Toot Cahoon Steps Down as UMass Head Coach

[Patman]

There's something to be said for running your own show. But for cav I'd consider it a step down all things considered

Just makes you wonder what is going on on the inside.

[FiveHole12]

Re: Toot Cahoon Steps Down as UMass Head Coach

There's something to be said for running your own show. But for cav I'd consider it a step down all things considered

Agree on both counts.

FWIW... I was commenting on RenceB stomping on himself regarding his HS dating exploits.

[mookie1995]

Just makes you wonder what is going on on the inside.

Billy bulger ran this place!! HELLO!!!

[Patman]

Re: Toot Cahoon Steps Down as UMass Head Coach

Billy bulger ran this place!! HELLO!!!

Yes... and he was fired at Lowell!

But you have a good point... insiders do have a habit of disappearing... better off not knowing

[FiveHole12]

Re: Toot Cahoon Steps Down as UMass Head Coach

Billy bulger ran this place!! HELLO!!!

Good for you Whitey isn't still on the loose.

[Priceless]

Re: Toot Cahoon Steps Down as UMass Head Coach

Just put the names in a hat and select one. That's the new head coach.

But considering what a fustercluck this has been, they'd probably mess THAT up.

[BU2K]

Just put the names in a hat and select one. That's the new head coach.

But considering what a fustercluck this has been, they'd probably mess THAT up.

7 5/8? I didn't think we had an applicant by that name...

[J.D.]

Re: Toot Cahoon Steps Down as UMass Head Coach

Here's my question...

If Cav is only now pulling out of contention for the job, why the hell did UMass go after Rand Pecknold and Paul Pearl first?

[boblav1]

Re: Toot Cahoon Steps Down as UMass Head Coach

Here's my question...

If Cav is only now pulling out of contention for the job, why the hell did UMass go after Rand Pecknold and Paul Pearl first?

According to USHR:

Cavanaugh talked to McCutcheon by phone early in the process but never made it to UMass for a formal visit.

Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (USHL) head coach/GM Mark Carlson is now a strong candidate for the job.
Carlson was a candidate for both the Northeastern and UMass-Lowell jobs.

[jjmc85]

Re: Toot Cahoon Steps Down as UMass Head Coach

Men's Coaching Hires in three biggest sports at UMass under McCutcheon:
Basketball- Travis Ford leaves for OSU 4/16, Derek Kellogg named head coach 4/23. This took one week.

Football- Whipple resigns 1/22. McCutcheon named athletic director 2/4. Don Brown named head coach 2/9. This took 18 days in total, though McCutcheon was only AD for 5 days before it happened.

Don Brown leaves for Maryland 1/9. Kevin Morris named head coach 1/19. This took ten days.

Kevin Morris fired 11/21. Charley Molnar was hired 12/8. This took 17 days, but these 17 days include the Thanksgiving holiday. Also, during this time the NCAA football season was still going on, so it's a bit different as many you might want to interview were still coaching.

Hockey- Don Cahoon leaves 6/19. It's been 20 days.

I'm not including the Whipple replacement, since McCutcheon was named AD in the middle of that.

Also, this is completely different than the hiring of Charley Molnar, and is much more similar to the Kellogg and Morris hirings. Cahoon stepped down, much like Brown and Ford did. He wasn't fired like Morris. This occurred in the offseason, like it did with Brown and Ford, not still during the NCAA season like MMorris. The two similar searches took a combined 17 days. Yet McCutcheon says "It might feel like it's been a long time but it really hasn't... This hasn't been different than any other search."

[J.D.]

Re: Toot Cahoon Steps Down as UMass Head Coach

JJ, I guess that ushr info adds to my point. It sounds like cav was still a candidate up until today/a couple days ago...why were they more interested in pearl/pecknold?

[Carmine Scarpaglia]

Re: Toot Cahoon Steps Down as UMass Head Coach

JJ, I guess that ushr info adds to my point. It sounds like cav was still a candidate up until today/a couple days ago...why were they more interested in pearl/pecknold?

HC experience?

[mookie1995]

HC experience?

Yeah. Even though cav is probably the most qualified assistant applying for ANY job you can get questioned if you hire him and it doesn't work out as opposed to some middling coach who has been a head man before....

[jjmc85]

Re: Toot Cahoon Steps Down as UMass Head Coach

JJ, I guess that ushr info adds to my point. It sounds like cav was still a candidate up until today/a couple days ago...why were they more interested in pearl/pecknold?

I honestly don't know for sure, but I wonder if it isn't because of budget constraints. They're paying off the old football coach for 2 seasons and Cahoon for this year. That has to be at least 600K for people to not coach. How much more is left for a hockey coach? How much would someone with a great job winning national championships as an assistant at the premiere program want to leave said position? You figure it would probably be more than the Q-Pac and HC guys.

It's either that or incompetence, or maybe McCutcheon never seriously considered Cavanaugh cause he hasn't been able to land a head coaching job anywhere else. Mabye McCutcheon figured there had to be something preventing other teams from taking him.

But like I said before, I have no idea and this post is filled with frustrated speculation.

[jjmc85]

Re: Toot Cahoon Steps Down as UMass Head Coach

HC experience?

Yeah. Even though cav is probably the most qualified assistant applying for ANY job you can get questioned if you hire him and it doesn't work out as opposed to some middling coach who has been a head man before....

Maybe, but neither Kellogg (basketball HC) nor Mulnar (football HC) had any prior HC experience. Morris was only a DIII head coach (and a terrible one at that). So I don't buy that.