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Severe Ronaldstorm Warning: the Michigan Tech 2010-11 Season Thread, Part the Second

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  • Re: Severe Ronaldstorm Warning: the Michigan Tech 2010-11 Season Thread, Part the Sec

    Originally posted by The_Commissioner View Post
    The team is too far into a tailspin for gimmicks to work. Coach Russell is leading a group of players who've can no longer visualize winning once the chips are down.

    Unlike pro players, there is no paycheck riding on their performance and "playing for pride" is just an euphemism for 'who cares?' Also, unlike the pros, the team can't sign new players and suit them up the same day. In effect, Russell has to sleep in the bed he made. After all these losses, no matter what the excuse(s), he is clearly in over his head.

    What needs to happen, IMHO, is some coaching for the coaching staff. The AD should bring in a consulting coach who has a proven record of success in getting teams mired in a perpetual losing culture, which usually includes long losing streaks, turned around. Yes, many years in the business world make me automatically suspicious of consultants, but Tech's coach needs to lean on someone who he trusts will give him a tough love assessment of his program and methods.

    As I've said before, winning Tech hockey is part of the Tech franchise and to allow a decades long deterioration is like an act of devaluing the MTU value proposition. Of course, there are literally thousands and thousands of Tech alumni for whom the winning tradition of Tech hockey ended before they were even born! Maybe the current administration feels these alums will won't miss or care about something they never experienced.
    Well first then you remember from your business classes that money is not a motivator. Pro players are not better with a bigger paycheck, nor do they work harder.
    It may be that the players can no longer visualize winning but I doubt it, they know what it's like to win, and as far as the coach being over his head, I don't think we are in a position to know that. I know for a fact that jamie knows as much about hockey as anyone and more than most. This also begs the question, So why wasn't he over his head three years ago as well, I didn't hear anyone saying that then.

    We as fans don't know what kind of professional development the coaching staff is given, but certainly it is something that is needed by all walks of life on a continuous basis if one is to be much of a success.We kind of lie to our young people telling them that if you go to school you will do fine. This is false. No, you must really go to school all your life to do fine.
    I would not assume though, that simply because the team loses, it means the university does not invest in the coaching staff.
    So yes, I am all for some sort of professional development for the staff, if in fact it is not happening now, it certainly should be.I view this as quite important to our success.
    I think bringing in a consultant is a total insult at this point. I'm pretty sure most of the areas that need addressing are already known.
    No one on the boards, at least to my knowledge, is at all happy with the situation I assure you, and there is no question that losing like this is a lot harder for everyone and challenges everyone, far more than winning does.

    I agree we have had a winning tradition, one we were all very proud of and which gave many of us much of our identity. But not for a long time now. Can we get back to it?, absolutely we can.

    I view the hockey program as the embodiment of the values and hard work that Tech students put into their education. It is an honor and a responsibility to be a team member, Just like being in the military, you carry with you the souls of others and you have a responsibility to them.
    Someone else pointed out a few months ago, and it's true, money would solve this issue. A lot of money. And with the BTHC coming in and big changes to the structure of college hockey, it is going imho, to cost a lot more money to be competitive in the future. So I am doing what I can to make things better and that's by donating.
    MTU: Three time NCAA champions.

    It never get's easier, you just go faster. -Greg Lemond

    Comment


    • Re: Severe Ronaldstorm Warning: the Michigan Tech 2010-11 Season Thread, Part the Sec

      Onwards to SLU....did anyone start a game thread yet? I'm just gonna start drinking now.....

      Comment


      • Re: Severe Ronaldstorm Warning: the Michigan Tech 2010-11 Season Thread, Part the Sec

        Below is the release announcing Jamie's tenure at Tech.
        It was an interesting read to see the success attributed to him and to refamiliarize with his resume.

        I really think it is the hockey culture at Tech, not necessarily the coaching staff/s.
        The injuries the past 3 years remain unsolved. With Schooley and Kattelus gone due to whatever issues they had, it took the depth away and MTU was forced to play with underclassmen. The administration has ignored the fact that Michigan Tech plays in the WCHA.
        If I were the President of the University, I would be assisting in the effort to right this ship. Give these guys support and let them know they have sufficient time through March to show what can happen when true focus is applied. Don't give up, this is unexcusable.


        Jamie Russell Named Hockey Coach
        For more information on this story contact:
        Email: Dean Woodbeck
        Phone: 906/487-3327

        Jamie Russell, who has spent the last four seasons helping build the Cornell University Big Red into a national powerhouse, will be introduced tomorrow as Michigan Tech's new head men's ice hockey coach at a 3:30 p.m. news conference in the Begg Conference Center of the Grant Hockey Educational Center.

        Russell, who played defense for Michigan Tech from 1987-89, will officially begin his duties on June 1. He replaces Mike Sertich, who retired following the 2002-03 campaign.

        "Needless to say I'm very excited to be returning to my alma mater," said Russell. "I know people are anxious for Michigan Tech to get back to its winning way and I can assure all those with a vested interest in the program that we will do exactly that."
        Russell has been the lead assistant at Cornell since his arrival there in 1999-2000. During his tenure, CU amassed an 87-39-10 record, won two Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference regular-season titles (2001-02, 2002-03) as well as an ECAC playoff championship (2002-03). In addition, Cornell has advanced to the NCAA Championships the past two seasons, including a final eight appearance in 2001-02 and a spot in the Frozen Four this past season. CU finished 2002-03 with a school-record 30-5-1 mark and was the top-ranked team in the country in the final regular-season poll.

        Among Russell's responsibilities at Cornell were working with the defensemen and the penalty killing units. Cornell finished number one in the country in both team defense (1.36 goals against per game; next closest, 2.21) and penalty killing (.900) this past season.

        "We're really excited to have Jamie as our head coach," said MTU Athletics Director Rick Yeo. "He is a leader and has been a big part of building successful programs at two different schools."

        Prior to his stint at Cornell, Russell spent five years as an assistant coach at Ferris State. While not at FSU this past season -- a year in which the team won the Central Collegiate Hockey Association championship -- Russell had a hand in recruiting the club's senior class.

        Russell played two seasons at Michigan Tech after sitting out the 1986-87 due to transfer rules. He was an assistant captain in both of his seasons on the blueline for the Huskies (1987-88, 1988-89) and posted career totals of eight goals and 22 assists in 77 games played.

        Following graduation, he went on to play one season for Larjevellan Sweden (1989) and finished second in the league scoring race.

        His final two playing years were spent competing for Winston-Salem of the East Coast Hockey League in 1990 and for Binghamton of the American Hockey League in 1991.

        Russell has also been extensively involved with USA Hockey throughout the years. He served as the director of the USA Regional Bantam Evaluation Camp from 1996-99 and has also been a lecturer for the USA Hockey Coaches Achievement Program.

        In addition, Russell has been an instructor at multiple hockey schools, including Michigan Tech's Hockey Development Center.

        The 36-year-old Russell is married to the former Linda Frankovich of Laurium, Mich., and the couple has a four-year-old son, Ben.

        Notes: Michigan Tech's team learned of the decision from Athletics Director Rick Yeo on Tuesday evening . . . Russell is the 20th head coach in the history of the Tech hockey program . . . The press conference introducing Russell will be broadcast live on both WKMJ, 93.5 FM and WMPL, 920. In addition, fans can listen to the press conference via the internet at: michigantechhuskies.com.

        Comment


        • Re: Severe Ronaldstorm Warning: the Michigan Tech 2010-11 Season Thread, Part the Sec

          Originally posted by manurespreader View Post
          Well first then you remember from your business classes that money is not a motivator. Pro players are not better with a bigger paycheck, nor do they work harder.
          It may be that the players can no longer visualize winning but I doubt it, they know what it's like to win, and as far as the coach being over his head, I don't think we are in a position to know that. I know for a fact that jamie knows as much about hockey as anyone and more than most. This also begs the question, So why wasn't he over his head three years ago as well, I didn't hear anyone saying that then.

          We as fans don't know what kind of professional development the coaching staff is given, but certainly it is something that is needed by all walks of life on a continuous basis if one is to be much of a success.We kind of lie to our young people telling them that if you go to school you will do fine. This is false. No, you must really go to school all your life to do fine.
          I would not assume though, that simply because the team loses, it means the university does not invest in the coaching staff.
          So yes, I am all for some sort of professional development for the staff, if in fact it is not happening now, it certainly should be.I view this as quite important to our success.
          I think bringing in a consultant is a total insult at this point. I'm pretty sure most of the areas that need addressing are already known.
          No one on the boards, at least to my knowledge, is at all happy with the situation I assure you, and there is no question that losing like this is a lot harder for everyone and challenges everyone, far more than winning does.

          I agree we have had a winning tradition, one we were all very proud of and which gave many of us much of our identity. But not for a long time now. Can we get back to it?, absolutely we can.

          I view the hockey program as the embodiment of the values and hard work that Tech students put into their education. It is an honor and a responsibility to be a team member, Just like being in the military, you carry with you the souls of others and you have a responsibility to them.
          Someone else pointed out a few months ago, and it's true, money would solve this issue. A lot of money. And with the BTHC coming in and big changes to the structure of college hockey, it is going imho, to cost a lot more money to be competitive in the future. So I am doing what I can to make things better and that's by donating.
          Wow. Just wow.

          How long have you been in the 'real world?' Seriously, try not paying your employees and see what happens. There are many motivators, but money is THE most powerful motivator of all. Do you think Maslow's heirarchy of needs is built on good intentions?

          How do you think pro players grow their income? By not performing? Getting that second contract is all about the money. Why do you think so many pro player contracts have performance incentives in them?

          I agree that the losing streak and, to a greater degree the perpetual losing culture, presents a greater challenge than winning does. Teams and players generally learn more about themselves in defeat than in victory. Unfortunately it appears that the Huskies are drinking through a firehose when it comes to learning. For whatever reason(s), the lessons are not resulting in improvement and that applies to teams past and present. Discounting that some games are won by luck, which someone defined as "when preparation meets opportunity," I wonder why the team cannot even get lucky once in a while.

          I also agree that the program can resurrect itself someday. But not with the current leadership and that includes folks in the administration. They may be dissatisfied with the perpetual losing, but they haven't yet become intolerant of it.

          Comment


          • Re: Severe Ronaldstorm Warning: the Michigan Tech 2010-11 Season Thread, Part the Sec

            Originally posted by The_Commissioner View Post
            Wow. Just wow.

            How long have you been in the 'real world?'
            Woah now. Longer than you, I'm willing to bet.

            Long enough to know that money, while important, isn't everything.

            Comment


            • Re: Severe Ronaldstorm Warning: the Michigan Tech 2010-11 Season Thread, Part the Sec

              just figure i'll throw this out there

              officially tDiva and tFlashy are engaged.....1, 2, 3.........awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

              Comment


              • Re: Severe Ronaldstorm Warning: the Michigan Tech 2010-11 Season Thread, Part the Sec

                Originally posted by techcodemonkey View Post
                just figure i'll throw this out there

                officially tDiva and tFlashy are engaged.....1, 2, 3.........awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
                awwwww *****http://www.flopturnriver.com/pokerforum/images/smilies/puke.gif******

                Comment


                • Re: Severe Ronaldstorm Warning: the Michigan Tech 2010-11 Season Thread, Part the Sec

                  Originally posted by techcodemonkey View Post
                  just figure i'll throw this out there

                  officially tDiva and tFlashy are engaged.....1, 2, 3.........awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
                  Congratulations. So the honeymoon is to anchorage for the games?
                  MTU: Three time NCAA champions.

                  It never get's easier, you just go faster. -Greg Lemond

                  Comment


                  • Re: Severe Ronaldstorm Warning: the Michigan Tech 2010-11 Season Thread, Part the Sec

                    Another DMG letter to the editor:

                    Hard decisions to be made
                    January 8, 2011
                    Save |
                    To the editor:

                    No more excuses.

                    This letter is in response to the recent letters about Michigan Tech's hockey program. I completely agree with everything said in both of those letters.

                    I went to school at Tech for five years and never went to a hockey game excited to watch the home team. I always went to see teams like North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Denver.

                    That way, I at least got a taste of how good college hockey can be.

                    Looking at Tech's record over the last few years is a good indication of what has happened to the once- proud program.

                    Since the 2001-2002 season, Tech's overall record is 87 and 232. In the last 20 seasons, the school has had only two winning seasons. This is a far cry from the teams of the 60s and 70s.

                    Every year there are different excuses for the poor performance: Injuries, a young team, the tough schedule, etc. That's the difference between a winning program and a losing one. Winning programs don't make excuses for themselves; they work hard and make decisions that will fix the problems. Winning programs go out and get the best coaches they can. They don't hire someone who played for the school at some point in the past because it's a safe hire. They hire the best person for the job.

                    The time for excuses is over. Tough decisions need to be made about the future of hockey at Tech.

                    I believe the program still has a chance to rebound but it will not be easy. It's not going to happen overnight but something needs to be done to restore the tradition of winning, or at the very least competing in D-1 college hockey.

                    Pete Jones

                    Milwaukee, Wis.

                    formerly of Houghton

                    Comment


                    • Re: Severe Ronaldstorm Warning: the Michigan Tech 2010-11 Season Thread, Part the Sec

                      Originally posted by manurespreader View Post
                      Congratulations. So the honeymoon is to anchorage for the games?
                      Only if you're offering to pay.

                      We're actually thinking of timing it so we can catch the World Cup of Hockey in Finland. A few years out, but fitting.
                      Always a Wildcat...
                      Originally posted by Kepler
                      If you quote the derp you are spreading the derp. Please help keep the board derp-free.

                      Comment


                      • Re: Severe Ronaldstorm Warning: the Michigan Tech 2010-11 Season Thread, Part the Sec

                        Originally posted by techcodemonkey View Post
                        officially tDiva and tFlashy are engaged.....1, 2, 3.........awwwww
                        Congrats! - Maybe the team can use this as bulletin board material to fire them up for their next game.
                        Success IS contageous.

                        Ryan J
                        Preserving Michigan Tech's Hockey History
                        https://www.johnsonsjerseys.net
                        Originally posted by geezer
                        Tech has the best of everything, even the best jersey nerd.
                        Originally posted by manurespreader
                        ...I really enjoyed listening to Ryan Johnson. He sounded intelligent.

                        Comment


                        • Re: Severe Ronaldstorm Warning: the Michigan Tech 2010-11 Season Thread, Part the Sec

                          Originally posted by nmupiccdiva View Post
                          Only if you're offering to pay.

                          We're actually thinking of timing it so we can catch the World Cup of Hockey in Finland. A few years out, but fitting.
                          Just think, you can save some money on the wedding cake, and actually have you two stand on said cake for the bride/groom decoration!
                          Never really developed a taste for tequila. Kind of hard to understand how you make a drink out of something that sharp, inhospitable. Now, bourbon is easy to understand.
                          Tastes like a warm summer day. -Raylan Givens

                          Comment


                          • Re: Severe Ronaldstorm Warning: the Michigan Tech 2010-11 Season Thread, Part the Sec

                            Originally posted by FadeToBlack&Gold View Post
                            Long enough to know that money, while important, isn't everything.
                            Here's a big motivation for some of these guys:

                            Getting a paycheck.


                            What do Cousens, Baker, Royer want when they leave this spring? A shot at the ECHL/AHL? Get their names out to the professional hockey world? Right now, those three kids (well, technically everyone on the team) have some hefty weight on their shoulders if they want a pro career once their education is (mostly) done.


                            What will happen is the pro-coaches and staffs will start calling around, talking to NCAA coaches about kids graduating (or who they should be looking at in a year or two), and you DO NOT want your NCAA head coach to tell any professional hockey coach that "This kid was a box of rocks and wouldn't listen; never gave a * about this team; never cared about being a team player."


                            Now, I'm not one to follow MTU hockey other than passing interest in wanting the UP schools to stick it to the rest of the NCAA so I don't know about who all have gone pro, but I have seen a few Huskies trickle out into the ECHL and AHL ranks. While the wins may not be there, Jamie seems to be doing something right if pro scouts and coaches are still interested in players after they give their four years to Tech. Sure they may need some seasoning in the minors (Scott, Conner) but some positive development seems to be happening in Houghton.
                            “Demolish the bridges behind you… then there is no choice but to build again.”

                            Live Radio from 100.3

                            Comment


                            • Re: Severe Ronaldstorm Warning: the Michigan Tech 2010-11 Season Thread, Part the Sec

                              Originally posted by aparch View Post
                              Here's a big motivation for some of these guys:

                              Getting a paycheck.


                              What do Cousens, Baker, Royer want when they leave this spring? A shot at the ECHL/AHL? Get their names out to the professional hockey world? Right now, those three kids (well, technically everyone on the team) have some hefty weight on their shoulders if they want a pro career once their education is (mostly) done.


                              What will happen is the pro-coaches and staffs will start calling around, talking to NCAA coaches about kids graduating (or who they should be looking at in a year or two), and you DO NOT want your NCAA head coach to tell any professional hockey coach that "This kid was a box of rocks and wouldn't listen; never gave a * about this team; never cared about being a team player."


                              Now, I'm not one to follow MTU hockey other than passing interest in wanting the UP schools to stick it to the rest of the NCAA so I don't know about who all have gone pro, but I have seen a few Huskies trickle out into the ECHL and AHL ranks. While the wins may not be there, Jamie seems to be doing something right if pro scouts and coaches are still interested in players after they give their four years to Tech. Sure they may need some seasoning in the minors (Scott, Conner) but some positive development seems to be happening in Houghton.
                              Positive development happens during their first 1 and half years in Houghton and the 3 years after leaving Houghton. There is a black hole in the 2.5 years in between.
                              Having a clear conscience just means you have a bad memory or you had a boring weekend.

                              RIP - Kirby

                              Comment


                              • Re: Severe Ronaldstorm Warning: the Michigan Tech 2010-11 Season Thread, Part the Sec

                                The overall goal of the hockey program is to win games and educate students to graduation, as per what the NCAA stands for when they call these participants 'student-athletes'. Now, this is obviously a running joke for football and basketball at the high levels, but you would expect it to be true at a 'tough academic institution' such as Michigan Tech.

                                We are not winning, obviously. We have 14 wins in the last 94 games played.

                                But what about the players getting an education? Afterall, the majority recieve a scholarship to play on the ice (supported in part by your student fees). What is the return on investment for the program in the classroom?

                                The NCAA uses two graduation metrics that are reported annually. They break down a "Graduate Sucess Rate" (GSR) and a "Federal Graduation Rate". I believe that the data gives an incoming group 6 academic years in which to complete their studies, which is equivalent to the maximum amount of eligibility an athlete can have (1 redshirt, 4 years of playing, 1 medical redshirt). I am not going to research the specifics of each number, because we are comparing one institution that should be roughly the same in the 6 cohorts analyzed.

                                Cohort GSR/FGR
                                1998 95/62
                                1999 96/67
                                2000 93/63
                                2001 88/50
                                2002 84/38
                                2003 77/40

                                There has been a steady decline in the academic success of the hockey team over the last 6 years. The 2003 cohort had until last spring to graduate, and the numbers were the lowest of the entire reporting period. Maybe we will see a rebound after the implementation of may athlete friendly majors in the Excersise Science, Health, and Physical Education departments, as well as continued growth in our School of Business and Economics.

                                What this data suggests to me is that there is a disturbing trend in the class room, in addition to the losing culture on the ice. You can't put graduation rates entirely on the staff, obviously, but one can definitely note a trend.

                                It is not all doom and gloom, however. A GSR in the upper 80's and 90's is extremely good, and better than the overall graduation rate of the popluation. Maybe the fall-off is a natural thing. But, I just wanted to throw those numbers out there to see if anyone else is disturbed by or can see an explantion for the trend.
                                Philbert
                                ---------------
                                Michigan Tech Hockey: _______?.

                                Formerly, and soon to be again, retired member of The Huskies Pep Band.
                                GO HUSKIES, I am still waiting for Tech to win it all!

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