KDuffy on WM/PP -- 'donut' hole in KD's analysis?

[freescooter]

Nothing really. I can't really find fault with it. What can be safer from a Public Relations stand point? Top assistant to the best coach in the country. How can you argue that its a bad choice? Time will tell whether it was a good one. But how many times has the "top assistant to the best coach" turned out to be a great coach, in his own right? Guys who hang around for 15-20 years to the same head coach are often great assistants and their boss's alter ego. Guys that want to be head coaches, go to the USHL/AHA/D3 to be head coaches or the NHL as assistants...or they move to other places and learn other ways of doing things. He might be good. He might be ok. He might be bad. We just don't really know. As I said in that other post, this was all about Manuel.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

I disagree, art. It's P's team, not GDL's.

Yes, and he deserves the most criticism and evaluation, but since our 10-14 record is most notably linked to an inept offense, you have to at least mention the OC in that criticism and evaluation.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Nothing really. I can't really find fault with it. What can be safer from a Public Relations stand point? Top assistant to the best coach in the country. How can you argue that its a bad choice? Time will tell whether it was a good one. But how many times has the "top assistant to the best coach" turned out to be a great coach, in his own right? Guys who hang around for 15-20 years to the same head coach are often great assistants and their boss's alter ego. Guys that want to be head coaches, go to the USHL/AHA/D3 to be head coaches or the NHL as assistants...or they move to other places and learn other ways of doing things. He might be good. He might be ok. He might be bad. We just don't really know. As I said in that other post, this was all about Manuel.

This is correct, but I'm finding trouble how you arrived at grading him a C with respect to hockey coaching. If anything, it's an incomplete. Certainly, he gets points for the HE move, as you noted, but there's really no way to evaluate this coaching hire from any meaningful standpoint until the guy has started recruiting and coaching in games.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

Or to put it another way, what UConn athletic team is better off today due to something Warde Manuel brought to the table than it was when he arrived? Hockey. That is it.

To those who believe no proof is required. To those who do not believe no proof is sufficient.

Please it must hard to see the truth when your eyes are in residence in your lower bowels.

 

[Waquoit]

Or to put it another way, what UConn athletic team is better off today due to something Warde Manuel brought to the table than it was when he arrived? Hockey. That is it.

I think basketball is better off since Manuel took over. It's stable and looking good for the future as opposed to the big question mark it was when he got there. The process he followed with Ollie helped KO establish his own identity while still keeping Calhoun in the fold. The program is all the stronger for it. That took some finesse.

And it was good for Warde and the athletic department. No organization works with two masters. The roles have been established. That took some skill, did you catch this part of the article? " Manuel worked out a way to keep Calhoun in the athletic department (although the new contract hasn't been finalized)" Again with the nothing has been finalized bit? C'mon JC, shake hands and move on!

 

[freescooter]

Two comments...I really don't see how you can say basketball is better off given the conference situation. Coaching looks stable but the conference side was a disaster and I think you have to lay some of that on Manuel. Interesting question is how much goes to him and how much to Herbst, but no question he has to get some.

As far as Hockey goes, I can see your point BB. Impossible to know how or what Cavanaugh will be as a head coach. I was just giving a "gentleman's C" until there is some data. Seems fair enough to me when he turned down one of the top coaches in the game, who apparently wanted the job, for a lifetime assistant who couldn't land the UMass job that UMass couldn't give away and who wasn't even the favorite to replace his head coach at BC. But we don't know how he'll do.

 

[Husky25]

Mens Basketball-C (Can't get credit for picking Ollie. Calhoun did that. he mucked up the search process/selection beyond belief.)

What search process? There was no search process? He was faced with a take it or leave it choice by Calhoun Three weeks before Midnight Madness. Coaching searches are done in February, shortlists are compiled in March, and interviews and hirings are conducted in April. No self respecting coach would leave his current team 3 weeks before preseason practice. Get over yourself.

 

[freescooter]

What search process? There was no search process? He was faced with a take it or leave it choice by Calhoun Three weeks before Midnight Madness. Coaching searches are done in February, shortlists are compiled in March, and interviews and hirings are conducted in April. No self respecting coach would leave his current team 3 weeks before preseason practice. Get over yourself.

Bingo!

 

[Husky25]

Bingo!

You can't screw up a coaching search that never occured. It does not could against him, because it never happened. He handled the situation in the best possible way. No one could have done better.

 

[IMind]

I'd give him a B- overall. I don't think he deserves the level of critcisim he gets for the CR debacle. The cards (no pun intended) were stacked against us from the start. I think they could have done more, but I don't think it would have mattered. Really the only move I disagree with is basically not firing PP after the season. I think 'encouraging' him to get a new OC is defensible but I would have just ended it.

If I had any real complaint about him.. it's that basically every move is reasonable and defensible. He's not exactly going out on a limb. Warde seems to play good defense. I'd like to see him go on the offensive a little more.

In contrast to the last guy though he's far more effective and better at his job than Hathaway. Who made moves that seemed reasonable and defensible but were really just cheap and petty and in restrospect Hathawy was almost criminally negligent. The hockey hire is a prime example. Hathaway would have hired Berard in a second... not because of he did a great job (which he did) but because he would have cost $100,000 less a year.