Coaching vacancies 2012

[CrossCheck]

Re: Coaching vacancies 2012

Not a hard guess....last I checked there were only 2 Asst. coaches.

[obserbear]

Re: Coaching vacancies 2012

Done deal; congratulations to Coach Tracy Johnson!!!
https://www.amherst.edu/athletics/te...3/0717_johnson

[123kidd]

Re: Coaching vacancies 2012

Might be the youngest staff in the nation?

[MICZamboni]

Re: Coaching vacancies 2012

There won't be any vacancies at Mercyhurst University anytime soon. Coach Sisti just signed on for another 4 years today.

[OneTimer]

Re: Coaching vacancies 2012

Might be the youngest staff in the nation?

This is a recipe for disaster. say what you will about how nice these two coaches are as individuals (and they are) but this way way too much way too soon. makes you wonder who else applied or if anyone turned down an offer. experience should count for something to coach at this level.

[HockeyEast33]

Re: Coaching vacancies 2012

This is a recipe for disaster. say what you will about how nice these two coaches are as individuals (and they are) but this way way too much way too soon. makes you wonder who else applied or if anyone turned down an offer. experience should count for something to coach at this level.

Time will tell. Coach Duggan at Trinity was basically the same age with the same experience when she unexpectedly got the reins there last season and it turned out pretty well for her and the team. Give these coaches a chance.

I do agree that it makes you wonder who else applied. It does seem like a plum job - but maybe Coach Plumer made more out of it than it was. Their rink isn't good and, despite some large investments there in the next year or so for a fieldhouse, they aren't spending money on a new rink so they are probably 5+ years away from a new one at least. That makes one wonder about the commitment of the school to their hockey programs. The girls team was not great before Plumer got there, let's remind ourselves.

[CrossCheck]

Re: Coaching vacancies 2012

Hard to say on Amherst. I'm inclined to give her a chance. Seems very nice and more importantly as a coach....a very hard worker and good recruiter. There may be a few bumps in the road, and she probably won't duplicate Plumer's record, but I think she will do just fine [agree on other comments re: need for new rink, etc.] For a school with more money than most 3rd world countries, it makes you wonder whether hockey is really a priority like it is at Midd and Bowdoin, etc.

[WCHFan]

Re: Coaching vacancies 2012

Agreed...Give them a chance.

I've seen coaches with a ton of experience struggle badly. It's not as easy as it looks. Young can be good!

[dontyelldad]

Re: Coaching vacancies 2012

I do agree that it makes you wonder who else applied. It does seem like a plum job - but maybe Coach Plumer made more out of it than it was. Their rink isn't good and, despite some large investments there in the next year or so for a fieldhouse, they aren't spending money on a new rink so they are probably 5+ years away from a new one at least. That makes one wonder about the commitment of the school to their hockey programs. The girls team was not great before Plumer got there, let's remind ourselves.

[agree on other comments re: need for new rink, etc.] For a school with more money than most 3rd world countries, it makes you wonder whether hockey is really a priority like it is at Midd and Bowdoin, etc.

For the record, Amherst is doing MUCH more than building a new fieldhouse. Total remake of the football field and track.

https://www.amherst.edu/aboutamherst...cts/prattfield

But it was all funded by alumni donations specifically for the purpose.

And yes, they need to do something about that rink!

[obserbear]

Re: Coaching vacancies 2012

[agree on other comments re: need for new rink, etc.] For a school with more money than most 3rd world countries, it makes you wonder whether hockey is really a priority like it is at Midd and Bowdoin, etc.

Amherst's new President, Biddy Martin, visited Orr Arena for a women's game (Faculty Appreciation Day?) shortly after her arrival on scene and was reported to have asked something along the lines of why don't we have a new rink (not something I witnessed personally, but via a reliable source). There were rumors of a Midwest source for a lead donation to get the fund raising rolling and with the Pratt Field project in the work, Amherst is clearly willing to invest in athletic infrastructure.

[HockeyEast33]

Re: Coaching vacancies 2012

Amherst's new President, Biddy Martin, visited Orr Arena for a women's game (Faculty Appreciation Day?) shortly after her arrival on scene and was reported to have asked something along the lines of why don't we have a new rink (not something I witnessed personally, but via a reliable source). There were rumors of a Midwest source for a lead donation to get the fund raising rolling and with the Pratt Field project in the work, Amherst is clearly willing to invest in athletic infrastructure.

Yes, if they can find alumni support Amherst (like all Ivy/NESCAC schools) will definitely put money into athletics - it is the major connection to alumni and .... more money! But I know a little something about alumni development and these things tend to go in waves (barring the unexpected arrival of a major donor). They are investing heavily in the fieldhouse and track/football fields. This will take a couple of years to finish (finishing the payments). After that they will need to spend money on a non-athletic venue(s) of some sort to balance their investments. That will take another few years. Then they will come back to athletics and a hockey rink will likely be near the top of the list - so, 5+ years out from a new rink.

I have been told that one of the major reasons that Coach Plumer left (aside from the opportunity to coach at the Division 1 level) was that he was discouraged that Amherst decided to bypass the rink in this round of investments and that he was so far away from a new rink. It must be hard to compete against Middlebury and Bowdoin - Amherst's major competition for recruits - given the disparity of facilities and he was looking at 5 more years of that. I understand he had other D1 opportunities before but passed them up, so this almost certainly was a factor.

[dontyelldad]

Re: Coaching vacancies 2012

Yes, if they can find alumni support Amherst (like all Ivy/NESCAC schools) will definitely put money into athletics - it is the major connection to alumni and .... more money! But I know a little something about alumni development and these things tend to go in waves (barring the unexpected arrival of a major donor). They are investing heavily in the fieldhouse and track/football fields. This will take a couple of years to finish (finishing the payments). After that they will need to spend money on a non-athletic venue(s) of some sort to balance their investments. That will take another few years. Then they will come back to athletics and a hockey rink will likely be near the top of the list - so, 5+ years out from a new rink.

Amherst has already committed to spend about $200 million for a new science center, to be the largest building on campus, over the next 6 years.

https://www.amherst.edu/aboutamherst...02/node/381981

My expectation is that if there were alumni funding for a new rink, it wouldn't wait 5 yrs.

[rinkrat890890]

Re: Coaching vacancies 2012

This is a recipe for disaster. say what you will about how nice these two coaches are as individuals (and they are) but this way way too much way too soon. makes you wonder who else applied or if anyone turned down an offer. experience should count for something to coach at this level.

I vaguely remember this argument when Witt became a head coach. I do not believe this is a recipe for disaster. I believe Coach Johnson will be named permanent head coach in the future.

[HockeyEast33]

Re: Coaching vacancies 2012

Amherst has already committed to spend about $200 million for a new science center, to be the largest building on campus, over the next 6 years.

https://www.amherst.edu/aboutamherst...02/node/381981

My expectation is that if there were alumni funding for a new rink, it wouldn't wait 5 yrs.

Agree - if there was alumni funding. As noted, fieldhouse/fields project is 100% alumni funded and that was a pre-condition of the project. It appears that they even delayed the science building project a year to get the fieldhouse project in under the lead donor's timeline (and to avoid too much simultaneous construction on a small campus). They've exhausted some of their bigger contributors on the Pratt project. So they will have to find a new series of donors for a new rink - and that will almost certainly take time. But if someone showed up with $20 million today for a new rink, they would be unlikely to turn it down!

[HockeyEast33]

Re: Coaching vacancies 2012

I believe that there is a good chance that Coach Johnson will be very successful (as noted). However, I'm not sure Witt is a great benchmark - 96-126-23 doesn't exactly scream success...but I guess it's true that it wasn't a disaster.