Minnesota State, Mankato, Season Thread

[MavHockey14]

Re: Minnesota State, Mankato, Season Thread

We need a new coach, or we are going to turn into Michigan Tech..(No offense huskies..)

this program is going nowhere right now, and with the Big 10 forming, it's looking bleak ahead.

What does everyone think of this big 10 thing? Man does this suck.

[College Hockey Weekend]

Re: Minnesota State, Mankato, Season Thread

What does everyone think of this big 10 thing? Man does this suck.

IMO, the WCHA's going to come out fine in this. You saw what happened with a Gopher/Badgerless Final Five, the fans still came out in force. My bigger concern is the CCHA. If the WCHA WERE to successfully recruit Norte Dame and Miami the CCHA would more or less cease to exist. As for UAH, I say bring them on. Yes, they may be a miserable program now, but the FF is in Tampa/St. Pete next season. Ironically, the bid was co-sponsored by UAH. If this FF is a remote success, having UAH in your conference opens the key to the American Southeast which is quickly starting to produce quality players (Chris Kamal, Anchorage's starting goalie, a native of suburban Atlanta, comes to mind for me) which would then lead to an expansion of the game.

[Red Cows]

Re: Minnesota State, Mankato, Season Thread

Well, here we are, winding down a season that might very well end in the ignominy of being the first WCHA team to finish in 11th place. Thank heavens for Tech. I've been a season-ticket holder for eleven years. I'm hard pressed right now to think of a reason to renew for a twelfth.

Sadly, I can relate to this sentiment. I gave up my UNO season tickets for two years because I was dissatisfied with then Head Coach Mike Kemp, (who is a good guy but a coach that took us just so far) and I told then AD Bob Danenhauer I had no intention of renewing until he was gone. A year later both he and Mike Kemp where gone and the fortunes of war have changed for us dramatically. Now, I am back, and, seeing what I signed on for 14 years ago.

If you feel that strongly, then you have to speak with your pocketbook and make it happen. Money talks and BS walks.

You guys are our next road trip, the boss and I have decided. Mankato is nice town. Hope you right the ship up there.

Cows rule. Red, not purple, though.

[MavHockey14]

Re: Minnesota State, Mankato, Season Thread

IMO, the WCHA's going to come out fine in this. You saw what happened with a Gopher/Badgerless Final Five, the fans still came out in force. My bigger concern is the CCHA. If the WCHA WERE to successfully recruit Norte Dame and Miami the CCHA would more or less cease to exist. As for UAH, I say bring them on. Yes, they may be a miserable program now, but the FF is in Tampa/St. Pete next season. Ironically, the bid was co-sponsored by UAH. If this FF is a remote success, having UAH in your conference opens the key to the American Southeast which is quickly starting to produce quality players (Chris Kamal, Anchorage's starting goalie, a native of suburban Atlanta, comes to mind for me) which would then lead to an expansion of the game.

This is a very true statement. I just have that part of me that hates this some much i want to see the Big ten absolutely struggle miserabley. A 6 team conference? shouldn't work too well. Expansion of the game is something though that would be huge for the sport. Pros and cons to everything!

Sadly, I can relate to this sentiment. I gave up my UNO season tickets for two years because I was dissatisfied with then Head Coach Mike Kemp, (who is a good guy but a coach that took us just so far) and I told then AD Bob Danenhauer I had no intention of renewing until he was gone. A year later both he and Mike Kemp where gone and the fortunes of war have changed for us dramatically. Now, I am back, and, seeing what I signed on for 14 years ago.

If you feel that strongly, then you have to speak with your pocketbook and make it happen. Money talks and BS walks.

You guys are our next road trip, the boss and I have decided. Mankato is nice town. Hope you right the ship up there.

Cows rule. Red, not purple, though.

Appreciate the support Red, it's just so frustrating with Jutting at the helm. People who don't even know hockey say he should be canned, now c'mon, you can't be mr. nice guy always mr. Kevin Busiman..

[MavsFan]

Re: Minnesota State, Mankato, Season Thread

...c'mon, you can't be mr. nice guy always mr. Kevin Busiman..

I don't think it's so much "Mr. Nice Guy" as that he just doesn't care about anything but football and basketball.

[College Hockey Weekend]

Re: Minnesota State, Mankato, Season Thread

Outside of the RPI series, do we know anything about the Mavs 11-12 schedule?

[MavHockey14]

Re: Minnesota State, Mankato, Season Thread

I don't think it's so much "Mr. Nice Guy" as that he just doesn't care about anything but football and basketball.

Very, very good point here. It's actually so true. He's not a hockey guy. He doesn't understand the potential of what a good D-I hockey program in Minnesota, in the fricken WCHA, could mean for this University and this community.

Isn't it crazy to think that we interviewed Scott Sandelin and didn't call him back for a second interview? Weird, he's a national champion now. We had Dean Blais on campus and didn't even bother to interview him more than once. UNO is becoming a hockey powerhouse. It just ****es me off at the potential this program could have if we put some money into it and manned up and got a coach. Jutts' is a good guy who's an okay coach at best. Thanks for the hard work Jutting, but you have to go.

Outside of the RPI series, do we know anything about the Mavs 11-12 schedule?

All of the 2 game series we had this year, will be flopped. So no UND in Mankato, only up in Grand Forks, etc.

[MavHockey14]

Re: Minnesota State, Mankato, Season Thread

Here's a little bit of my take on youth hockey in town mixed with my frustration of our coach. I don't know how many of you people actually still read this forum, cause no one else posts, but here you go.

Good luck 'ewe! Fingers crossed.

Mav, I think you guys need to build numbers and depth in the youth ranks. One of my kid's buddies is an A player in Edina (was on the state champ PWA team this year). Back when he was a squirt A they faced the Mankato SQA team in the finals of the Edina tourney. Jutting's kid was on that team. They were good, but only had 12 skaters and got worn down by the end. Hopefully programs like the Knights can help build that depth for your association.

I totally agree. We've got a new director of operations who fully took over his first full season last season, and he's implementing a lot more drills and emphasis on hockey skills rather than just "moving kids through the system." He played at MSU. Depth is an issue at our top levels, and with the two school split between East and West, the numbers are directly pointing to 90 percent or more of the kids attending the West side. That's a problem because East's high school team suffers mightily. They played a roster of 14 with no JV this season..

Things will turn around at some point, but it takes time because scheduling teams from the metro is very tough. Our high school team this season could only schedule AA schools such as shakopee and prior lake. It's getting better, but it takes time. We made state in '08 which has helped us a TON. We next year will hopefully get into the Duluth Christmas Tournament, which will give us 3 more games against tougher opponents.

Basically, we re trying to get our program to be better and better each year by playing better competition, and promoting more options to play for our players, so that we can promote the game here in town, and across southern minnesota.

I also hope that the Mavs here in town aren't too largely effected by the stupid B1G. The Mavs give kids in town a dream. A former teammate of mine, and a hometown kid played his freshman season here in town, and when kids here see him out there on the ice, they can look at him and say hey. He played on the Mankato Peewee A when he was my age, etc. If we could get a coach to bring our program back to life, I guarentee we'd have close to capacity crowds week in and week out, and it would make hockey even larger in the community, which would in turn promote the game further.

It's so disappointing knowing we had Sandelin on campus, interviewed him, and didn't even give him a second interview. Dean Blais was on campus, didn't hire him either. I don't understand how our AD doesn't see the potential for what a good WCHA hockey team could do for a town, and a University. It's the same thing every single season. The Mavs are hardworking, with a few talented guys, who take way too many penalties, and have a horrid power play. I just want so badly for us to grow as a program, get some tradition, make some final fives, make the tournament, etc. The potential is there, we're in the WCHA and we're in the State of Hockey.

[umassfan49]

Re: Minnesota State, Mankato, Season Thread

Outside of the RPI series, do we know anything about the Mavs 11-12 schedule?

The WCHA composite schedule was released a few days ago. I also know that Lowell will headed to Mankato in return of the two-game set played at UML this season.

[MavHockey14]

The WCHA composite schedule was released a few days ago. I also know that Lowell will headed to Mankato in return of the two-game set played at UML this season.

Correct. It'll be interesting to see if the Mavs can defend their christmas tournament title too in Chicago.

[Bale]

Re: Minnesota State, Mankato, Season Thread

I think there is more to it than Buisman not caring about hockey. Some of the administration has shared with me that MSU has one of the best funded athletic departments in Division II, but is near the bottom in D1 hockey. Part of the problem is the bad lease agreement that the team has with the city at the civic center. As it was put to me "it's one of the worst in the nation". From what I understand, they felt as though they didn't really have a choice but to sign Jutting to his current 4-year deal. They felt as though they couldn't fire a coach that had just won "Coach of the Year" honors and were bound to a 4-year deal due to MNSCU rules. It was either 4 years or nothing. I'm not saying these are excuses for the putrid performances the last couple years (or most of his tenure for that matter), but those are the realities of the situation.

In all honesty, the cost of a good coach isn't that ridiculously high. When this contract runs out, I fully expect the school to go in a different direction. I wish it could happen sooner, but I just don't think that the school can afford to pay 2 coaches at the same time unless some of the donors step in and say that they will pay for a buyout. Jutting seems to be a good dude, but I think he's hit the wall of how far he can take this program. It is time for a change...unfortunately, it's probably not coming as soon as we would all like to see.

[MavsFan]

Re: Minnesota State, Mankato, Season Thread

Some of the administration has shared with me that MSU has one of the best funded athletic departments in Division II, but is near the bottom in D1 hockey.

I don't see what the lease at the civic center has to do with being one of the worst-funded programs in D-I. I see what you said above as being evidence that they just don't care about hockey. Fund the athletic department near the top of D-II, but fund the hockey program near the bottom of D-I? That shows that they are unwilling to do what it takes to compete in D-I.

[Bale]

Re: Minnesota State, Mankato, Season Thread

I don't see what the lease at the civic center has to do with being one of the worst-funded programs in D-I. I see what you said above as being evidence that they just don't care about hockey. Fund the athletic department near the top of D-II, but fund the hockey program near the bottom of D-I? That shows that they are unwilling to do what it takes to compete in D-I.

The lease has everything to do with being horribly funded. If they only get (and I don't know what the actual numbers are) 30% of ticket revenues while most schools get 60% of ticket revenues they have to double the amount of dollars that come out of student fees as comprable programs. For even numbers let's assume MSU's ticket revenues are $1,000,000. If they only get 30% ($300,000) of revenue while a comprable school gets 60% ($600,000) that means you have to make up that $300,000 through student fees. Now, if I'm the President of the university and I have the hockey program coming to me and asking for $300,000 more while at the same time making the decision to eliminate 4 other athletic programs, I can't possibly go to the student body and ask them to raise their fees even more. The supply of cash is not bottomless like it is within the U of M athletic department where they can be paying 2 head football coaches, 2 head basketball coaches, etc, etc.

Really it's a chicken or the egg scenario. If they spend more money now, will they win more and make additional revenues? Or do they say, "win more, create more revenue and we'll spend more money". The trick is to find a happy medium between the two to grow revenues, but not bankrupt the school to do it. It sounds like it should be easy, but it's just not.

[MavHockey14]

Re: Minnesota State, Mankato, Season Thread

I think there is more to it than Buisman not caring about hockey. Some of the administration has shared with me that MSU has one of the best funded athletic departments in Division II, but is near the bottom in D1 hockey. Part of the problem is the bad lease agreement that the team has with the city at the civic center. As it was put to me "it's one of the worst in the nation". From what I understand, they felt as though they didn't really have a choice but to sign Jutting to his current 4-year deal. They felt as though they couldn't fire a coach that had just won "Coach of the Year" honors and were bound to a 4-year deal due to MNSCU rules. It was either 4 years or nothing. I'm not saying these are excuses for the putrid performances the last couple years (or most of his tenure for that matter), but those are the realities of the situation.

In all honesty, the cost of a good coach isn't that ridiculously high. When this contract runs out, I fully expect the school to go in a different direction. I wish it could happen sooner, but I just don't think that the school can afford to pay 2 coaches at the same time unless some of the donors step in and say that they will pay for a buyout. Jutting seems to be a good dude, but I think he's hit the wall of how far he can take this program. It is time for a change...unfortunately, it's probably not coming as soon as we would all like to see.

Do we know what Troy Jutting is being paid exactly? When is his contract up? I'll look into those details myself here shortly..

I don't see what the lease at the civic center has to do with being one of the worst-funded programs in D-I. I see what you said above as being evidence that they just don't care about hockey. Fund the athletic department near the top of D-II, but fund the hockey program near the bottom of D-I? That shows that they are unwilling to do what it takes to compete in D-I.

The lease has everything to do with being horribly funded. If they only get (and I don't know what the actual numbers are) 30% of ticket revenues while most schools get 60% of ticket revenues they have to double the amount of dollars that come out of student fees as comprable programs. For even numbers let's assume MSU's ticket revenues are $1,000,000. If they only get 30% ($300,000) of revenue while a comprable school gets 60% ($600,000) that means you have to make up that $300,000 through student fees. Now, if I'm the President of the university and I have the hockey program coming to me and asking for $300,000 more while at the same time making the decision to eliminate 4 other athletic programs, I can't possibly go to the student body and ask them to raise their fees even more. The supply of cash is not bottomless like it is within the U of M athletic department where they can be paying 2 head football coaches, 2 head basketball coaches, etc, etc.

Really it's a chicken or the egg scenario. If they spend more money now, will they win more and make additional revenues? Or do they say, "win more, create more revenue and we'll spend more money". The trick is to find a happy medium between the two to grow revenues, but not bankrupt the school to do it. It sounds like it should be easy, but it's just not.

It's a combination of both of your points. It's highly clear that hockey is one of the bottom feeding sports among the administration's priority. This is the state of hockey for Christ's sake. Put some effort into getting this program to be competitive. I understand financially things are much different here than other schools, and in addition that the lease down at the Verizon Center hurts profits that the program could attain, but still. The fact that we have so much potential to try and improve this program and figure our **** out. If we don't soon, it won't be long til the last 5 years of Tech Hockey, no offense Husky fans, becomes the next 5 years of Mavericks hockey, or maybe even more.

Clearly the arena thing will continue to be an issue financially, as it is for most programs that don't have on campus arenas or arenas in which they own. The thing is, they've gotta put the money into the program if they ever want it to make them money. How do you increase season ticket holders? How do you increase the support of Alumni and donors? It's simple, you put a product on the ice that can be competitive and that will generate fan support. If we could get a team that's highly competitive in the WCHA for a couple years, look what could happen to the program! We started getting competitive back in 01-03, and the seats started filling up week in and week out.

I just get so frustrated with seeing a program stalled in the dumps when there is potential to be much better. I don't expect us to be like North Dakota, etc. I just want us to have a good shot at the WCHA every year, and then a NCAA tourney birth as well.

[MavHockey14]

Re: Minnesota State, Mankato, Season Thread

Here's a look at what the coaches were making two years ago. Looks like we're stuck with this Jutting hockey crap for another two years.

Here are the base salaries of WCHA coaches at public schools, according to recent reporting by The Denver Post.

1. Mike Eaves, Wisconsin -- $229,511 in 2008-09 (contract through 2013-14)
2. Don Lucia, Minnesota -- $222,789 in 2007-08 (2011-12)
3. Dave Hakstol, North Dakota -- $210,000 in 2007-08 (2011-12)
4. Bob Motzko, St. Cloud State -- $167,000 in 2008-09 ( 2014-15)
5. Troy Jutting, Minnesota State, -- $153,246 in 2009-10 (2012-13)
6. Scott Sandelin, Minnesota-Duluth -- $150,000 in 2009-10 (2011-12)
7. Jamie Russell, Michigan Tech -- $116,759 in 2008-09 (2011-12)
8. Dave Shyiak, Alaska Anchorage -- $110,000 in 2008-09 (2011-12)

http://mankatofreepresshockey.blogsp...ting-deal.html