OK, so what is it...some people are saying Gwoz didn't get along with some players...the above tweets suggest otherwise. Truth lies somewhere in between?
I'm all in favor of building a good hoops program, but when you compare the public persona of Gwoz with Joe Scott--no competition. When you compare the "sideline" behavior of Gwoz with Bill Tierney--again, no competition. All three are good coaches, but Gwoz was a good coach AND the best representative of the university.
I sure hope there was a good reason that Gwoz got fired, and that Peg addresses the reason head on. I, too, was frustrated by the lack of recent NCAA success. But if that's the reason, DU better be damn sure they can get a coach who will have better success than Gwoz. If the reason was $$$, is DU going to be able to hire someone like Blasi away from what is probably a well paying job at Miami? Gotta think that DU has a plan here, just hope that they articulate it pretty soon.
DU will be looking at successful head coaches at smaller D-1 hockey schools. Not that Miami-Ohio was a smaller school 19 years ago when DU grabbed Gwozdecky, but they were a far lesser hockey power at the time.
So look at the playbook 19 years ago and you'll have a pretty good clue who DU is targeting.
DG, I'm the one who posted above about Blasi. I understand the Miami gig is a good one--nice new facility, success on the ice, etc. So I realize it would be a longshot. But why do you say "no chance"?
Appert would be a more likely candidate under your criteria.
Don't forget that Ronnie Grahame I'm sure is Peg's go-to person for anything hockey related. Nobody's mentioning that Steve Miller is ALREADY an Associate HEAD COACH. There you have it. Miller takes over as head coach, Lassonde on the bench, Divvy up the other various duties between Thomas and Tenzer. Or will this madness continue in the coming months, and these other guys I mentioned may be next?
Mayfield is 99% going pro, no matter who is the coach. Could be the same for Nick Shore, even though Nick hasn't exactly been tearing it up at the collegiate level. As to the others, maybe one or two early pro defections that could be influenced by the coaching change? I honestly don't see who else is remotely pro-ready, though. I'm more concerned with firming up the commitments we have from the incoming recruits. I suppose it's inevitable that we lose a few, but hopefully not too many.
Don't forget about MJ's. Q nearly left last year. I don't know what made him stay, but if Gwoz had anything to do with it, I wouldn't expect him back next year.
Between de-commits and current players leaving, our team next year could look A LOT different than we were expecting. I think things would transition much more smoothly if the current coaching staff is left largely intact. Miller or Lassonde get the head coaching gig, and one stays the assistant. But, given the way this all went down, I don't see it happening. This doesn't feel amicable.
Mayfield is nowhere near ready to go pro. He may have size, but he plainly is not there. He is a serviceable WCHA defenseman at this point nothing more.
I am sick of all the threats of 'going pro' and all the panic. I think that is one of the main problems. Also, this is not about Tierney or Joe Scott. There is a real overreaction here -- we do not have to 'choose' which sport we like. Hockey can be great. Lacrosse can be great and basketball can be great.
I know this will get a negative reaction but some of the guys who love Gwoz are the same guys who left his program early and left him high and dry. Some of the other guys didn't deliver this year--especially the constant penalties which were, quite frankly, embarrassing.
If someone isn't sold on DU, too, let 'em go. It is a package deal. If the program is built around one person, we have a bigger problem.
I hope the athletic department is not in full panic mode like this blog right now. Time for cooler heads...
Loyalty,loyalty,loyalty --where in hell is the loyalty from all of those players who left early . We gave them the set up to go pro but as soon as their truck driving dad saw the multi thou pro bucks of they go. The college sport model no longer excists. The blus collar canadian dad could care less about us D.U. alums. he only dreams about his soon wearing N N.H.L. jersey. Enough--face realty. There is no loyalty to our hockey team except with the huge exception of us alums who care greatly. So folks, what is this that we care so much about when no one else does??? DUH!!
Tim, I agree to a certain extent that a "program" is bigger than one person. But, on another hand, I completely disagree. The coach is by far the single most important component of any program, and without him, things get VERY concerning.
Imagine Duke without Coach K. UCLA when Wooden left. It took them 20 years to win another title. Nebraska without Tom Osborne. I could go on and on.
You could counter with, what about OSU football with Urban Meyer now. Kansas BB did just fine after Williams left. UNC BB did just fine after Smith left. There's plenty of other examples I'm sure.
However, two things jump out to me. One, you have to be a truly elite program to sustain the loss of your legendary coach. I'm not sure if DU has quite reached UND, Minn, Boston schools, status. (I guess we'll find out soon). Second, all of the schools that were successful in replacing a legendary coach paid top dollar to hire in the best coach in the land. DU has already proved they aren't willing to pay top dollar. We aren't getting an Urban Meyer, Roy Williams, or Bill Self to replace Gwoz.
With all that said, I'm not saying DU will be in the crapper. Maybe we'll be better off in 5 years. Who the hell knows. But, this sure was one DAMN risky move. It feels like DU just went all in with a pair of 3's.
How many years will DU have to be the doormat of the NCHC before Peg gets tossed out on her ear? I think Peg needs to put her career on the line now! If DU doesn’t make it to the NCAA playoffs next year … hasta la vista, baby. Or does the new coach have to get the team past the first round or Peg hits the bricks. Isn’t that the test many of you have been asserting? Anything less than the first round in the NCAA playoffs is a failure?
Eliminated from the national tournament in the first round. Then the bombshell about Gwoz. That's a lot for DU fans to process and worry about. And our collective reactions have been all over the place emotionally. I'm reminded of Michael Caine's line in "Shock to the System": Whoa, let's not all panic - you, you, and you panic; the rest stay calm.
Let's calm down a bit, breath through our noses, and see how this plays out. The only good thing about Gwoz' departure that I can see is that it's pushed the Boone controversy off the front page. Temporarily at least.
i know a couple of guys who are taking a deep breath and leaning back smiling right now, Kevin Carroll and chancellor Coombs. They were in the Boone hot seat and squirming.Now the heat is off. Their political problem has gone to the back of the line. Carroll is a suit(I met him) and will be rooting for this coach controversy to linger -on and on and on.
To answer a couple of questions above the best that I can.
Appert may not fit the requirement of a "successful" D-1 coach [not enough wins]. Plus having a connection to Gwozdecky may suddenly not be such a positive on the resume.
Gwozdecky was fired, not Miller. Guessing that this was done because they want Miller to keep the recruits on board and become the associate head coach or if Miller leaves with Gwozdecky, they don't have to buy out his contract.
DU is not going after Blasi because of the [pick one] money, character or connection to Gwozdecky.
For all the criticism about DU through this process, "prime" D1 gigs with an open coaching search only come up once or twice a decade. Yes big time jobs become available more frequently, but they are often instantly filled by alums or assistants on the staff [BU, UND].
Just like in 1993, Dan Ritchie not Ron Grahame will have the major say on the new hire. Of course Ron will be involved and be vetting the candidates, but Ritchie is representing the Board. And as I mentioned earlier, this was a Board decision to fire Gwozdecky.
One last thing. Many people knew about the contract buyout for quite some time. I'm guessing that many people in the hockey side of the Athletic Department were kept in the dark.
If Peg can't find a league for the basketball team to play in, can you imagine how she'll find us a hockey coach? 20 wins for 12 straight years and you get let go? 20 wins with this years rebuilding team deserves an atta boy, not a kick in the ass. Thanks for the memories, coach.
I'm a huge Gwozdecky fan and would never have made this move. His record speaks for itself. And his character, recruiting, leadership and reputation puts him in a league of his own.
Compare Gwoz's record to anyone but Jerry York and Gwoz comes out even or on top in NCAA performance.
Red Berenson is a handy example. 22 straight trips to the NCAA's until this season and only two National Championships. Despite all the advantages Michigan has over DU.
And the same can be said for Gwozdecky vs. Lucia, Parker, Blais and anyone else.
This was really not about wins and losses, folks. It's about power and money, and when you aren't going deep into NCAA tourneys, power and money are even more important.
Hockey revenue is falling, as is University revenue. There is not enough big money lying around to keep everyone happy. There was not enough money to give Gwoz what he wanted. If there was enough money, this would have been over a while ago.
Now the power part. When you complain about not getting your extension, your coach flirts with other programs, it does not help his perception with his bosses. At the end of the day, the Board of Trustees decides these contracts, and they probably had had enough. The Board is full of old people, many of whom who aren't that into sports. If they get tired of you, you are out.
I think Gavin Morgan actually has a shot at being considered for the coaching slot.
Knowing him personally, I think he would make an excellent coach. He is very respected, a great communicator, has the pedigree, is an alumni, and he commands a room when he walks in.
Gwoz should never have started asking for an raise/extension five year before his contract was up, especially when his team was underperforming in the NCAAs, going 1-6 since 2005.
That kind of thing pisses off the Board of Trustees.
Is Gavin Morgan even coaching anywhere? Is his only coaching experience the season or 2 he did at UAH? He could be an assistant candidate. But head coach?
Makes for an interesting player's banquet night coming up. I wonder if George will attend. I went one year, and, as you'd expect, he was a big part of the evening. Do you cut your ties and move on? I think him not being there, especially for the upper classmen, will be a big void. My call: No George or Bonnie will be there; but expect a short, heartfelt video message from George to his players.
31 comments:
OK, so what is it...some people are saying Gwoz didn't get along with some players...the above tweets suggest otherwise. Truth lies somewhere in between?
I'm all in favor of building a good hoops program, but when you compare the public persona of Gwoz with Joe Scott--no competition. When you compare the "sideline" behavior of Gwoz with Bill Tierney--again, no competition. All three are good coaches, but Gwoz was a good coach AND the best representative of the university.
I sure hope there was a good reason that Gwoz got fired, and that Peg addresses the reason head on. I, too, was frustrated by the lack of recent NCAA success. But if that's the reason, DU better be damn sure they can get a coach who will have better success than Gwoz. If the reason was $$$, is DU going to be able to hire someone like Blasi away from what is probably a well paying job at Miami? Gotta think that DU has a plan here, just hope that they articulate it pretty soon.
Seth Appert will be the DU's next hockey coach. BANK ON IT!!!
No chance they can get Blasi.
DU will be looking at successful head coaches at smaller D-1 hockey schools. Not that Miami-Ohio was a smaller school 19 years ago when DU grabbed Gwozdecky, but they were a far lesser hockey power at the time.
So look at the playbook 19 years ago and you'll have a pretty good clue who DU is targeting.
DG, I'm the one who posted above about Blasi. I understand the Miami gig is a good one--nice new facility, success on the ice, etc. So I realize it would be a longshot. But why do you say "no chance"?
Appert would be a more likely candidate under your criteria.
I hope there is a very good reason...otherwise my support of DU is over!
Don't forget that Ronnie Grahame I'm sure is Peg's go-to person for anything hockey related. Nobody's mentioning that Steve Miller is ALREADY an Associate HEAD COACH. There you have it. Miller takes over as head coach, Lassonde on the bench, Divvy up the other various duties between Thomas and Tenzer. Or will this madness continue in the coming months, and these other guys I mentioned may be next?
Anyone else wondering about how this will influence any of the current players' decisions about going pro?
Mayfield is 99% going pro, no matter who is the coach. Could be the same for Nick Shore, even though Nick hasn't exactly been tearing it up at the collegiate level. As to the others, maybe one or two early pro defections that could be influenced by the coaching change? I honestly don't see who else is remotely pro-ready, though. I'm more concerned with firming up the commitments we have from the incoming recruits. I suppose it's inevitable that we lose a few, but hopefully not too many.
Don't forget about MJ's. Q nearly left last year. I don't know what made him stay, but if Gwoz had anything to do with it, I wouldn't expect him back next year.
Between de-commits and current players leaving, our team next year could look A LOT different than we were expecting. I think things would transition much more smoothly if the current coaching staff is left largely intact. Miller or Lassonde get the head coaching gig, and one stays the assistant. But, given the way this all went down, I don't see it happening. This doesn't feel amicable.
Peg hates Lassonde and barley tolerates Miller. I’m seeing a whole new coaching staff next year.
Mayfield is nowhere near ready to go pro. He may have size, but he plainly is not there. He is a serviceable WCHA defenseman at this point nothing more.
I am sick of all the threats of 'going pro' and all the panic. I think that is one of the main problems. Also, this is not about Tierney or Joe Scott. There is a real overreaction here -- we do not have to 'choose' which sport we like. Hockey can be great. Lacrosse can be great and basketball can be great.
I know this will get a negative reaction but some of the guys who love Gwoz are the same guys who left his program early and left him high and dry. Some of the other guys didn't deliver this year--especially the constant penalties which were, quite frankly, embarrassing.
If someone isn't sold on DU, too, let 'em go. It is a package deal. If the program is built around one person, we have a bigger problem.
I hope the athletic department is not in full panic mode like this blog right now. Time for cooler heads...
Loyalty,loyalty,loyalty --where in hell is the loyalty from all of those players who left early . We gave them the set up to go pro but as soon as their truck driving dad saw the multi thou pro bucks of they go.
The college sport model no longer excists. The blus collar canadian dad could care less about us D.U. alums. he only dreams about his soon wearing N N.H.L. jersey.
Enough--face realty. There is no loyalty to our hockey team except with the huge exception of us alums who care greatly.
So folks, what is this that we care so much about when no one else does???
DUH!!
Tim, I agree to a certain extent that a "program" is bigger than one person. But, on another hand, I completely disagree. The coach is by far the single most important component of any program, and without him, things get VERY concerning.
Imagine Duke without Coach K. UCLA when Wooden left. It took them 20 years to win another title. Nebraska without Tom Osborne. I could go on and on.
You could counter with, what about OSU football with Urban Meyer now. Kansas BB did just fine after Williams left. UNC BB did just fine after Smith left. There's plenty of other examples I'm sure.
However, two things jump out to me. One, you have to be a truly elite program to sustain the loss of your legendary coach. I'm not sure if DU has quite reached UND, Minn, Boston schools, status. (I guess we'll find out soon). Second, all of the schools that were successful in replacing a legendary coach paid top dollar to hire in the best coach in the land. DU has already proved they aren't willing to pay top dollar. We aren't getting an Urban Meyer, Roy Williams, or Bill Self to replace Gwoz.
With all that said, I'm not saying DU will be in the crapper. Maybe we'll be better off in 5 years. Who the hell knows. But, this sure was one DAMN risky move. It feels like DU just went all in with a pair of 3's.
How many years will DU have to be the doormat of the NCHC before Peg gets tossed out on her ear? I think Peg needs to put her career on the line now! If DU doesn’t make it to the NCAA playoffs next year … hasta la vista, baby. Or does the new coach have to get the team past the first round or Peg hits the bricks. Isn’t that the test many of you have been asserting? Anything less than the first round in the NCAA playoffs is a failure?
Eliminated from the national tournament in the first round. Then the bombshell about Gwoz. That's a lot for DU fans to process and worry about. And our collective reactions have been all over the place emotionally. I'm reminded of Michael Caine's line in "Shock to the System": Whoa, let's not all panic - you, you, and you panic; the rest stay calm.
Let's calm down a bit, breath through our noses, and see how this plays out. The only good thing about Gwoz' departure that I can see is that it's pushed the Boone controversy off the front page. Temporarily at least.
i know a couple of guys who are taking a deep breath and leaning back smiling right now, Kevin Carroll and chancellor Coombs. They were in the Boone hot seat and squirming.Now the heat is off. Their political problem has gone to the back of the line. Carroll is a suit(I met him) and will be rooting for this coach controversy to linger -on and on and on.
To answer a couple of questions above the best that I can.
Appert may not fit the requirement of a "successful" D-1 coach [not enough wins]. Plus having a connection to Gwozdecky may suddenly not be such a positive on the resume.
Gwozdecky was fired, not Miller. Guessing that this was done because they want Miller to keep the recruits on board and become the associate head coach or if Miller leaves with Gwozdecky, they don't have to buy out his contract.
DU is not going after Blasi because of the [pick one] money, character or connection to Gwozdecky.
For all the criticism about DU through this process, "prime" D1 gigs with an open coaching search only come up once or twice a decade. Yes big time jobs become available more frequently, but they are often instantly filled by alums or assistants on the staff [BU, UND].
Just like in 1993, Dan Ritchie not Ron Grahame will have the major say on the new hire. Of course Ron will be involved and be vetting the candidates, but Ritchie is representing the Board. And as I mentioned earlier, this was a Board decision to fire Gwozdecky.
One last thing. Many people knew about the contract buyout for quite some time. I'm guessing that many people in the hockey side of the Athletic Department were kept in the dark.
If Peg can't find a league for the basketball team to play in, can you imagine how she'll find us a hockey coach? 20 wins for 12 straight years and you get let go? 20 wins with this years rebuilding team deserves an atta boy, not a kick in the ass. Thanks for the memories, coach.
And just to be 100% clear.
I'm a huge Gwozdecky fan and would never have made this move. His record speaks for itself. And his character, recruiting, leadership and reputation puts him in a league of his own.
Compare Gwoz's record to anyone but Jerry York and Gwoz comes out even or on top in NCAA performance.
Red Berenson is a handy example. 22 straight trips to the NCAA's until this season and only two National Championships. Despite all the advantages Michigan has over DU.
And the same can be said for Gwozdecky vs. Lucia, Parker, Blais and anyone else.
This was really not about wins and losses, folks. It's about power and money, and when you aren't going deep into NCAA tourneys, power and money are even more important.
Hockey revenue is falling, as is University revenue.
There is not enough big money lying around to keep everyone happy. There was not enough money to give Gwoz what he wanted. If there was enough money, this would have been over a while ago.
Now the power part. When you complain about not getting your extension, your coach flirts with other programs, it does not help his perception with his bosses. At the end of the day, the Board of Trustees decides these contracts, and they probably had had enough. The Board is full of old people, many of whom who aren't that into sports. If they get tired of you, you are out.
I think Gavin Morgan actually has a shot at being considered for the coaching slot.
Knowing him personally, I think he would make an excellent coach. He is very respected, a great communicator, has the pedigree, is an alumni, and he commands a room when he walks in.
My .02.
It's an interesting thought GO PIOS. I think that this is the type of person they will target.
Gwoz should never have started asking for an raise/extension five year before his contract was up, especially when his team was underperforming in the NCAAs, going 1-6 since 2005.
That kind of thing pisses off the Board of Trustees.
Eventually, they don't want to hear it anymore...
Very little chance a DU alum, someone with DU ties or a connection with Gwozdecky will be selected. That's where things sit on April 1, 2013.
Now things as we all know may change. DU may get rebuffed by a few candidates, a great DU candidate may emerge or my sources are way off base.
They will be looking for a candidate who will be able to retain the current players, bring in our recruits and excite the fans.
Is Gavin Morgan even coaching anywhere? Is his only coaching experience the season or 2 he did at UAH? He could be an assistant candidate. But head coach?
Makes for an interesting player's banquet night coming up. I wonder if George will attend. I went one year, and, as you'd expect, he was a big part of the evening. Do you cut your ties and move on? I think him not being there, especially for the upper classmen, will be a big void. My call: No George or Bonnie will be there; but expect a short, heartfelt video message from George to his players.
The silence is deafening from the Shore brothers, Zucker and Bennett.
Lots more tweets to be posted today including Zucker, etc.
Yawn.......
Anybody know where that cheat of a coach is going to go? Open season on those recruits of yours. He he
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