UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

[NCAA watcher]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

https://mobile.twitter.com/manthonyc...40705410531328

Burying the lede

Sources: UConn hockey associate head coach Mike Souza to be named associate, and head coach in waiting, under Umile at UNH. Souza a UNH alum

[HockeyRef]

https://mobile.twitter.com/manthonyc...40705410531328

Burying the lede

Sources: UConn hockey associate head coach Mike Souza to be named associate, and head coach in waiting, under Umile at UNH. Souza a UNH alum

And Coach U's nephew... Cool! oops NOT coach's nephew 😚

[NCAA watcher]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

http://sportsfire.net/souza-leaves-uconn-for-unh/

However, Hartford Courant scribe Mike Anthony added an interesting twist to the plot Wednesday morning, reporting that Souza would be the head coach in waiting at UNH. It has bee speculated that longtime Wildcat bench boss Dick Umile would be retiring after the 2016-17 season.

This certainly makes sense. Souza, who is Dick Umile’s nephew,

[Felger]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

https://mobile.twitter.com/manthonyc...40705410531328

Burying the lede

Sources: UConn hockey associate head coach Mike Souza to be named associate, and head coach in waiting, under Umile at UNH. Souza a UNH alum

Watcher, if Souza does become the head coach in waiting wouldn't that change the recruiting dynamic a bit? I mean the current HC might still be considered somewhat of a lame duck, but at least the path beyond him is defined. It would seem to give Mike S. a more tangible situation to sell to potential recruits.

[HockeyRef]

Watcher, if Souza does become the head coach in waiting wouldn't that change the recruiting dynamic a bit? I mean the current HC might still be considered somewhat of a lame duck, but at least the path beyond him is defined. It would seem to give Mike S. a more tangible situation to sell to potential recruits.

And who said he's HC in waiting? Is this speculation?

[C-H-C]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

https://twitter.com/manthonycourant/...51278936342528

UConn Head Coach Cavanaugh asked by Hartford Courant reporter if Souza was leaving for UNH. Responded "no comment".

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

Just want to add on to what Ref has mentioned earlier today ... we are all fans of the program, but in our own ways. Adding to what JB said last evening ...

Finally just because I dont ignore the (glaring) issues, doesn't make me less of a fan. I am a fan of 35+ years, have season tickets and I am a "friend" giving above the basic level.

One thing that annoys me a little (and I'm a big boy, so it's only an annoyance - nothing fatal, mind you) is the tendency for some folks to quickly classify anyone who has a dissenting opinion that is not 100% in line with their pro-UNH (or pro-anything) opinions as a "hater", and by extension "less of a fan" (as JB's post states). This is something that has recently reached epic proportions in the local debate surrounding the highly-publicized suspension of a certain iconic player in a different sport not too far down the road. The second anyone dares to opine that just *maybe* something was amiss in the circumstances that formed the basis for that suspension, battle lines were immediately drawn by some, and those who dared to veer from the unconditional, blind defense of the iconic player were automatically dubbed "haters" too. Some of that same mindset sadly seems to have seeped into our discussion of the situation at UNH as well.

At the end of the day, it's a safe call that we all have something emotionally invested in the UNH Men's Hockey program. This is not a contest - or at least it shouldn't be - and we are here to exchange viewpoints and opinions. How boring would it be on here if everyone was just being a sycophantic yahoo fan-boy, robotically defending the honor of UNH, its coaches and their players all the time?

The lifeblood of our little corner of the USCHO universe is that *sometimes* 'Watcher and C-H-C spar with each other, and posters like Greg, Darius, e.cat, JB and myself don't always agree with each other's take on things. But we all come to the table in good faith with our own differing perspectives, and throwing around derogatory terms like "haters" or "yahoos" really doesn't advance the discussion.

Having said that, I reserve the right to obliterate any stats-wielding geek preaching about Corso or SOG. Sorry.

Now Dad, your punishment for calling folks haters is to write "I will stop hating on the haters" 100 times on the whiteboard. See you at the cookout at the WIS Estate this weekend. Happy *Father's* Day!

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

http://sportsfire.net/souza-leaves-uconn-for-unh/

However, Hartford Courant scribe Mike Anthony added an interesting twist to the plot Wednesday morning, reporting that Souza would be the head coach in waiting at UNH. It has bee speculated that longtime Wildcat bench boss Dick Umile would be retiring after the 2016-17 season.

This certainly makes sense. Souza, who is Dick Umile’s nephew,

I'd heard this when he was a player, and never really cared to determine its accuracy or not (Souza was a good enough player to score in a D-1 title game, so it was irrelevant to me). But that certainly would put an *interesting* spin on things ...

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

And who said he's HC in waiting? Is this speculation?

You gotta admit, we've had some high-quality (and ultimately very accurate) speculation on this thread recently.

[HockeyRef]

You gotta admit, we've had some high-quality (and ultimately very accurate) speculation on this thread recently.

Yep I would agree...."As The 'Whitt Turns" has become my fav channel since I finished Breaking Bad!!! Fun days ahead...

[Felger]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

And who said he's HC in waiting? Is this speculation?

"However, Hartford Courant scribe Mike Anthony added an interesting twist to the plot Wednesday morning, reporting that Souza would be the head coach in waiting at UNH. It has bee speculated that longtime Wildcat bench boss Dick Umile would be retiring after the 2016-17 season."

http://sportsfire.net/souza-leaves-uconn-for-unh/

[HockeyRef]

"However, Hartford Courant scribe Mike Anthony added an interesting twist to the plot Wednesday morning, reporting that Souza would be the head coach in waiting at UNH. It has bee speculated that longtime Wildcat bench boss Dick Umile would be retiring after the 2016-17 season."

http://sportsfire.net/souza-leaves-uconn-for-unh/

Thanks Felger wonder if UNH will refer to Souza in this manner...highly doubt it. At any rate makes for interesting discussion..

[Greg A]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

I'd heard this when he was a player, and never really cared to determine its accuracy or not (Souza was a good enough player to score in a D-1 title game, so it was irrelevant to me). But that certainly would put an *interesting* spin on things ...

As some of you know, I was pretty heavily involved in UNH Hockey back when Souza was a player, being on the FOH board and co-writing the newsletter. Back then I went to just about every game home and away. Because of this, I got to know Souza's parents and talked to them frequently before and after games. To be his nephew, either Mr. Souza or Mrs. Souza would have to be Umile's or his wife's brother or sister. I can assure you that topic never, ever came up. And although I don't have my old meda guides in front of me (they are at my house), I will dare say that the relationship was never referred to in any of the four years Souza was at UNH. Methinks it is not true and any reports to the contrary do a disservice to both Umile and Souza.

What I do know is that Mike Souza is Paul Thompson's second cousing. Mike and Paul's mother are first cousins. I remember the first time I ever saw Mike play at UNH, in a game at Harvard. His whole family was there and after the game a gaggle of young kids came down to rink level wanting to talk to Mike, who I think was the youngest of several kids in his family. They were all yelling "Uncle Mike." Paul's mother confirmed to me that her son, who would have been 8 or 9 at the time, was one of these kids.

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

Thanks Felger wonder if UNH will refer to Souza in this manner...highly doubt it.

Let's see how this all settles with Coach Stewart first. Those two missed each other by a couple of years at UNH, but it's hard to believe they wouldn't know each other pretty well by now, both as alums of UNH Hockey and as young assistants working in the Northeast (not saying they don't recruit elsewhere as well). As I said a couple of days ago ... I would like to think Coach Umile has the good sense to be completely honest with both guys about his potential long-term plans. And if Stewart knows this AND is OK with this, then so be it.

Some folks are born to lead, and others are more comfortable as second in command. Very interesting stuff ...

[Greg A]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

"However, Hartford Courant scribe Mike Anthony added an interesting twist to the plot Wednesday morning, reporting that Souza would be the head coach in waiting at UNH. It has bee speculated that longtime Wildcat bench boss Dick Umile would be retiring after the 2016-17 season."

http://sportsfire.net/souza-leaves-uconn-for-unh/

I can't believe that this is true, that when the hiring of Souza is announced, it will also be announced that Umile will be retiring the year after next, to be replaced with someone with a record that is as thin as Souza's is. Mind you, I think Mike is a great guy, at least he was in all the interactions I had with him back when he was a player. And I do think he is an earnest, hard working, up-and-comer. But to think that he would be anointed the new coach would be mind boggling to me. It would lead me to ask Marty Scarano, what happened to the notion that you would only hire someone with Division 1 head coach experience? If Umile was going to designate someone as his successor, why wouldn't it be the man who has been his chief recruiter for the last 12 years rather than someone who is just establishing himself. Just doesn't make any sense.