Ohio State Next Coach?

[Sterling Cooper]

Re: Ohio State Next Coach?

He just got another raise with the contract extension he signed this week. Being that he signed a new extension THIS WEEK, I think it is highly unlikely that he'll leave the Miami Valley for the banks of the Olentangy.

As do I. I've stated previously, that it would be a real long shot for Blasi to snub his alma mater and leave for an in-state and in-conference rival. That being said, if we really want Blasi, we do have the resources to put money on the table that Miami would not be able to match. Personally, I don't think it would really matter for the reasons above. All I want is for Ohio State to make a play for a top tier, young coach. If that's Blasi, so be it. If it's someone else, that's fine too. Just don't settle.

All hyperbole and smack aside, there's less than a 5% chance that Blasi would come to Ohio State, and that slim chance is completely contingent upon us opening up the bank in a way that we never have for hockey. If, however, Minnesota really wants Blasi, I'd put the odds much higher that you lose him.

[Stauber1]

Re: Ohio State Next Coach?

Actually, they were correct for 2008, as shown by your own poster's link. I, however, was unaware of his recent raise. Congrats. That tells, me that Miami of Ohio has already shot their load hitting up alumni to fund a contract renegotiation, one that still came up 46K short of what we were paying Markell. Gonna be mighty hard to go back to that well when a real school shows up with real money. The only way that Miami of Ohio holds onto Blasi is if alumni loyalty trumps any financial considerations. That's conceivable, but let's see what Minnesota's resources--brand new packed football stadium and 22 million (and growing) per year in Big Ten Network money--are able to throw on the table.

It's going to really suck having to go up against Blasi at Minnesota in the BTHC.

bwahahaha.....I take it you didn't see any of the games there this past season. You got the brand new part right, though.

FWIW, while I would love to see Blasi at Minnesota, I'd be shocked if anyone was able to hire him away from Miami.

[thebrain]

Re: Ohio State Next Coach?

bwahahaha.....I take it you didn't see any of the games there this past season. You got the brand new part right, though.

FWIW, while I would love to see Blasi at Minnesota, I'd be shocked if anyone was able to hire him away from Miami.

I believe Maturi hired him at Miami...

[redhawkman10]

Re: Ohio State Next Coach?

I believe Maturi hired him at Miami...

He did, and they have a great relationship. The Minnesota or Denver job's are the only two that scare me as a Miami fan.

[osualum86]

Re: Ohio State Next Coach?

To give Gene Smith some credit--despite his rather disturbing PD interview--one can look to his hiring of the wrestling coach as shedding some very hopeful light and precedent on the situation. He let go a coach who had raised the program (and expectations) to the next level but had subsequently stagnated and slid back into mediocrity. The coach he hired has put together what's quickly becoming a perennial top 5 NCAA power.

Sterling, excellent point about our wrestling coach. Gene Smith made a great hire on that one. If he can do the same with the hockey program, I think we'll all be very happy with the results!

[busboy]

Re: Ohio State Next Coach?

Bringing this back to a rational conversation, raise your hand if you think Blasi would be in his second straight FF without Miami stepping up to build a new rink and support the program able to compete nationally?

Is he a good coach - no question. Could he take OSU to the next level CONSISTENTLY while bussing them across campus for practice and leveraging home playoff ice in the 20-foot-ceiling, tool shed ice rink - lots of questions.

[Sterling Cooper]

Re: Ohio State Next Coach?

Bringing this back to a rational conversation, raise your hand if you think Blasi would be in his second straight FF without Miami stepping up to build a new rink and support the program able to compete nationally?

Is he a good coach - no question. Could he take OSU to the next level CONSISTENTLY while bussing them across campus for practice and leveraging home playoff ice in the 20-foot-ceiling, tool shed ice rink - lots of questions.

3K crowds and a rowdy student section are nothing to dismiss, particularly from our vantage point of having an utter lack of student interest much less a rowdy student section at every home game. The rink is nice; however, I just have a hard time seeing it as a total game changer. It's not like they went out and recreated the environment and tradition of Yost or built a modern day hockey palace like Engelstad.

As far as the overall support for the program, I'm assuming you to mean financial support. No one has been able to show me that Miami puts any more money into their program than does Ohio State, much less funds it at a level commensurate with schools like Minny or Michigan. I'm not saying they don't, but I haven't seen any numbers definitively proving it. I would love to see the p&l numbers for their hockey program. On the other hand, their plan of "endowing" the hockey program is a novel way of insulating it from a financially struggling university and a broke-*** athletic department, but I don't know that the figures that one Miami guy posted here (at a standard 5% endowment disbursement) go much beyond paying the coaching salaries much less truly funding the program.

At the end of the day, Ohio State needs to make 3 key commitments to the hockey program

1) They need to fund it equal to other Big Ten hockey schools. This, I don't see as much of a problem given the AD's financial resources and the Big Ten Network's growing interest in hockey. It's the other two where I see possible reluctance.

First, they need to commit themselves to going out, swinging for the fences and hiring a transformational figure as the next coach. They don't need to go out looking for someone who'll periodically challenge for a CCHA title. They just fired that guy.

Second, they need to show him concrete plans for 6-7 thousand seat hockey arena and what his program needs to accomplish step-by-step to get it built--preferably built on the site of French Field House.

[No Legs]

Re: Ohio State Next Coach?

I love this thread! Sure is nice to see the conversation concerning the program. There are many qualified coaches that would fit the assumed problem with selecting the proper coach for The Ohio State University.

If I were king for a day and wished to have a Heck of a Hockey Coach not to mention a guy that gets an entire community involved I would be talking to Gads at P.U. High energy has a history of building programs quickly and between you me and the fence post would be a perfect fit for your problem.

Just Saying.

[osualum86]

Re: Ohio State Next Coach?

At the end of the day, Ohio State needs to make 3 key commitments to the hockey program

1) They need to fund it equal to other Big Ten hockey schools. This, I don't see as much of a problem given the AD's financial resources and the Big Ten Network's growing interest in hockey. It's the other two where I see possible reluctance.

First, they need to commit themselves to going out, swinging for the fences and hiring a transformational figure as the next coach. They don't need to go out looking for someone who'll periodically challenge for a CCHA title. They just fired that guy.

Second, they need to show him concrete plans for 6-7 thousand seat hockey arena and what his program needs to accomplish step-by-step to get it built--preferably built on the site of French Field House.

Excellent points, Sterling. I've been saying all along that it won't matter who we bring in if the athletic department doesn't make a commitment to this hockey program. If they make the same sort of commitment to hockey in the coming seasons that they have been making (dictionary definition of insanity ... doing the same things over and over and expecting different results), it won't matter if we bring in Mike Babcock or Scotty Bowman ... we'll still have a second-tier (or lower) hockey program. I like your idea of building a new ice arena next to Saint John Arena (site of current French Field House), but I wasn't aware if they still held indoor track meets there or not. I think it would be great, though, to somehow find a spot on the main part of campus for it where it would be more easily accessable for the students. Whatever it takes, they need to get a hockey-only facility built. They need to find a way.

[irishfan85]

Re: Ohio State Next Coach?

Why would anyone want to play for OSU, unless they had ties to the school/state, if they were being recruited by Minnesota, Michigan State and Michigan whom all play in hockey-only facilities that are consistently sold out and the environment is great. OSU plays in an empty arena that is for bouncy ball and then has to play a home play-off series in the equivlent of a high school rink.

I'll go a step further. I'd rather play for NMU, SCSU, Bemidji, Miami, Duluth, St. Lawrence, RPI, UNH, Maine where you are the big man on campus, play in facilities designed for hockey with huge crowd support.

Ohio State needs to generate interest and put in more support if it wants to compete. It is not all about a new coach.

[Sterling Cooper]

Re: Ohio State Next Coach?

Ohio State needs to generate interest and put in more support if it wants to compete. It is not all about a new coach.

You're not mistaken. No coach is going to come in and transform this program through strength of will. He, however, does need to be the first part of the puzzle...the catalyst. That's why Ohio State hockey fans are hanging on this decision to the degree they are. Not because we think this coach can be some magic bullet to undo past mistakes, but because he is an indicator that the athletic department is making the commitment to undoing them one by one, with this hire being the first step.

[MUhawks628]

Re: Ohio State Next Coach?

I'll go a step further. I'd rather play for NMU, SCSU, Bemidji, Miami, Duluth, St. Lawrence, RPI, UNH, Maine where you are the big man on campus, play in facilities designed for hockey with huge crowd support.

There is defiantly something to be said for that. You are getting the close to the equivalent of being a football player at Michigan or basketball player at Duke when you go to a school like Miami for hockey. At the very least there is no one stealing your spotlight. You don't hear people say "dude Zach Dysert sits behind me in ECO201!!", replace that with Carter Camper and it becomes true. Dysert is Miami's QB fyi and if 20% of the student body could tell you that I would be AMAZED!

[HckyDoc]

Re: Ohio State Next Coach?

...it won't matter who we bring in if the athletic department doesn't make a commitment to this hockey program...I like your idea of building a new ice arena...I think it would be great, though, to somehow find a spot on the main part of campus for it where it would be more easily accessable for the students. Whatever it takes, they need to get a hockey-only facility built. They need to find a way.

From what I have heard there is talk of a 7000 seat hockey only facility and the money was allegedly contingent upon Markell being gone. It may have had more strings attached I should have paid more attention but when I heard that one just piqued my interest to the point of distraction. The unfortunate part was the location was behind Jesse Owens, on the current location of Buckeye village housing which would not be all that convenient for students. I think the school could do more to attract the students but a location on the Main part of campus would not hurt. I think Gene is making an effort to turn this around. Now we just have to see if the money and commitment are indeed there as rumored.

As far as the team goes...I think if the team doesn't lose any more to pro signings they have a lot of untapped potential. Look at some of the teams they beat last year (Denver, Notre Dame before the injuries, Bemidji, Michigan in the first half alone) and with making the NCAA's the year before they didn't sneak up on anyone. If they choose well and get a coach like Blasi who can instill a team's sense of unity, see Miami's "Brotherhood", they will have a very good year and start building a top program.

[mcfarljd]

Re: Ohio State Next Coach?

There is defiantly something to be said for that. You are getting the close to the equivalent of being a football player at Michigan or basketball player at Duke when you go to a school like Miami for hockey. At the very least there is no one stealing your spotlight. You don't hear people say "dude Zach Dysert sits behind me in ECO201!!", replace that with Carter Camper and it becomes true. Dysert is Miami's QB fyi and if 20% of the student body could tell you that I would be AMAZED!

Funny story. Granted I haven't been to a Miami football game in ~3 years, and that was just to see UC roll them, when we were driving back from the Joe two weeks ago we drove by Ada. All I knew was that the QB was from there, and it took me the rest of the trip to figure out his name. Can't be as bad as Josh "throws while jumping" Betts can he?

[Sterling Cooper]

Re: Ohio State Next Coach?

From what I have heard there is talk of a 7000 seat hockey only facility and the money was allegedly contingent upon Markell being gone. It may have had more strings attached I should have paid more attention but when I heard that one just piqued my interest to the point of distraction. The unfortunate part was the location was behind Jesse Owens, on the current location of Buckeye village housing which would not be all that convenient for students. I think the school could do more to attract the students but a location on the Main part of campus would not hurt. I think Gene is making an effort to turn this around. Now we just have to see if the money and commitment are indeed there as rumored.

One other thing to consider is that the university is finally moving ahead with the $2.5 Billion dollar university campaign that was delayed by the financial crash. Currently, it's in the "quiet phase." While only a tiny portion of that $2.5B will go to athletics, there is no centerpiece item for the athletic portion. Geiger pretty much built everything that needed to be built, so what better big ticket item is left for the AD than a state of the art 7K hockey facility for the men's and women's programs.