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UVM Catamounts 2019/20

Re: UVM Catamounts 2019/20

I'm glad they are doing an open search instead of blindly promoting Kevin Patrick
 
Re: UVM Catamounts 2019/20

First, much thanks to Sneddon for his service. Despite where we've ended up, the Cats did have some good moments under him.

Only real issue I have is that what is happening today should have happened a few years ago. Just took a few years too long, and I put that more on the AD than Sneddon.

Excited to see the direction the program takes moving forward. Feels great to be able to follow the team with interest again as we chart a new path.

For what it is worth, I'd look for a new coach who:

-is willing to play a more aggressive, open style of offensive hockey
-has proven college hockey recruiting credentials
-has shown an excellent track record of coaching special teams
-is interested in focusing on pairwise success and the national tournament as primary goals

We are not going to be a national contender every year, and no one expects that. But what alums do expect is credibly trying to make the NCAA tournament each year. Many years we won't make it, but I don't think it is absurd to hope that you'd be watching hockey in February most years with a chance to get there if things fall your way. And, win or lose, I think fans are done with losing games where we score 0 or 1 goal. It's just not fun to watch and virtually impossible to be successful that way.

And let's focus on making the NCAAs. Personally, I don't care about winning Hockey East other than as a means to getting to the national tournament. This is the sport where we can legitimately content for national titles and ignite the alumni base. Let's go for it, and I've got donation money ready when I see that commitment.
 
Re: UVM Catamounts 2019/20

FINALLLLY!

It's worth noting that Sneddon did good work here for a few years. Moving on should've happened 2 years ago, but we should remember that this team was leading BU in the 3rd period of the '09 Frozen Four. The Sneddon era wasn't a total dumpster fire.

Mike McMahon was tweeting a list of possible candidates that included Wallack...YIKES!

Barr, Ellsworth, Lang are my favorites. Montgomery would be awesome but there is no way.
 
Re: UVM Catamounts 2019/20

Congrats on the great news, Vermont fans. Let's hope the next guy can build you guys back up. I'm cheering for you. (Unless you're playing Maine, of course).
 
Re: UVM Catamounts 2019/20

Retiring before 50? Or moving on to sell insurance.
Sneddon should have gone years ago. Not only were his teams underachievers for the past decade, they played a boring brand of hockey.

Vermont has deserved so much better. The rabid Catamounts fanbase has moved to basketball. Vermont should always be a hockey school. Now they can restart and potentially be that again.
 
Re: UVM Catamounts 2019/20

pokecheckguy2 said:
YES!!!! them letting him get to retire is a joke but the deed has been done and its the first win for the Cats in a long time!!!
Click to expand...

Someone pointed out that him stepping down early gives us a head start on the coaching market. I'm not sure how much truth there is to that, but it's something
 
Re: UVM Catamounts 2019/20

TovarishchLisa said:
Someone pointed out that him stepping down early gives us a head start on the coaching market. I'm not sure how much truth there is to that, but it's something
Click to expand...

I would say yes and no to that. Certainly gives you more time to line someone up but at the same time it would depend on who else is looking for a coach. And even then certain coaches fit certain schools better. Not every school will have the same pool of candidates. Will also depend on how much UVM is willing to pay.
 
Re: UVM Catamounts 2019/20

VCatGrad89 said:
FINALLLLY!

It's worth noting that Sneddon did good work here for a few years. Moving on should've happened 2 years ago, but we should remember that this team was leading BU in the 3rd period of the '09 Frozen Four. The Sneddon era wasn't a total dumpster fire.

Mike McMahon was tweeting a list of possible candidates that included Wallack...YIKES!

Barr, Ellsworth, Lang are my favorites. Montgomery would be awesome but there is no way.
Click to expand...

Yes thanks for the good times no thanks for the bad. It was time. My guess is the "retirement" is a combination of Sneddon probably knew he was done and maybe wanted to be done and instead of going through this song and dance of will they or won't they plus getting all the bad PR in the world of late especially with his boneheaded comments and this comes a week later...hmmm.

McMahon probably is buddies with Wallack but there is no chance in hell he's getting this job. The candidates he listed were Barr (UMass asst), Cam Ellsworth (Norwich), Kris Mayotte (Michigan asst), Tim Whitehead (former Maine coach who is coaching a prep school I think), David Lassonde (Dartmouth asst), Josh Hauge (Clarkson asst), Ben Syer (Cornell asst), Joe Dumais (Quinnipiac asst), Eric Lang (AIC), Keith Fisher (Penn St asst), Gary Heenan (Utica), Fred Harbinson (Penicton BCHL), Anthony Noreen (Tri City USHL), Peter Mannino (Des Moines USHL) and Seth Appert at USNDT and former RPI coach.

I'm sure there will be interest from those people and others but we will see. Really needs to be the right hire I don't care about flash I want results and wins for this team.
 
PrezdeJohnson09 said:
Per UVM men's hockey page...Kevin Sneddon retiring at the end of the season.
Click to expand...
While a new head coach may get Vermont back to winning, I believe they will also need to increase the school’s monetary commitment to the program if they really want it to be a regular contender for home ice and deep post season runs. As I previously mentioned UML backed up the hiring of Coach Bazin with an immediate 35% increase in the hockey program’s budget. Based on the 2018 numbers that is roughly a $770,000 increase for Vermont, to just under $3 million.

Sean
 
Re: UVM Catamounts 2019/20

I'm not sure guys like Tim Whitehead and Seth Appert are the answer. They flamed out at schools who have similar challenges to UVM.
 
Re: UVM Catamounts 2019/20

No surprise, it was well known that Sneddon was done after this year. Just a matter of when and how it was going to play out. This allows Schulman to get an early jump on getting a new coach in here, hopefully very soon after the season ends.

Sneddon is only 49, so who knows what his future holds. I’m sure he has a lot of connections if he wants to stay in Hockey at some capacity. He probably will take some time off, then decide what he wants to do. No head coaching job in the near horizon, that’s for sure.

Like Gilligan and Sneddon, the new guy likely will come in and revitalize the program. But sustaining that early success is trickier. This has been an ongoing issue at UVM, including after the first few years in D1 with Cross. As I’ve noted before, they are all sub 0.500 at UVM as a D1 program.
 
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