2015-2016 Coaching Changes

[Skate79]

Re: 2015-2016 Coaching Changes

Is that the goal at Brown? I'm not sure how easy that would be to accomplish these days. It's been more than a decade since Brown could be described as prominent, with only one season over .500 during that time. How has the landscape changed since then? Programs like Harvard and Princeton have remained relatively consistent, Harvard as a contender, and Princeton as a good, solid team but not much more. Cornell has surged to go from the bottom to a rival of Harvard. Dartmouth has dropped from being a contender to more Princeton-like. Meanwhile, Clarkson and Quinnipiac have made great strides as non Ivy League teams in the ECAC, and while the power has shifted around in Hockey East, there has definitely been improvement at the bottom of the league. It has always seemed to me like Dartmouth is better supported than Brown is. If Brown increased its level of support to be more akin to Dartmouth, would the Bears be prominent, or would they be more likely to wind up in the middle of the ECAC? Is Brown even interested in investing enough in the program to make it a contender?

The good news about the Brown hire is that given the new coach is a program insider, one would think he has friends in the athletic department who may be receptive to improvements. One of the greatest roadblocks to turning around any program is apathy toward that program within its athletic department.

I can't speak for the school because I'm not an alum and have only had a few professional interactions with members of the faculty and administration. But I would think that the school would want their teams to succeed - maybe prominence is too strong a word. Unless women's hockey at Brown is truly becoming an afterthought. I can't answer that question.

I was really thinking of pre 2003 as an example of the school's program being prominent in women's hockey. That is why I brought up Mounsey. It's true that they have not been a factor for a long time. Some of that may have to do with programs like Clarkson and Quinnipiac coming on line but you could say that about any school - recruiting gets tougher for everyone with more competition for talent. Dartmouth may be better supported but they have been up and down the past few years as well. And their alumni network is fabulous especially in finance and entrepreneurship.

I agree that Kenneally probably has some strong relationships within the administration and the athletic department. Does that extend to admissions? He'll need their support as well. It will still go back to recruiting and how much Brown is willing to spend to support his coaching staff to find talented players and convince them to attend the school. One reason Tommy Amaker is so successful at Harvard is the support he gets from the athletic department. Another reason is that Amaker has relationships that provide him with a pipeline of talent that would ordinarily be funneled into other conferences. That is an invaluable recruiting edge for Harvard men's b-ball. Brown needs the same and then some if this new coaching staff is going to be successful.

[pokechecker]

Re: 2015-2016 Coaching Changes

I'd like to take this opportunity to express my enthusiasm for a new era in UMD women's hockey.

back of the pack instead of also ran?

“It wasn’t always easy, but we did have some special Minnesotans out there and we love those kids,” Crowell said. “I’m just looking forward to being able to recruit a whole lot more of them here.”
do not underestimate how this played in hiring her, the previous coach seemed to think otherwise and ultimately played a part in her schiyt canning

[pokechecker]

Re: 2015-2016 Coaching Changes

I guess Duluth didn't have some unqualified guy on staff to take over like Brown did so they had to "settle" for a qualified, up and coming young woman who has paid her dues to get this opportunity.

Can you imagine if the situation was reversed at Brown and they hired an unqualified woman to become the new men's team head coach?! There would be an outrage of unpredictable proportions. Didn't Digit Murphy try to become the men's coach at Brown a few years back? At least she was one of the most experienced women's coaches around at that time. I'd say she could have done as good a job as the current men's coach has done since he got the job.

Give Duluth credit for making a very good choice that makes sense to everyone in women's hockey. Give Brown a raspberry for making a choice of convenience that makes no sense to anyone in women's hockey.

it doesn't matter who Brown hires as the men's or women's coach, they are inconsequential
personally I'd like to see them hire Shannon Miller as the head coach of both the men's & women's team
she could mouth off asll she wanted and it would just be ignored by the rest of the world because nobody listens to anything coming out of that school anyway

[OnMAA]

Re: 2015-2016 Coaching Changes

I can't speak for the school because I'm not an alum and have only had a few professional interactions with members of the faculty and administration. But I would think that the school would want their teams to succeed - maybe prominence is too strong a word. Unless women's hockey at Brown is truly becoming an afterthought. I can't answer that question.

I was really thinking of pre 2003 as an example of the school's program being prominent in women's hockey. That is why I brought up Mounsey. It's true that they have not been a factor for a long time. Some of that may have to do with programs like Clarkson and Quinnipiac coming on line but you could say that about any school - recruiting gets tougher for everyone with more competition for talent. Dartmouth may be better supported but they have been up and down the past few years as well. And their alumni network is fabulous especially in finance and entrepreneurship.

I agree that Kenneally probably has some strong relationships within the administration and the athletic department. Does that extend to admissions? He'll need their support as well. It will still go back to recruiting and how much Brown is willing to spend to support his coaching staff to find talented players and convince them to attend the school. One reason Tommy Amaker is so successful at Harvard is the support he gets from the athletic department. Another reason is that Amaker has relationships that provide him with a pipeline of talent that would ordinarily be funneled into other conferences. That is an invaluable recruiting edge for Harvard men's b-ball. Brown needs the same and then some if this new coaching staff is going to be successful.

You are right on the money. As I have posted several times, support for the program and a strong recruiting program is what is needed to get the Women's hockey program back to respectability. I know one of their objectives is success in the class room for all their varsity students and on that score they have been at or near the top for women's hockey nation wide. One year 19 players on the team were on the academic honor roll of the ECAC. There is more than one measure of success. Problem is not all see it or are aware of it. JMO.

[OnMAA]

Re: 2015-2016 Coaching Changes

it doesn't matter who Brown hires as the men's or women's coach, they are inconsequential
personally I'd like to see them hire Shannon Miller as the head coach of both the men's & women's team
she could mouth off asll she wanted and it would just be ignored by the rest of the world because nobody listens to anything coming out of that school anyway

What a Moronic post.

[knight7]

Re: 2015-2016 Coaching Changes

Keneally at Brown is keeping the assistant coaches, Jillian Kirchner and Lindsey Berman.

[shelfit]

Re: 2015-2016 Coaching Changes

Keneally at Brown is keeping the assistant coaches, Jillian Kirchner and Lindsey Berman.

That was a given, as I stated in a previous post. He needs them to teach him so many things about the women's game on and off the ice and particularly on the recruiting trail because he knows absolutely nothing about the recruiting aspect of women's hockey, like other men without any women's hockey background that have been hired to take over the women's hockey programs at other schools.

[CrazyDave]

Re: 2015-2016 Coaching Changes

Going to throw a D-III announcement into the mix: Natalie Darwitz named head coach at Hamline University.

[shelfit]

Going to throw a D-III announcement into the mix: Natalie Darwitz named head coach at Hamline University.

Wow, nice hire for a school that traditionally hasn't shown a real commitment to the women's hockey program. I wonder how much they're going to pay her. I also wonder how long she'll stay before she jumps to a D1 job.

[brookyone]

Re: 2015-2016 Coaching Changes

Wow, nice hire for a school that traditionally hasn't shown a real commitment to the women's hockey program. I wonder how much they're going to pay her.

Enough for her to take the job.

[shelfit]

Re: 2015-2016 Coaching Changes

Enough for her to take the job.

Sheer genius, Brooky. Lol. What about taking a stab at the second question?

[123kidd]

Re: 2015-2016 Coaching Changes

Se could have had a DI head job but declined.

[ARM]

Re: 2015-2016 Coaching Changes

When Darwitz left Minnesota to coach high school, I thought she did list travel as one of the reasons. If she wants to raise a family, I would think that there would be less travel associated with coaching in the MIAC than there would be with D-I jobs in the area. While head coaches don't have to travel as much as assistants do for recruiting, the road games still involve some longer trips.

[brookyone]

Re: 2015-2016 Coaching Changes

Sheer genius, Brooky. Lol. What about taking a stab at the second question?

I think she's on that path. No time frame from me though.

[D2D]

Re: 2015-2016 Coaching Changes

Enough for her to take the job.

Perfect answer!

“I had a great time coaching at South, but when it comes to time spent, high school coaches make a negative 10 cents an hour,’’ Darwitz said. “With the baby on the way, Hamline was a perfect fit. There’s a real salary and benefits.’’

http://www.startribune.com/sports/blogs/298784331.html