We Cannot Have Nice Things: Michigan Tech 2010-2011 Season Thread: Part Tre

[The Rube]

Re: We Cannot Have Nice Things: Michigan Tech 2010-2011 Season Thread: Part Tre

I agree with what shirtless said regarding coach Russell. There is no point in canning him unless we can get someone better. Would you rather have an alum, that is obviously committed to the program and truly cares about the success of the program or an outsider who wants to use Tech as a stepping block, if they will end up getting the same results? Stick with Russell unless the program is willing to go out and get someone who will be an improvement.

Honestly, how can the team get worse? It sucks, I know, but there is really nowhere to go but up. Try and find a gem of a coach, or failing that, just hope you get lucky.

 

[bronconick]

Re: We Cannot Have Nice Things: Michigan Tech 2010-2011 Season Thread: Part Tre

I agree with what shirtless said regarding coach Russell. There is no point in canning him unless we can get someone better. Would you rather have an alum, that is obviously committed to the program and truly cares about the success of the program or an outsider who wants to use Tech as a stepping block, if they will end up getting the same results? Stick with Russell unless the program is willing to go out and get someone who will be an improvement.

Western had this with Culhane for a dozen years. Honestly, if Blashill's here for only 4-5 years before some other school lures him away with more money because he's had success in turing an 8 win team into a 15-20ish win team that occasionally can get NCAA consideration (16th right now after winning 18 games in the last two years combined), I'll take that easily. That means when that day comes, there's a stronger program in place with more fan support and getting that next coach will probably be easier. A stepping stone is a better place to be than a doormat.

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: We Cannot Have Nice Things: Michigan Tech 2010-2011 Season Thread: Part Tre

Western had this with Culhane for a dozen years. Honestly, if Blashill's here for only 4-5 years before some other school lures him away with more money because he's had success in turing an 8 win team into a 15-20ish win team that occasionally can get NCAA consideration (16th right now after winning 18 games in the last two years combined), I'll take that easily. That means when that day comes, there's a stronger program in place with more fan support and getting that next coach will probably be easier. A stepping stone is a better place to be than a doormat.

I agree, but in order to make that jump, you need to be able to get a coach that will be a marked improvement, like I said in my last sentence. If they go fire Russell and end up hiring a no-name assistant from Union, who can't get more out of this team than Jamie, what's the point?

 

[bronconick]

Re: We Cannot Have Nice Things: Michigan Tech 2010-2011 Season Thread: Part Tre

I agree, but in order to make that jump, you need to be able to get a coach that will be a marked improvement, like I said in my last sentence. If they go fire Russell and end up hiring a no-name assistant from Union, who can't get more out of this team than Jamie, what's the point?

True. But kind of like what Brent said, at this point what you see is what you get in Russell, and you're not going to know who will even be interested in the job until it's open, so it's just a question of when you want to ask the question.

I don't know how your attendance is, but by the end of the Culhane era, there was a decent chunk of the hockey alumni fanbase that basically said they weren't setting foot in Lawson again until a new coach was brought in. There were STH's that never used the seats. That sort of thing alone might be worth making the move sooner rather than later.

 

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: We Cannot Have Nice Things: Michigan Tech 2010-2011 Season Thread: Part Tre

True. But kind of like what Brent said, at this point what you see is what you get in Russell, and you're not going to know who will even be interested in the job until it's open, so it's just a question of when you want to ask the question.

I don't know how your attendance is, but by the end of the Culhane era, there was a decent chunk of the hockey alumni fanbase that basically said they weren't setting foot in Lawson again until a new coach was brought in. There were STH's that never used the seats. That sort of thing alone might be worth making the move sooner rather than later.

A lot of us have a huger hang up on things because the injuries have been crazy for 3 seasons...maybe its Russell...but they are not trending injuries, not the same thing over and over...I just wish I could see what Russell can do if he actually got to coach the majority of the players he recruited...

 

[bigmrg74]

Re: We Cannot Have Nice Things: Michigan Tech 2010-2011 Season Thread: Part Tre

I think the WCHA is going to have to be a lot more aggressive than they are right now or the money they get will drop like a rock.
I know that st cloud was considering cutting hockey and the students taxed themselves in order to keep it. Also there are a couple of D1 schools here in Michigan who are considering dropping hockey all together depending on how things turn out. Money is a big issue all over.
I think whoever is the coach down the road, no matter who he is, deserves a significant raise as does the assistants.

Actually, St. Cloud was looking at dropping football, not the hockey programs there.

 

[melmac]

Re: We Cannot Have Nice Things: Michigan Tech 2010-2011 Season Thread: Part Tre

On more reason to wonder how John Hill has a job right now...

We all wonder about that one.

Post 6,000... still keeping with thousand post tradtions and putting it in the Tech thread.

 

[The Rube]

Re: We Cannot Have Nice Things: Michigan Tech 2010-2011 Season Thread: Part Tre

We all wonder about that one.

Post 6,000... still keeping with thousand post tradtions and putting it in the Tech thread.

I'll trade Hill for Jamie right now. Hell, I'll buy every Fooper a growler of KBC too.

 

[manurespreader]

Re: We Cannot Have Nice Things: Michigan Tech 2010-2011 Season Thread: Part Tre

I think you have to differentiate what it is you want from a coach. There's a lot of coaches out there who get a 7 or an 8 on a scale of ten. They run a clean program, have a lot of knowledge of the game, do all the things that admin wants done, are respected by their peers,and win the title once in a while.
There are very,very few 10's though. Guys like coach K, or coach MacInnes, who not only do all the background things required, but also finds ways to get the players to play extra hard for him every night, and who's players worship the ground he walks on. I don't see many of them in college hockey.
I'm sure that guy is out there somewhere, however it's problematic identifying him and getting him, especially given the fiscal limits of what can be done. I know for a fact these fiscal issues are being discussed, but its complicated and difficult when all the factors are considered.

 

[MTUHOCKEY]

Re: We Cannot Have Nice Things: Michigan Tech 2010-2011 Season Thread: Part Tre

western had this with culhane for a dozen years. Honestly, if blashill's here for only 4-5 years before some other school lures him away with more money because he's had success in turing an 8 win team into a 15-20ish win team that occasionally can get ncaa consideration (16th right now after winning 18 games in the last two years combined), i'll take that easily. That means when that day comes, there's a stronger program in place with more fan support and getting that next coach will probably be easier. A stepping stone is a better place to be than a doormat.

i agree!!!

 

[JohnsonsJerseys]

Re: We Cannot Have Nice Things: Michigan Tech 2010-2011 Season Thread: Part Tre

I guess with some justification, everyone points at Jamie when it comes to W's and L's, however with the number of man games lost to injury, MacInnes couldn't coach this time to a 0.500 record. I think it is chicken and the egg when it comes to a coach and talent. Does great talent make the coach look good or does a good coach make better players want to join the team?
Just look at the number of talented NHL level players that came through the doors during the MacInnes era. Now we would have a hard time putting together one line of NHL level players from the last decade combined. Sutton and Scott have been at least solid NHL regulars on the line and Wilson has had a sniff. Putting Teslak in net is a serious stretch (or back up even farther to Rhodes) and up front you are looking at Durno, Conner and one-year wonder Ruutu. Now put those Tech teams up against others in the WCHA who in come cases have multiple NHL top draft picks playing on the same line.
You can have the greatest coach in the world, but if your talent level isn't on par with other teams you're playing, there is only so much a coach can get out of them. Don't fool yourself into thinking that the other coaches are coasting. They are trying to the get the most out of their players too, but they are starting with a little more raw talent.
It sucks to keep having this debate and keep laying the lack of wins at Russel's feet. As a started, I do agree that ultimately the head coach is the guy in charge, but let's not fool ourselves into thinking that simply because we spend $2M on a coach, suddenly Houghton again becomes the center of the D-I hockey world.
Ryan J

 

[Flashy Man]

Re: We Cannot Have Nice Things: Michigan Tech 2010-2011 Season Thread: Part Tre

As a started, I do agree that ultimately the head coach is the guy in charge, but let's not fool ourselves into thinking that simply because we spend $2M on a coach, suddenly Houghton again becomes the center of the D-I hockey world.
Ryan J

But, if we spent $3M on a coach, then we would have something.

 

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

Re: We Cannot Have Nice Things: Michigan Tech 2010-2011 Season Thread: Part Tre

I just think that after three seasons of the same, there are no excuses anymore - find the money and make a change. On a good night, it seems like we're getting 110% effort out of one line and everyone else is content to go through the motions instead of digging in. Giving up a lazy breakaway goal in the final two minutes of a scoreless game is a clear indication of this. With ten minutes to play, who was on the bench saying - "Look, Kevin's stood on his head, it's time to get a fcking goal and win the game."

We can point to injuries all we want, but going winless in 26 is absolutely fcking retarded. We can't BUY a win at this point. Hell, we can't even LUCK our way into a win.

 

[geezer]

Re: We Cannot Have Nice Things: Michigan Tech 2010-2011 Season Thread: Part Tre

Well, [three paragraphs redacted] !!!

 

[manurespreader]

Re: We Cannot Have Nice Things: Michigan Tech 2010-2011 Season Thread: Part Tre

You know I doubt that if gwoz was somewhere besides DU that he would have as much success, and look at the assets umtc puts into hockey and where they are ,... in the second division.
I think Tech hockey can be great again, and man I hate losing, but I think it will take a lot of discipline on the part of all the stakeholders and a serious financial commitment. I agree that given the changes coming down the road, the same old thing will no longer be acceptable. The question is how to best address this to move forward from here.

what I think is totally unacceptable is to let ourselves languish in an emasculated wcha, and continue with things as they are. Whatever changes are coming, imho we should make sure we are in a position that we can play with the big boys not just some hick schools from minnesota. I think whatever happens with the coach has to be decided with these changes in mind.

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: We Cannot Have Nice Things: Michigan Tech 2010-2011 Season Thread: Part Tre

what I think is totally unacceptable is to let ourselves languish in an emasculated wcha, and continue with things as they are. Whatever changes are coming, imho we should make sure we are in a position that we can play with the big boys not just some hick schools from minnesota. I think whatever happens with the coach has to be decided with these changes in mind.

Exactly. Don't know if they can pull it off, but if it comes down to the "anti-BTHC" forming with DU, UND, Miami, Notre Dame..etc. Tech needs to find some way to get in that conference. I doubt they will be able to.

 

[JohnsonsJerseys]

Re: We Cannot Have Nice Things: Michigan Tech 2010-2011 Season Thread: Part Tre

if it comes down to the "anti-BTHC" forming with DU, UND, Miami, Notre Dame..etc. Tech needs to find some way to get in that conference. I doubt they will be able to.

We're a shoe in... We've got the MacNaughton Cup. If the anti-BTHC still snubs us, then we'll take it with us to the CCHA Leftovers Conference and maybe even put our name on it again. No wait, we'll go independent and award the MacNaughton Cup to the nation's best D-I independent. UAH should have a conference by then should we should have a legit shot at winning it. Of course Bye Week has looked strong in recent years, they can't be counted out either.
Ryan J

The 1981-82 season saw Michigan Tech University leave the WCHA to join the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA). Since Michigan Tech is the trustee of the Cup, the Cup went to the CCHA also. When Michigan Tech returned to the WCHA for the 1984-85 season the MacNaughton Cup also returned.
Source: WCHA 50th Anniversary Yearbook
<img src="http://www.gopherhockeyhistory.com/history/macNaughton/images/cupFrt02.jpg">

 

[manurespreader]

Re: We Cannot Have Nice Things: Michigan Tech 2010-2011 Season Thread: Part Tre

5 Huskies will be honored with the WCHA student athlete awards this year. These will be given out during the North Dakota series.I noticed that two of them are majoring in Engineering.

 

[mtu_huskies]

Re: We Cannot Have Nice Things: Michigan Tech 2010-2011 Season Thread: Part Tre

Jamie's drivetime notes:
On Gordic's goal Fri night, pass from Johnstone behind the net:
Nice job on forecheck creating turnover, Johnstone nice feed to Gordic

On Sat night loss:
Honestly, none of the losses are easy, devestating every time we lose
Played a really good game on Saturday, didn't give up a lot, PK was good, Genoe was good, hit crossbar a few mins before BSU's goal

On Scholar athletes:
Our guys have done a great job in class room
Even freshman have come in and handled WCHA and the classroom, and travel to UAA, DU, etc.
The acadameics of MTU do scare some recruits off a little bit, we make sure all recruits would survive at Tech, if they're ineligable they can't play hockey

On injuries:
Olson had an MRI, results are not back, our trainer is meeting with MRI, it looks like he'll be out 2-3 weeks maybe for the year


On DU:
We haven't hosted DU since 2008
We have a 6AM flight to Chicago then Denver
They're #3, great freshman in Zucker, watching him on video he's very fast
We've always played well there, NHL size rink
Their PP, one or two passes then they shoot, our PK needs to force them to dump in and Kevin will play puck and then clear

Carl Nielson got hit with a puck yesterday, got some stiches, he's pretty sore but he should be able to go

 

[Twitch Boy]

Re: We Cannot Have Nice Things: Michigan Tech 2010-2011 Season Thread: Part Tre

On injuries:
Olson had an MRI, results are not back, our trainer is meeting with MRI, it looks like he'll be out 2-3 weeks maybe for the year

I'm going to have an aneurysm. This team is trying to kill me.