - no matter who it is or what it takes.

Many valid points here Dan...I agree that the recruiting is the single most important facet of any program and something that is measurable...The future of the program depends on it and we cannot afford to go another 5 years or I would honestly wonder how the program could sustain itself! I am truly hopeful, and watch with the rest of you.

 

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017/2018 - Umile's Last Stand - The Grand Finale

He had four-years of experience before coming here - its not really surprising or even his fault. It was a horrible position to put both him and the program into. That said, he starts year two on the hot-seat for me unless there is noticeable on-ice and, more importantly, recruiting improvement. If year one is noticeably bad and recruiting continues to sputter I wont even want him to get a second season. The three years starts his resume without question. If they recognize shortly after promotion, he isn't the guy for the job they need to do what they should have done in the first place. A national search for the highest qualified candidate. They can't afford a grace period. If he is given too long a leash, the program likely never recovers...

---

And this is where concern about an apathetic Athletic Department with 'little UNH' syndrome has the potential to become a REAL problem. See Marty Scarano and the high-standards for the basketball program. That sort of future is a real possibility for UNH Hockey if they don't get this right...

This will do for me. Having said that, I'm fascinated to see what Souza does to round out his staff for next season, and how they then get on with the work that lies ahead. He really needs to knock this out of the park to get a lot of us back on board, because truth be told, the first two & three-quarter seasons of The Great Three Year Plan have been an abysmal failure. So far. I don't think anything positive has been accomplished since June 2015, and even the low-hanging fruit of the NRN looks like it's going to end up just beyond Coach's grasp.

The idea that the UNH Hockey program has been parked in neutral for Souza's ascendancy only increases the pressure on him ... but it's hard to argue he didn't come into this with his eyes wide open. Maybe the ultimate UNH irony here is that while Souza's poor recruiting could have left his mentor short of any sort of storybook ending to his coaching career ... a sudden awakening and reverse of direction could end up being Coach Umile's ultimate "cherry on the ice cream sundae" gift to his UNH Hockey legacy, well after he's retired.

It's going to be a dour next edition of the Quest, and I suspect the season (and the Umile Era) are done in less than three weeks' time ... but the jury will be out on his final impact for a few years longer.

 

[Lemonade]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017/2018 - Umile's Last Stand - The Grand Finale

The ONLY thing Souza needed to have control over was the one thing he ABSOLUTELY had full control over. Recruiting. Umile hasnt been directly involved in recruiting for decades - he wasn't starting in the last three years of his career. Souza has managed recruiting on his own and the results have not been good enough. There is simply no getting around that. His best gets to date have been players dropped by other programs months prior to the season. He's targeted a number of projects who projected as role players and haven't exceeded initial expectations. A number of high-end prospects decommitted on him initially - and Commesso did too. The pace of recruiting has been glacial and without any urgency. Its hard to review this one area in which he, undoubtedly, had full-control, see mediocrity and expect much when he is running the whole show...

Stutzle, Crookshank and Taylor are nice pick-ups. Still, we need to remember that a team with Poturalski and Kelleher and a bunch of role players stunk. That is the type of team they're building right now - A team with a few nice pieces and a lot of replaceable parts. Its not close to good enough yet. We also all know that a goaltender is only as good as the team in front of him. The team being built in front of Taylor right now is not good enough yet. Stutzle is years away and a huge flight risk to MJ. He has to get here first (Taylor, too). As for Crookshank - he's good. But he is more Liam Blackburn good than AP/TK or Jason Krog good. They need to start stacking Crookshanks if they want this boat to turnaround...

Souza has shown he's willing to drop a recruit (Darcy) when he recruits over him. The fact that he hasn't recruited over the remaining Borek recruits is another red flag. Its either because he hasn't been able to or he thinks they're the difference makers he needs. This is a three year body of work leading the recruiting charge for UNH. The results are mixed at the absolute best. He's also been in charge of the defense which is constantly maligned on this board (personnel not withstanding). The PP has proven completely stagnant sans a superstar forward and adjustments have been few and far between.

He had four-years of experience before coming here - its not really surprising or even his fault. It was a horrible position to put both him and the program into. That said, he starts year two on the hot-seat for me unless there is noticeable on-ice and, more importantly, recruiting improvement. If year one is noticeably bad and recruiting continues to sputter I wont even want him to get a second season. The three years starts his resume without question. If they recognize shortly after promotion, he isn't the guy for the job they need to do what they should have done in the first place. A national search for the highest qualified candidate. They can't afford a grace period. If he is given too long a leash, the program likely never recovers...

---

And this is where concern about an apathetic Athletic Department with 'little UNH' syndrome has the potential to become a REAL problem. See Marty Scarano and the high-standards for the basketball program. That sort of future is a real possibility for UNH Hockey if they don't get this right...

The older posters can correct me if I'm wrong - but looking back, it seems like they were more than a bit lucky when replacing Holt. Kullen was a fairly experienced assistant - but was still the first of two in-house hires and he was a part of the Holt downfall. Umile had (yup!) four-years of assistant experience when he basically 'took over' as the 'associate head coach', then he was handed the full-time job and became an all-time great.

They can't simply count on getting lucky in this transition. They have to be proactive in making sure they get the right guy - no matter who it is or what it takes.

I second the opinion that Dan should be a scout/recruiter/writer - great stuff as usual!

Totally agree with the recruiting concerns and they are 100% valid. I think the cupboards are more than bare at this point and the future of UNH is going to get worse before it gets better. You need talent and in the hockey east you need TOP talent. UNH on paper doesnt have that. Right now they are getting the leftovers/late decommits - that may work but your at a much higher risk of failure with that strategy. UNH has to land big time recruits and in turn those recruits attract recruits. Instead, UNH has been sitting on their hands watching as the 01/02/03 blue chip classes are picked clean. UNH will need a clear recruiting strategy and soon if they want to turn around the program and currently I aint seeing one.

 

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017/2018 - Umile's Last Stand - The Grand Finale

I guess the thing that is a concern to me regarding the comments about where Souza is, etc is the 'assumption' that the recruiters (Souza/Stewart) are sitting on their hands and letting these great players pass them by. Who in here really knows what they have, have not done, who they have, have not contacted? Do we honestly believe that UNH would be able to recruit 100% of these players? Belief factor has been mentioned and I agree; if you don't believe you can recruit them, then you probably won't. If the reality is that we just aren't doing that, then, I'll stop spending my $$ right now. I'd like to believe otherwise. I know we are basing much of this on the tangible, who's on paper, who's walking through that door and pulling the jersey over thier head and I get that. But that should be the only real truth to it; not that they haven't tried. This isn't something we, the average fan...are privvy to!

Take them away from their 'BeanPot Dreams' of playing for a Boston school? I had this same convo at the 'Whitt before a game with someone who felt that UNH just needs to attract these players away from the Boston schools. That would be great. (See Johnny Gaudreau and gosh knows how many others? Oh and yes I know the Johhny Hockey miss was admissions...) Well sure we could! Why not? I think a better question is...why AREN'T these blue chippahs showing up? It's too easy an answer to say they (coaches) aren't contacting them. Just too easy an answer. That's something I'd like to know...'coz I can't think of a better place to play than here!

I have no idea, none, nada on what these coaches are doing on a daily basis when it comes to recruiting. We can say 'well, just look at the results' and that does have validity. But to assume they are doing nothing? Come on...it's just not valid. It's the assumption that IF they contacted XYZ player, they'd def be on board. I think that is not reality. We'd be stacked beyond belief if that was true. You guys who really know how this works know that not every player takes the bait for whatever reason. If UNH is making excuses about facilities etc...well, that's ridiculous. Sure we do need upgrades to locker rooms but playing here, going to the University, has it's perks. Dan has pointed out this recruiting fallacy and that...is valid.

If anyone knows any different, do tell. I'd hate for any potential recruit that reads this board to think that our coaches don't care or work at making UNH Hockey the team it once was, because that is absolutely the farthest thing from the truth. JMHO. Ok, let me have it.

 

[NCAA watcher]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017/2018 - Umile's Last Stand - The Grand Finale

*UNH will always be a desirable hockey location, so the underlying concern about needing to do something quickly is not apt.
*Marty and Umile made a huge mistake for a reboot of the program in 2015, creating a bad situation of Mike
*Implicit in the choice and the two years of pacivity is that there is a strong autopilot that would keep the program on a good path, and the Umile aura/UNH magic was enough while Mike learned the ropes of "coaching." That implicit notion is, I suggest, contrary to Dan's "little UNH" syndrome. I think it's hubris that UNH would succeed, and Dick could just sit back while Mike learned the ropes.
*The assumption that recruiting took care of itself speaks great deal about Umile's biggest failing in making no effort to something that "took care of itself."
*The assumption, and deference to his mentor, are a significant inhibiting factor to Mike's lack of success in recruiting the past three years. I suspect he went in with the idea of his 98-01 experience (and that as an assistant elsewhere), that UNH selected players (and he could recruit top kids by saying "I'm from UNH".) He has slowly come to learn that the dynamic is exactly reversed, and that recruits are not lining up based just on history, but instead want to know the future.
*Mike may well have the potential to be a good coach, but he has no track record to flash for recruits, and Umile's sales pitch to Marty about how Souza's "up and coming" isn't apparent outside the bubble.
*Recruits and their advisors have no reason to view Mike with any presumption based on his limited/unremarkable track record, and to overcome that, he's have to show a hunger (rather than pacivity) we really haven't seen.
*Having made the choice in 2015, Marty has to give Mike an extended learning period. Dan's one year plus probation is too short. I side more with C-H-C's three year but with high expectations timeframe (though I was surprised when even C-H-C said an NCAA bid was an acceptable requirement). My concern had been that UNH would give Souza a five year window.
*I don't think on ice expectations should govern, other than improved play from HE bottom three (9-11) into the 7-8 range. Too much of the cake for the next two years is already baked to expect him to achieve more.
*I think someone has to be able to help the current admin in evaluating recruiting progress. All of us are extremely limited in being able to evaluate how UNH is doing, and Mike has gotten four decent recruits in Crookshank, Gildon, Maass and Taylor. It's not that he can't do it, but he needs greater consistency.
*I hope the Admin recognizes enough red flags/not meeting expectations that they force on Mike the "support" he needs, which means that if he doesn't recognize the need for experience vs. hiring a closer trusted friend (the Lassonde v. White/Mowers discussion) that they do.
*I am torn about the above item. I have joked somewhat about Lassonde as co-Coach, which I think is the best path forward. It would get someone a) with instant credibility in the USA hockey framework, and b) proven recruiting skills. I imagine the only way he would come back is if he could have a far greater say and title -- which is why the co-Coach title. But I would give Mike a choice: You can accept losing some of your authority, but with a three year time frame. Or you can decide to do this your own way, but that means the leash will be shorter, no guarantees.
*The above gives you a clear three year track if the program doesn't stabilize.
*The question is what happens if, after three years, they are trending upwards. You need to answer that question. First, keep in mind this would be a good position, meaning the co-coaching is working, so do you change it? I assume it works unless the egos then pose a problem. From Mike's perspective, he's now shown himself to be the top dog (with help), so take the training wheels off. If he has options elsewhere, he could request/demand that, and I suppose UNH could agree and make him the full coach. From David's perspective, he's upgrading salary, moving closer to home, and a higher profile position. If the choice is made in 2021, he's no worse off, with lots of options as an assistant, and perhaps even (at age 59), a HC job somewhere else.

 

[Lemonade]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017/2018 - Umile's Last Stand - The Grand Finale

I guess the thing that is a concern to me regarding the comments about where Souza is, etc is the 'assumption' that the recruiters (Souza/Stewart) are sitting on their hands and letting these great players pass them by. Who in here really knows what they have, have not done, who they have, have not contacted? Do we honestly believe that UNH would be able to recruit 100% of these players? Belief factor has been mentioned and I agree; if you don't believe you can recruit them, then you probably won't. If the reality is that we just aren't doing that, then, I'll stop spending my $$ right now. I'd like to believe otherwise. I know we are basing much of this on the tangible, who's on paper, who's walking through that door and pulling the jersey over thier head and I get that. But that should be the only real truth to it; not that they haven't tried. This isn't something we, the average fan...are privvy to!

Take them away from their 'BeanPot Dreams' of playing for a Boston school? I had this same convo at the 'Whitt before a game with someone who felt that UNH just needs to attract these players away from the Boston schools. That would be great. (See Johnny Gaudreau and gosh knows how many others? Oh and yes I know the Johhny Hockey miss was admissions...) Well sure we could! Why not? I think a better question is...why AREN'T these blue chippahs showing up? It's too easy an answer to say they (coaches) aren't contacting them. Just too easy an answer. That's something I'd like to know...'coz I can't think of a better place to play than here!

I have no idea, none, nada on what these coaches are doing on a daily basis when it comes to recruiting. We can say 'well, just look at the results' and that does have validity. But to assume they are doing nothing? Come on...it's just not valid. It's the assumption that IF they contacted XYZ player, they'd def be on board. I think that is not reality. We'd be stacked beyond belief if that was true. You guys who really know how this works know that not every player takes the bait for whatever reason. If UNH is making excuses about facilities etc...well, that's ridiculous. Sure we do need upgrades to locker rooms but playing here, going to the University, has it's perks. Dan has pointed out this recruiting fallacy and that...is valid.

If anyone knows any different, do tell. I'd hate for any potential recruit that reads this board to think that our coaches don't care or work at making UNH Hockey the team it once was, because that is absolutely the farthest thing from the truth. JMHO. Ok, let me have it.

Recruits are looking for the following in my opinion:

1. WINNING - recruits want a successful program with realistic aspirations of winning a National Championship. UNH cannot offer that right now.

2. COACHING - recruits want coaching staffs that will hopefully get the player to the next level. UNH cannot offer that right now. I look at the resurgence of Wisconsin as a blueprint. They had a down period and went out and hired a high profile, NHL experienced coach who attracted players. Now Wisconsin is trending back to a national title contender (note they were 4-26 in 2014/5 season!). No program has more blue chip recruits lined up than Wisconsin. They are on clear upswing.

3. FACILITIES - recruits want great locker rooms, players lounges, training rooms, etc. UNH has what I would say is "average- below average" facilities compared to competition.

4. FAN SUPPORT - recruits want to play in front of fans and on TV. UNH is "below average" in this category in my opinion. College hockey as whole is struggling but the atmosphere at the Whit isnt close to be a factor anymore. 66.7% capacity isnt bad but its not going to sway a recruit either.

5. ACADEMICS - recruits want a solid education. UNH once again is "average" in this area.

Right now UNH is a tough sell. The Glory Days are long gone and recruiting a 14yr old or 15 yr old werent even born when UNH was in the Frozen Four. Those kids dont care - its about now.

 

[Dan]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017/2018 - Umile's Last Stand - The Grand Finale

Recruits are looking for the following in my opinion:

1. WINNING - recruits want a successful program with realistic aspirations of winning a National Championship. UNH cannot offer that right now.

2. COACHING - recruits want coaching staffs that will hopefully get the player to the next level. UNH cannot offer that right now. I look at the resurgence of Wisconsin as a blueprint. They had a down period and went out and hired a high profile, NHL experienced coach who attracted players. Now Wisconsin is trending back to a national title contender (note they were 4-26 in 2014/5 season!). No program has more blue chip recruits lined up than Wisconsin. They are on clear upswing.

3. FACILITIES - recruits want great locker rooms, players lounges, training rooms, etc. UNH has what I would say is "average- below average" facilities compared to competition.

4. FAN SUPPORT - recruits want to play in front of fans and on TV. UNH is "below average" in this category in my opinion. College hockey as whole is struggling but the atmosphere at the Whit isnt close to be a factor anymore. 66.7% capacity isnt bad but its not going to sway a recruit either.

5. ACADEMICS - recruits want a solid education. UNH once again is "average" in this area.

Right now UNH is a tough sell. The Glory Days are long gone and recruiting a 14yr old or 15 yr old werent even born when UNH was in the Frozen Four. Those kids dont care - its about now.

I would agree with most of this - these are major factors in the minds of recruits and parents (though I would argue that UNH's facilities are average to above and academics are what you make of them, no matter where you go). But here are some more issues near and dear to the hearts of top recruits...

1. The most important factor in recruiting will always be PRICE TAG. UNH has 18 scholarships, just like everyone else. I've mentioned before how far 18 scholarships can go for a team. UNH needs to start getting aggressive in 'overpaying' for top prospects. When you receive a 75% to full-ride offer, suddenly its easier to see the strength in all other areas. Cruikshank dumped Wisconsin to head to CC - CC is not UW in any area, but he got a full-ride offer...

2. LOVE. Recruits want their tires pumped. They want to hear about the difference they can make in your program. One of the easiest sales pitches I ever had to make was after inheriting a 6-39 roster. We went after the best kids we could find and told them they had the talent to make immediate and long-term impacts. That they could be the players who put our program on the map. UNH has the opportunity to make that pitch and it is a great pitch to make. Kids love it. Paint that picture.

3. Finally, kids love to hear about how they FIT within your VISION for the program. Souza has a chance to build a brand new UNH. This is why its so important for him to establish a blue print for UNH Hockey - ideally, getting back to what worked so well in the past. Target kids like Poisson, Glasman and Suchy and sell them on the idea that UNH is going to once-again feature the fast, quick, creative, free-wheeling and creative forward groups of yesteryear. Talented recruits want to showcase those talents. They can come to UNH and never have to worry about playing in a trap. They can have fun on the ice. They can score and score some more. But you have to have, believe and be able to translate that vision...

 

[Dan]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017/2018 - Umile's Last Stand - The Grand Finale

I guess the thing that is a concern to me regarding the comments about where Souza is, etc is the 'assumption' that the recruiters (Souza/Stewart) are sitting on their hands and letting these great players pass them by.

...

I think a better question is...why AREN'T these blue chippahs showing up? It's too easy an answer to say they (coaches) aren't contacting them. Just too easy an answer.

I think you misinterpret what I'm getting at when I mention the need for more aggressive recruiting. I can absolutely understand why you might read what I wrote and assume that I'm implying they're not 'trying' - but that is not what I mean to say. Recruiting is a results based business. The results UNH has been getting have been slow to develop and they haven't been good enough. This indicates to me that something needs to change - in terms of targeting kids earlier or younger, offering more money, being more persistent or vivid in terms of communicating and establishing relationships, reaching out to prep and club coaches or expanding recruiting pools. Something. Anything. They need to be more creative. Now.

Aggressiveness to me is about taking more chances. Adding a sense of urgency. Differentiating the program and the opportunity, etc. Its hard to look at the recruiting results and not imagine a strategy that takes recruiting as it comes, showcasing a conservative approach to making offers and to how much is offered. An uncertainty. A haphazard vision/plan. A willingness to settle for role players early. Maybe I'm wrong - but as I've said before the alternative is they're doing everything right and they just can't close. That's a much bigger problem without much of a solution. So I hope its the former...

Northeastern is the perfect example. They've taken a torrid approach on the recruiting trail since Madigan took over. He has led a staff that has thrown money at 15-16 year olds like they're printing it beneath Matthews Arena. That's how a program with zero history of winning, awful and dated facilities (though historic) and with an (IMO) horrible head coach has reeled in talent. You mentioned the Beanpot - that tournament only matters to BC/BU recruits (and in reality the Beanpot is way down the list of reasons they choose those two schools - NHL Dreams is far and away #1). Kids go to Harvard for the academics. Northeastern has always been a fall-back school. Until now. Now its a first and aggressive offer type school and it has paid off in terms of the talent they're bringing in. CC is another. They were horrendous a couple years ago. They threw money at Halloran and Bergh and told them they'd come in an score a ton of points right away. Its paying off in spades. Now they've landed Cruikshank by throwing him a full-ride. They've brought in HUGE classes and kept the kids who made an impact.

This is the type of aggression that UNH is missing - Like Watcher pointed out, they appear to still be recruiting as if they are the program they used to be. They're too patient. They're too frugal...

---

Once again, here's how far 18-Scholarships can go if you spend aggressively...

Full - Full - Full
Full - Full - Full
Full - Full - Full
Half - Half - Half
Walk - Walk - Walk

Full - Full
Full - Full
Half - Half
Half - Walk

Full
Full
Walk

Right now, UNH is spreading money around to generously - a cautious approach to cover its bases if they miss on a more high-profile kids. They're not in a position to do this. Kids like Miller, Cefalu, Sato, Fregona, Boyd, Dawson, etc are getting money. That's money that can't be given to top-prospects which means your settling for Nazarians, MacAdams', Salvaggio's as your top-six forwards instead of kids who really have the talent to play those roles. You can add depth through walk-ons. If that type of player doesn't want to come for free - grab the next player (with similar talent) who will come for free. Save the money for the top kids and throw it at them, even if you miss once in a while...

UNH doesn't seem to be willing or interested in taking chances on a lot of projectable kids early. Kids will jump on and be enamored with their first offer - see Commesso and all the young kids jumping at offers from other schools. They appear to want to wait until a kid proves himself - unfortunately, at that point he's likely off the market. That leaves UNH with its choice of projects and projected role players at the NCAA level. These aren't the difference makers they need...

Offer more money - that's a form of aggression that is missing. Targeting the top kids before anyone else - that's a form of aggression that is missing. Hound club coaches and prospects with your new vision for the program so that it becomes perception in recruiting circles - that's a form of aggression that is missing. The approach is too conservative right now. Its too laissez-faire. Its not paying dividends and the results speak for themselves. Ive never argued that they're not trying or working hard. I'm arguing that their approach seems better suited for UNH Hockey circa 2000 (when kids were lined up). Their recruiting methods need to change based on what the program is now. If they're doing all of this and its still not working then the change needs to be the personnel doing the recruiting...

 

[NCAA watcher]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017/2018 - Umile's Last Stand - The Grand Finale

Aggressiveness to me is about taking more chances. Adding a sense of urgency. Differentiating the program and the opportunity, etc. Its hard to look at the recruiting results and not imagine a strategy that takes recruiting as it comes, showcasing a conservative approach to making offers and to how much is offered. An uncertainty. A haphazard vision/plan. A willingness to settle for role players early. Maybe I'm wrong - but as I've said before the alternative is they're doing everything right and they just can't close.

Occam's razor. Sometimes people just aren't closers or aren't offering an exciting product (see below), in which case you need an exceptional closer or you get a co-coach who makes the product better.

Northeastern is the perfect example. They've taken a torrid approach on the recruiting trail since Madigan took over. He has led a staff that has thrown money at 15-16 year olds like they're printing it beneath Matthews Arena. That's how a program with zero history of winning, awful and dated facilities (though historic) and with an (IMO) horrible head coach has reeled in talent. You mentioned the Beanpot - that tournament only matters to BC/BU recruits (and in reality the Beanpot is way down the list of reasons they choose those two schools - NHL Dreams is far and away #1). Kids go to Harvard for the academics. Northeastern has always been a fall-back school. Until now. Now its a first and aggressive offer type school and it has paid off in terms of the talent they're bringing in.

Northeastern is an interesting model in two ways. First, they were on a great path when they hired Greg Cronin, who aggressively *ahem* helped rebuild by getting early commitments from top end kids. He was the driven type that had a decent track record -- under Shawn Walsh as a graduate assistant (wow, you mean you can mentor youngsters, and give them a taste of a winning team, rather than taking the talented kids and recommending them for jobs elsewhere at low DI teams). He was then interim at Maine, assistant at NCAA teams at Colorado, then had USA National experience and pro experience, so when hired by Northeastern, quickly got recruits on board, including Jon Gillies and Cam Darcy. That's the easy "jump on board, I've done this and I will do it" story a recruit will buy.

So, that brings us to Northeastern replacing him. They chose Jim Madigan, a guy who had early experience as an assistant, but dropped out of hockey to become an administrator. When they put him in place, it took him a long while to get any traction, because he was not in the game and recruits didn't know him. If you check the Northeastern thread, they were calling for his head up to a couple of years ago. What happened then? Did he suddenly become a known name in the field? No. He hired Jerry Keefe in 2011.

Jerry Keefe
Associate Head Coach
Jerry Keefe enters his seventh season at Northeastern, and fourth as associate head coach. Keefe served as the assistant coach for three seasons before being promoted to his current post in 2014. Keefe has established himself as a notable name in the New England college hockey ranks, making stops at Westfield State and UMass Boston before his two seasons at Brown from 2009 to 2011. Keefe has also gained valuable experience through many different capacities with USA Hockey.

Keefe oversees the Huskies’ power play unit and holds a significant role in Northeastern’s recruiting process, including the recruitment of All-Americans Kevin Roy and Zach Aston-Reese, as well as current Edmonton Oilers defenseman Matt Benning. He was also at the forefront of the recruitment of Northeastern's current NHL draft picks Dylan Sikura (Chicago), Nolan Stevens (St. Louis), Adam Gaudette (Vancouver), Jeremy Davies (New Jersey), Matt Filipe (Carolina), Ryan Shea (Chicago) and Cayden Primeau (Montreal).

The Huskies are coming off an 18-15-5 season in 2016-17, marking the first time since 1943 that Northeastern has had four straight seasons with a record of .500 or above. Senior Zach Aston-Reese had one of the most impressive individual seasons in team history with 63 points in 38 games, the most for a Husky in more than 30 years en route to Hockey East Player of the Year, CCM/ACHA First Team All-American and Hobey Baker Hat Trick Finalist honors. He finished the year either tied for or owning the nation's lead in points per game (1.66), goals per game (0.82), total goals (31), multi-goal games (eight) and hat tricks (three). Dylan Sikura (57 points) and Adam Gaudette (52 points) also finished in the top-ten in scoring nationally.

...
In his second year at Northeastern, Keefe was instrumental in Northeastern’s first victory over Boston University in the Beanpot Tournament in 25 years. Keefe’s impression was also felt through the recruiting class he ushered in as Northeastern’s freshmen class led the way with 77 points (24-53-77) in 2012-13.

In his first season on NU’s bench, Keefe assisted the Huskies to their fifth-longest unbeaten streak in program history. He also helped lead Northeastern to three road victories against the No. 2 ranked team in the country during the 2011-12 season.

In his first season behind the bench with Brown in 2009-10, Keefe helped direct the Bears to an ECAC semifinals berth for the first time since the 2002-03 campaign.

Keefe’s roles with USA Hockey include the Yankee Conference Team New England District head evaluator (2006-08), an instructor for New England District Festivals (2006-07), a coach for the USA Hockey Select-17 Festival in St. Cloud, Minn. (2007-08), and a coach for the Massachusetts Satellite Program (2008-present).

To recap, he actually helped improve Brown's on ice play during his two year period. He also recruited players personally tied to him -- he recruited Kevin Roy, now in the NHL, and Zac Aston-Reese to Brown, and when he went to Northeastern, both followed him. A pretty solid statement. He then gradually improved Northeastern's profile, from bottom 9-10 to middle, and now, with a goalie, up toward the top. With a strong pipeline of recruits.

Recruiting is a skill, and he demonstrated it, even selling a less-than-exciting head coach.

To put this into UNH's perspective, UNH needs to open the vault for a proven recruiter. Souza is not Keefe. You hope he becomes Madigan, an unexciting coach who has a hard time selling himself, but reaps the benefits of an actual recruiter to can sell him to others, and gradually rebuilds a program.

 

[Dan]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017/2018 - Umile's Last Stand - The Grand Finale

*UNH will always be a desirable hockey location, so the underlying concern about needing to do something quickly is not apt.

Obviously, I agree that UNH has all the potential in the world to be a desirable hockey location. I'm less certain about the second part of your sentence that needing to do something to show improvement immediately isn't critical. You are more familiar with the recruiting between the end of the Holt era and the beginning of Umile's tenure than I am - so I defer to you, but I have to wonder what becomes of UNH hockey if they don't have such immediate recruiting success under Kullen and then Umile. In the three classes directly following the 5-win season that culminated Holt's career UNH brought in the following...

• Shields, Aiken, Lazaro, Grassie
• Winnes, Horner, Plavsic, Dean
• Flanagan, Amodeo, Morrow, Morrow, Mitrovic

The program was in shambles, but the recruiting still paid immediate dividends and these are the players who brought UNH back to respectability and paved the way for its rise back to the top of the college hockey world. If that doesn't happen quickly does UNH ever recover? If so, how long does it take to recover?

Umass has been a great hockey location forever - but they started as, essentially, an expansion team and they've never caught up to the pack. Its only now that they've stumbled upon Carvel that there is a light at the end of the tunnel (still a ways off down that tunnel). UNH is in the basement that UMass has always occupied. Will it be that difficult for them to get out, too??

---

You're right about NU - Cronin really got the ball rolling and Madigan's assistants deserve a ton of credit. But kudos to Madigan for recognizing how the recruiting game is played, as well as his own shortcomings, and getting someone capable into the position of need! I think he is an awful coach - they are so streaky, they lose to AHA teams and lesser programs all the time, he never makes adjustments, etc, but they're still in NCAA Tournament position often because they have talent. Talent trumps everything...

 

[chickod]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017/2018 - Umile's Last Stand - The Grand Finale

I can't think of a better place to play than here!

So not to be critical (and I'm not sure how much of that was tongue in cheek, either).

For anyone to think, however, that the same desires that have afflicted everyone else in the country don't apply here is a touch naive. There used to be a time when every football player wanted to play for Notre Dame, too. But those times have changed. Social media, a million games (and venues) on TV every night have "opened the eyes" of kids all over the country. They want to go where the "action" is. That's not UNH (or Maine). You have to sort of be realistic here. If you're a 16 year old high school kid and you can go to a warm weather climate (I mean, you can go to Arizona State now, who is building a beautiful new arena - and how many people don't think that many other Pac-12 schools will soon follow? And that will open up California), you do it. Look at how the balance of power in football has shifted from the Northeast to the South and West. If you can't have warm weather, then you at least want to go to a city where there is lots going on (and I'm not talking about Portsmouth ).

It's a sobering reality, but it's going to be tougher to get these kids now. Walsh had success recruiting to Orono (the absolute middle of nowhere from the perspective of these kids today) because he was getting a lot of "rural" Canadians that were comfortable in that environment. And they were WINNING. (and I admit that's a chicken/egg thing) And it was 20 years ago.

Yes, the Whitt is a nice facility. But you need more than that (witness Agganis, which is less than half full for almost every game and at best is a listless, dead atmosphere - which may upset some of my BU colleagues but tough - they already know how I feel). For a midwest kid, why would they come here when the crowds and enthusiasm are much greater where they already live? Certainly not for weather, because it's the same. So if you take that away, what "advantage" does UNH offer that is going to "lure" someone away from someplace else?

This might seem harsh, but it's no longer a "regional" sport where you have "first crack" at all the "local" kids and due to familiarity and perhaps loyalty the Northeast schools are their first choice. And regarding your "Beanpot" comments, have you watched lately? There weren't 5000 people (forget what the "official" attendance says) in the building last Monday for EITHER game (forget the announced "combined" totals) and there is widespread discussion on multiple threads as we speak about the "future" of the tournament. And if you haven't noticed lately, why would most of the students at BU care about the Beanpot anyway? They have exactly SIX kids from Massachusetts on the roster (and one is from Western Mass who I'm sure couldn't have cared less about the Beanpot growing up). Most of the student body is from outside of New England/international and the school is more and more focused on academics. Sports are an afterthought. Frankly, hockey is there because it's a "legacy" sport and it would cause too much backlash to eliminate it. You saw how easily they dropped football - two years after they reached the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP game in Division IAA.

Although it may be "about talent," you can still field a competitive team with good coaching. You have to work harder at it but it's not impossible. Look at Quinnipiac (for example). They got to the National Championship game. It CAN be done.

It's interesting that I'm reading almost a carbon copy of what we went through at BU during Parker's final years. There was a lot of frustration. I think you will find that the new season will bring a refreshing change. Yes, it will take time. But with a new, positive outlook, you CAN change the culture. It just takes the right person at the helm. But I sense almost a sense of panic. It's almost as if some are saying "The devil we know is better than the devil we don't." Everyone wanted Umile out of there, and now you seem to already be questioning if the "right" person is replacing him. (And I get it because we're still wondering that at BU). But only time will tell. I realize a lot of this is perhaps just speculation, but it seems to be getting "louder."

Anyway, best wishes. A strong UNH is good for the league. And we know that the league certainly needs it right now! The glory days of Hockey East dominance appear to be over and anything that will help to rejuvenate that will be welcome!

 

[Dan]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017/2018 - Umile's Last Stand - The Grand Finale

Sean Walsh also had a lot of success with city slickers like Paul Kariya (Vancouver), Jim Montgomery (Montreal), Mike Latendress (Montreal), the Ferraro brothers (suburban NYC) and Garth Snow (suburban Boston), etc. There was never any action in Orono until Walsh arrived and created it. That's what good coaches do. Good coaches understand the strengths of their university and sell them - they create new strengths, maximize what they have and sell, sell, sell with charisma and a vision. Location matters a lot less than coaching and recruiting ability - it always has and always will.

Awful Locations That Had No Action:
Houghton, MI
Marquette, MI
Kalamazoo, MI
Schenectady, NY
Ithaca, NY
Potsdam, NY
Mankato, MN
St. Cloud, MN
Colorado Springs, CO
Columbus, OH
Duluth, MN
Bowling Green, OH
Oxford, OH
Cambridge, MA
The Wrong Side of Boston, MA
Lowell, MA
Omaha, NE
New Haven, CT
Hampden, CT
Big Rapids, MI


HC Coaching/Coached in Awful Locations That Created Action over UNH's five-year Decline:
Mel Pearson
Grant Potulny
Andy Murray
Leaman/Bennet
Mike Schafer
Casey Jones
Mike Hastings
Bob Motzko
Mike Haviland
Steve Rohlik
Scott Sandelin
Chris Bergeron
Enrico Blasi
Ted Donato
Jim Madigan
Norm Bazin
Dean Blaise
Keith Allain
Rand Pecknold
Bob Daniels

If you're a good coach and recruiter (and you care/win) you can sell kids on going anywhere. That has always been the case and always will be. It would certainly be easier for Bob Motzko or Scott Sandelin to recruit to Minneapolis and UM than it is to SCSU/UMD - but since they have the ability they can do it anywhere. Maybe Lucia's success is in large-part due to where he coaches. Its true he has a lot of built in advantages. Yet, St. Cloud and UMD go toe-to-toe with UM for Minneapolis and Minnesota kids. Suddenly, with legit recruiters, the big school/big budget/big city excuses disappear...

Location is irrelevant to the right coach. I went to Miami University, a school of 16,000 in a town of 6,000 an hour away from the nearest city and highway. That didn't stop Enrico Blasi from building a winner (when he had great assistants). I NEVER missed the 'action', because I was a college student surrounded by my best friends and 15,975 other people my age living in my university bubble. So often, as adults, we look at school locations as desirable or undesirable places to live. College kids don't care about museums, parks, fine or diverse dining experiences, school systems, etc. I worked at a university in a major city - and believe me, being in the city did not help us it hurt us. All else being equal, kids want campuses.

Universities draw recruits to their hockey program because of the coaches on the staff. Those coaches sell, win and develop. And kids want to win and develop - they don't care where that happens. If UNH, UMaine or Moon State can find a coach who can sell, recruit, win and develop they'll be back. Yes, its more difficult than recruiting to Michigan or BU - but we need to stop pretending its impossible and UNH is at some steep disadvantage. All the schools above have created action in their sub-optimal locations and they're winning as a result. There are also a number of big schools who have not had success until recently making top coaching hires (OSU, ND, MSU, PC, HU, UNO, etc.).

The sheer amount of schools who have made recent, strong coaching/recruiting hires and vaulted themselves back to the top is astounding. Its all the proof we need to understand that all the rationalizations we want to make for why school X can't compete or why school Y is at a disadvantage are nothing more than chatter. The right coach. That is all the chatter that matters...

If Jim Montgomery goes to Maine - he's recruiting like a bear and they're winning. He's not winning at DU because of the facilities or the location. He is winning because he flat out gets after it...

 

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017/2018 - Umile's Last Stand - The Grand Finale

I really appreciate the commentary that my post brought this morning. A lot of constructive, honest reflections of what the U of NH needs to do to get back on track. As for my comment about playing here, sure, "I Believe In UNH" but trust me, I'm not that naive!!! There might have been a time in a galaxy far, far away when hockey was not as popular as it is today and when UNH was winning their heads off, prospects dreamed of playing here. And I'm sure many still do. But as was pointed out, we are not as attractive as we once might have been. Even DU has said they have to upgrade facilities to assist recruiting. Kids aren't that enamored with what WAS either (as was pointed out) they are all about the immediate and just how fast can I get from point A to point B.

As far as the Beanpot goes, tell that to the NESN announcers; that's all they talk about! How so and so is playing for Harvard, BC, BU or NU because of this tournament...how exciting Boston is, yada yada yada. Anyway, I'm sure that's not the main reason Jack Eichel chose BU. But I bet that figured into it, not to mention facilities, etc. I heard he once 'thought about' UNH but then it was pointed out by someone here that he attended a summer camp and that's where that 'lore' got started.

Anyway, I get how many feel here; the 3 year plan certainly was not the norm. A national search was not done. But these are our cards. I'm willing to trust in the process 'coz that's the kind of person I am. I'm looking at a 3 to 5 year plan (I'll be retired then yippeee and can go to any/all hockey games I want... , when I want) and fully expect to be competitive again. If not, I'm going to whine. And no one likes it when I whine.

 

[Nick Papagiorgio]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017/2018 - Umile's Last Stand - The Grand Finale

Few quick thoughts as it's quite busy in the office.

There is no one-size fits all for getting to the top or close to it.

That being said, UNH like any other program needs to find one of those ways, commit to it, and make that their identity. Almost all of these paths are quick, short trips to the top and then back down with the blue bloods really being the only ones that have staying power and even that isn't guaranteed although it is almost the inverse for them; quick short trips to mediocrity if you lose your identity and/or your coach becomes old and detached (retina) or your players can't stop sexually assaulting the coeds on "campus".

-You can get a coach that cheats excessively and recruits euro mercenaries and academic deplorables like Maine. That worked for a while.
-You can recruit 24 and 25 year old Canadian knuckle draggers and mix in a euro or two. That seems to be working briefly for many teams when goaltending lines up nicely as they take their shot at the title before sliding back down. Quinnipiac, Merrimack, UMass Lowell.
-You can hire a young, exciting coach that knows how to recruit and puts together a great team (and wins a title thanks to some bookies that asked a goalie to throw the puck into his own net.) Worked for a while... Providence.

Sure you could say, these are 5 things recruits want and UNH offers almost none of them, and you'd be absolutely right. Is the point to win trophies or just get participation ribbons? It's to win MFing trophies and so you change things up until you find that Nate Leaman kind of guy for you. Are the chances slim that UNH returns to the top? Absolutely. But you die trying for that trophy, not saying "things could be a lot worse" while kissing your participation ribbons.

 

[chickod]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017/2018 - Umile's Last Stand - The Grand Finale

Few quick thoughts as it's quite busy in the office.

There is no one-size fits all for getting to the top or close to it.

That being said, UNH like any other program needs to find one of those ways, commit to it, and make that their identity. Almost all of these paths are quick, short trips to the top and then back down with the blue bloods really being the only ones that have staying power and even that isn't guaranteed although it is almost the inverse for them; quick short trips to mediocrity if you lose your identity and/or your coach becomes old and detached (retina) or your players can't stop sexually assaulting the coeds on "campus".

-<b><i>You can get a coach that cheats excessively and recruits euro mercenaries and academic deplorables</i></b> like Maine. That worked for a while.
-<b><i>You can recruit 24 and 25 year old Canadian knuckle draggers and mix in a euro or two.</i></b> That seems to be working briefly for many teams when goaltending lines up nicely as they take their shot at the title before sliding back down. Quinnipiac, Merrimack, UMass Lowell.
-You can hire a young, exciting coach that knows how to recruit and puts together a great team (and wins a title <b><i>thanks to some bookies that asked a goalie to throw the puck into his own net.</i></b>) Worked for a while... Providence.

Sure you could say, these are 5 things recruits want and UNH offers almost none of them, and you'd be absolutely right. Is the point to win trophies or just get participation ribbons? It's to win MFing trophies and so you change things up until you find that Nate Leaman kind of guy for you. Are the chances slim that UNH returns to the top? Absolutely. But you die trying for that trophy, not saying "things could be a lot worse" while kissing your participation ribbons.

Ouch...I was trying to be a little subtle...

 

[Greg Ambrose]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017/2018 - Umile's Last Stand - The Grand Finale

Interesting thread. The first thing I’ll say is that the most important decision Mike Souza makes as UNH head coach will be his first one. Who does he hire to replace him? A former UNH player with ties to the Middlesex League told me it would be White. A long time season ticket holder who has played golf with Umile on several occasions told me the scuttlebut was Lassonde. I had not heard Mowers before but I’d be surprised. He scouts for Montreal, the NHL. He makes more money and, I dare say, with less travel than if he came to UNH. As much as he loves the school, and I have seen him there quite a bit over the past few years, I don’t think it will be him. I’m hoping Souza is thinking outside the box. Is there someone he has come across in his assistant days at Brown or UConn who has impressed him, someone perhaps with a personality a bit more fiery than his? I’m hoping that the new head coach recognizes his limitations and the limitations of making the coaching staff one big happy UNH family. The program needs someone who is going to take chances. To me the demise started when we got too cute, deferring kids for example. We need to get kids in here a year early and, assuming they can play, full rides. No money for fourth line muckers until they prove they’ve earned it. That’s the way it was in the glory days.

All this being said, I am confident that UNH can get back there. I mean, I’ve been to Union (twice) in freakin Schenectady, NY. I’ve been to Potsdam, Troy, Orono and even Oxford , OH. Dan you’re a bit cute about Oxford. The town seems to be devoid of any retail establishments that cater to anybody but college students. My weekend there was akin to Disney World for the college set. Anyway, I digress. UNH fans know what a winner looks like and what they have seen the past several years just doesn’t cut it. Will they come back in droves like the old days? Nope,,because that is not college hockey anymore. Too many distractions. But if they can start winning games (is 20 in a couple of years too much to ask?) a real number crowed of 4-5,000 is possible. But it all starts with recruiting and who the lead dog is. No safe choices Michael!

 

[catsfan]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2017/2018 - Umile's Last Stand - The Grand Finale

Watching the performance this weekend, I was dismayed by the quality of play by both teams. In 1997 I seem to remember a great game where UNH had Boguniecki, Mowers and Krog, against a UVM team with Marty St. Louis, Eric Perrin and Tim Thomas; wow, those were the days. It is sad to see the depths to which the programs have fallen; UNH is 46th in the PWR (the lowest that I can remember), just one above UVM which at 47th is the worst in Hockey East.

A good coach could reverse this, as Dan notes so persuasively above. Sousa has not proven that he will be capable, but there is always the chance. I would vote for a short leash and a national search where the AD is assisted by a panel of experts.

BTW, Lassonde would be a great addition.