Gwozdecky Misses Out On UConn Coaching Job

Mike Cavanaugh
From: Bangor Daily News
by Larry Mahoney

Mike Cavanaugh an assistant coach at Boston College for the past 18 seasons, is in final negotiations to become the head hockey coach at the University of Connecticut.

Deposed University of Denver coach George Gwozdecky and former Providence College assistant David Berard, who was the interim head coach at UConn this past season, were the other finalists.

The decision is said to have come down to Cavanaugh and Berard, who would get an offer if, for some unexpected reason, contract negotiations broke down with Cavanaugh. Gwozdecky was the first finalist eliminated from consideration.

UConn did have a non-scholarship Division I Atlantic Hockey team but will add the full complement of 18 scholarships and join Hockey East in 2014-15.

ESPN anchor John Buccigross reported via Twitter last week that UConn and Gwozdecky were in intense discussions and there was an “excellent chance” Gwozdecky was going to get the position.

Gwozdecky could now be a candidate for the Maine job vacated by Tim Whitehead, who was fired after 12 seasons as the head coach.

Gwozdecky, who was fired at Denver when his contract negotiations broke down despite his 443-267-64 record over 19 seasons, said last month he was interested in the Maine job.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good move by UCONN they are used to winning NCAA championships. Why would you hire a coach who has only won 1 of his last 7 NCAA games, and is on a 3 game losing streak as well.

dggoddard said...

Good luck trolling with a comment as obvious as that. You need to step up your game.

dggoddard said...

Ohio State lost two incoming recruits in the past 24 hours due to their coaching turnover.

http://www.westerncollegehockeyblog.com/2013/5/7/4309402/cliff-watson-no-longer-committed-to-ohio-state

Anonymous said...

I don't think "missed out" is a good way to describe any coaching job for Gwoz right now. It's not like he's headed to the poor house and nobody will hire him. His time will come, and he holds the cards, and crab truly wait for the RIGHT job.

Anonymous said...

Gwozdecky needs time off to refresh. He should not be looking right now. D.U. is on the hook for next years salary. He needs to decompress.

5BWest said...

I think this is the job Gwoz wanted. Sleeping giant in Hockey with a big athletic department with lots of cash. He would have been ideal and the situation of moving to a temporary venue until the new hockey facility is complete is something he has done before.

Maine is not a certainty because they tend to favor people with existing University and/or league connections.

I was hoping he would get this one. His age may be the issue but he has a lot of gas in the tank.

Anonymous said...

maybe he couldn't explain his struts on the ice or on the dashers? or maybe it was the plaid shirt with the polkadot tie and striped jacket? :)

Anonymous said...

Gwoz is waiting for the Av's job to come his way... he'll be fine...

As for the UConn job it should have gone to Berard... he had a successful season as the "interim" head coach and he had the record to prove it...

Cav is only going to hang around until the BC job is officially open... plus it probably didn't hurt that Gov Malloy basically hand picked him...

Anonymous said...

I agree that UCONN would have been a great job, get to build a program in a great conference and with a big athletic dept

All these Avs comments are nuts, no way will Gwoz get an NHL job - just silly !

Anonymous said...

UConn is NOT cash rich, and at the beck and call of fickle 'board', including State of, and you have little real committment to building anything - - they think you just win (like the tall, uneducated round ballers)

Anonymous said...

Conn. is a b ball school not hockey. they don't even have a rink. They did G. a favor by saying no.
He can do better.
He has to back off . He needs to get some air before jumping on the job hunting trail. D.U. is funding this year.

Anonymous said...

Dickcheese..... You've said the same f$$ing thing 50 different ways .....we get it, DU have Gwoz a severance.

Give it a rest.....

Anonymous said...

Thank you for Ausmus.