Mike Cavanaugh: UCONN Hockey Coach?

[IMind]

Hockey is actually quite expensive. And no, Gampel cannot be revamped for hockey. It would be cheaper to build an entirely new arena for bball and hockey.

In other words, hockey implies a whole heap of money being dumped into UConn athletics.

And that is my original point.

Maybe I'm wrong but I think one of their studies is going to be to knock down Gampel and do a whole new facility. Hockey is probably an easier sell than more money for football at this point in time and basketball just got a new facility... so if the pitch is going to be to upgrade Gampel for basketball while doing a new hockey facility.

 

[upstater]

Maybe I'm wrong but I think one of their studies is going to be to knock down Gampel and do a whole new facility. Hockey is probably an easier sell than more money for football at this point in time and basketball just got a new facility... so if the pitch is going to be to upgrade Gampel for basketball while doing a new hockey facility.

Why sink more money into a sport that is neutral revenue at best? That's my question.

 

[Samoo]

Why sink more money into a sport that is neutral revenue at best? That's my question.

a) revenue neutral in intercollegiate sports is a rarity outside of football and basketball, and even those are losing propositions for many universities.
b) revenue is not the only objective of intercollegiate sports

 

[IMind]

Why sink more money into a sport that is neutral revenue at best? That's my question.

I hear you. I think I hit most of it with Malloy being a big hockey guy and Warde coming from Michigan. The Gov. can amount to being the biggest booster for a state flagship institution. We also got the Hockey East invite... which certainly made it a more attractive upgrade path than say remaining in Atlantic Hockey and going full scholarship.

 

[upstater]

a) revenue neutral in intercollegiate sports is a rarity outside of football and basketball, and even those are losing propositions for many universities.
b) revenue is not the only objective of intercollegiate sports

When you subsidize athletics to the tune of $15 million or more, it perhaps should be.

 

[huskymedic]

ManthonyCourant 1:13pm via Web
Mike Cavanaugh on UConn hockey job: "My mission here -- I'll simplify it for you -- is to graduate players and win championships."

Watched presser... extremely impressed with Cav's demeanor and passion for the game. He's excited (as he should be).

 

[jostar1]

Mike Anthony (@ManthonyCourant)
5/8/13, 11:00 PM
New UConn men's hockey coach Mike Cavanaugh has signed a 5-year contract that pays him $200,000 the first year.

I think WM is serious about UConn hockey..

Is that a lot for a hockey coach? What was he getting paid at BC?

 

[huskymedic]

Is that a lot for a hockey coach? What was he getting paid at BC?

Well... UConn's previous coach Bruce Marshall who was @ UConn for what 25 years was paid $90k.

My sense is this is inline w/ the lower end of Hockey East coaches. Cav's boss @ BC made $450k but he has 4 national championships under his belt and they have a $5m coach endowment in place. It's more than Maine's new coach and UMass's new coach is about the same $$.

 

[freescooter]

Is that a lot for a hockey coach? What was he getting paid at BC?

No idea what he got as assistant at BC but $200,000 is probably about what a first year head coach would get in Hockey East. I think the UMass guy got about that. the average salary in the Big Ten for Hockey is around $365,000 but that includes a number of long time head coaches who push the average up. the new Ohio State head coach is getting about$200,000 I believe.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Standard for a first year HE coach. Gwoz would've gotten more, but he also has a long list of credentials as a top flight head coach. As for B1G, only two coaches there, OSU and PSU, are really new in any way, and with only six schools, that average is skewed by the top earners from Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and State.

 

[Jimdish255]

UConnMHOC 11:56am via Web
Be sure to check out Mike Cavanaugh's introductory press conference at 1:00 pm uconnhuskies.com/allaccess/ #BleedBlue

http://www.uconnhuskies.com/allaccess/?media=388127

 

[Jimdish255]

One big advantage that struck me was the mention of personal relationships with many of the officials in our new league. We don't enter HE as outsiders much as if we got a hot-shot coach from another league. Coach Cavanaugh is familiar with the players, coaches and recruits in this area. It's a big plus.

My question goes to the timing of the new recruiting standards and how soon we can bring guys on scholarship given the fact we are still in Atlantic for I guess 1 more year.

 

[huskymedic]

My question goes to the timing of the new recruiting standards and how soon we can bring guys on scholarship given the fact we are still in Atlantic for I guess 1 more year.

From what I read in a Mike Anthony story - UConn awarded 5 hockey scholarships for next season and is expected to award 5 more for 2014-15. The Huskies then would add 4 in 2015-16 and 4 in 2016-17 to reach the Hockey East maximum of 18.

 

[Jimdish255]

From what I read in a Mike Anthony story - UConn awarded 5 hockey scholarships for next season and is expected to award 5 more for 2014-15. The Huskies then would add 4 in 2015-16 and 4 in 2016-17 to reach the Hockey East maximum of 18.

At that pace the impact won't be felt right away. I assume existing players will take up some of those scholly's. Not just new recruits. But the reputation of the program is elevated immediately. Time for a recruiting thread.

 

[huskymedic]

Jeff Jacobs view...

http://www.courant.com/sports/uconn...-hockey-column-0510-20130509,0,7348879.column

 

[Jimdish255]

College Hockey News Report - also on their front page.

http://www.collegehockeynews.com/news/2013/05/09_cavanaugh_introduced_as_new.php

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

With regard to scholarships, not even the big programs award full scholarships to their entire roster. A good number of BU players are on half scholarships, and a few are recruited walk-ons. It's not at all unusual for a hockey player to pay some or all of his own way. Of course, no scholarships, or below 10 is indeed unusual. But of those 18, they're likely spread out over more than 18 players.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

With regard to scholarships, not even the big programs award full scholarships to their entire roster. A good number of BU players are on half scholarships, and a few are recruited walk-ons. It's not at all unusual for a hockey player to pay some or all of his own way. Of course, no scholarships, or below 10 is indeed unusual. But of those 18, they're likely spread out over more than 18 players.

Seems like they would parcel the schollies out much like men's baseball.

 

[junglehusky]

Don't tell HFD... Cav wore a maroon tie!

 

[freescooter]

Seems like they would parcel the schollies out much like men's baseball.

there is actually an NCAA rule about how scholarships can be awarded. For some sports, football, basketball especially, you have to give a full scholarship or nothing. For others, hockey, baseball, track & field, I think most others are considered "equivalency" sports. In those you can give partial scholarships just as long as the total doesn't exceed the number permitted for that sport. So in hockey you could give 36 players 50% scholarships (though there might be other roster limitations too). But in basketball you can't give 26 players 1/2 scholarships or 170 football players 1/2 scholarships. In those sports you have X number and you can only have that same number of scholarship players.

 

[freescooter]

Cav sounds like he made a nice impression and made all the right moves, said all the right things, but I assume the nonsense about recruiting Connecticut is just for public consumption and not part of the real reason for the selection. If it was anymore than the 52nd reason, Warde should be told to clean out his desk today...in fact, don't bother cleaning it out. Just go and we'll send stuff to you. If that was anywhere near the top consideration, we're looking at Paul Pasqualoni, the Sequel.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Cav sounds like he made a nice impression and made all the right moves, said all the right things, but I assume the nonsense about recruiting Connecticut is just for public consumption and not part of the real reason for the selection. If it was anymore than the 52nd reason, Warde should be told to clean out his desk today...in fact, don't bother cleaning it out. Just go and we'll send stuff to you. If that was anywhere near the top consideration, we're looking at Paul Pasqualoni, the Sequel.

Warde mentioned experience, success, knowledge of and recruitng both the northeast (including CT) and internationally very well.

 

[The Viking]

Cav sounds like he made a nice impression and made all the right moves, said all the right things, but I assume the nonsense about recruiting Connecticut is just for public consumption and not part of the real reason for the selection. If it was anymore than the 52nd reason, Warde should be told to clean out his desk today...in fact, don't bother cleaning it out. Just go and we'll send stuff to you. If that was anywhere near the top consideration, we're looking at Paul Pasqualoni, the Sequel.

Comparing HS football players from CT and New England over the past 20-30 years to HS hockey players from CT and New England over the past 20-30 years is a battle you won't win.

Recruiting the state and the northeast is and should be a strong thing to put on a resume when an ad is looking over the stack on his desk.

Don't think it's impossible that if there is a Brian Leetch part II in a few years, that he might stay at his home school due to Cavanaugh and his recruiting abilities, as well as with the improving standing of the school's talent/facilities/conference.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

CT high school hockey talent is leaps and bounds beyond CT HS football talent. There are numerous players at top college programs as well as in the NHL from CT. BC has heavily recruited the CT area, including their captain from this past season, as well as BU.

But Cav is most certainly not stupid enough to limit his recruiting to CT. He has been the top assistant to, probably, the best college hockey coach ever for the past 18 years. This guy is not PP.

 

[freescooter]

Except the world has changed dramatically since Leetch played college hockey. Virtually every program recruits most of its players from one of the junior leagues. The number of kids going to college programs from prep schools is far fewer than it was then. Just for example, Avon Old Farms has 3 kids who were recruited this year. Two went to AHA programs and 1 to an ECAC school. The New Jersey Hitmen of the EJHL, a Tier III League, had 12, 4 of whom went to ECAC programs, 4 to Hockey East and 1 to the Big 10. You want to recruit the northeast for sure, but Connecticut talent ends up not really being Connecticut talent by the time its ready to be recruited to major college hockey. Those guys have played between 1 and 3-4 years in various junior leagues scattered around the country. The USHL largely in places like Waterloo Iowa, Dubuque, Fargo is the top Tier I league and by most estimates about 80% of the players coming through that league go on to play college hockey.