Still curious if Coyle even reached out to Barr, imo that guy actually has a good resume, not perfect but better than the options we know Coyle pursued.it is true, Rabs has only tanked 2 years in a row (2-6-1 last year; 4-4-1 this year) to miss the tournament after being the front runner midway through the year both years.
i'm just teasing but tbh, none of the guys considered were guys you were hiring based purely on resume. Larson has a bunch of national experience as well. His resume is better than Rabs' at this point, but I do think Rabs has more "potential" that could be untapped. Larson has made the tourney 4 times and a national title game.
Think that some beat writers for SCSU are saying he's a better coach than given credit for for the shit show that SCSU has turned into with their enrollment and funding does make me feel slightly better, though again he would not have been my first choice
yeah tbh no idea if Barr was interested or not, but absolutely is someone that should've been contacted and interviewed, purely from the standing of you also need to interview people from the outside as well
An SEC athletic department with an historically blueblood basketball program that makes tons of money is a big step up from the U. U of Kentucky makes about $25 million a year more than Minnesota thru athletics, according to a quick Google AI search.From what little I can tell the operating budget is fairly similar but I could be misinterpreting that. Looks like both spend about 20 million on athletes, I get that there are other expenditures and things to consider here though and admittedly I'm not an accountant.
An SEC athletic department with an historically blueblood basketball program that makes tons of money is a big step up from the U. U of Kentucky makes about $25 million a year more than Minnesota thru athletics, according to a quick Google AI search.From what little I can tell the operating budget is fairly similar but I could be misinterpreting that. Looks like both spend about 20 million on athletes, I get that there are other expenditures and things to consider here though and admittedly I'm not an accountant.
kentucky mens basketball spends 22million on NIL. So no, the budgets are nowhere close to the same for athletes.
Well his resume includes his part in recruiting the best Gopher hockey team I've ever seen but admittedly I didn't mention that and should've.He's younger and barely missed the NCAA's this year at a program that isn't exactly a hockey community. He made significant progress from year 1 to year 2. Admittedly it's a small sample and there's no guarantee that it'd work but he hasn't stagnated for 3 years results wise like the guy that just got hired here.I am not saying that Brett Larson is not a good coach. If we would have hired him to replace Coach Motzko 3 years ago it would probably have been the "sexiest" choice.
The problem I have with the decision is it seems to me there were better choices available. In my opinion, Garrett Raboin would have been a superior choice. Ben Barr would have been a superior choice. Pat Ferschweiler would have been an elite choice.
But when a coach with Garrett Raboin's resume essentially states he would rather return to Augustana, a back water program in South Dakota, rather than take a much more prestigious program and a HUGE pay raise, that is saying that there are underlying problems with the University of Minnesota hockey program.
If they cannot even get Raboin to consider the U of M, Barr and Ferschweiler probably didn't even answer Coyle's phone call.
Essentially, the evidence indicates this job was not considered one of the elite jobs in college hockey.
I am not sure if Larson's coaching record shows an elite coach. He took over Motzko's team in 2018-19 and had a 30-6-3 record but got beat in the NCAA Regionals. The year they made the NCAA Finals was 2020-21, but their record was 20-11-0. They had a 25-13-3 record in 2022-23, but just a 4th place finish in the NCHA and lost in the NCAA Regional Final. Since then he was 17-16-5 in 23-24, 14-21-1 in 24-25 and 16-19-1 in 25-26. Nine games below .500 for the past three seasons. In the past two seasons in NCHA Conference play the Huskies were just 15-28.
If you adjust his overall NCHA Conference record by ignoring the inherited 2018-19 season, his overall record is 73-77-15 over 6 seasons. Not a very inspiring overall record.
I also believe that we will know a good deal about the future of the program with Brett Larson as the head coach sooner than most people think. In the modern era, the players and commits will tell the story very rapidly. While I don't think the recruiting pipeline we have coming in is totally elite, if he can retain the commits we have and the experienced players we already have, AND add some follow on talent to Mariucci, then that is a good sign.
But if we lost the Cullen commitments, perhaps Levi Harper and/or Geiger/McArthur and especially if we lost Mooney or Ziemer either to transfer portal or pro hockey, we would be starting from a very deep well that will be difficult for any coach to climb out of.
What exactly makes Raboins resume better than Larsons? Because he coached here? I mean if you put the 2 resumes head to head with zero names above who did what it's not really that close.
To be honest, that isn't the answer to the question, his resume isn't better. What makes Raboin appealing over a more tenured coach is potential, he is young and he can become his own brand within an already strong program and the potential could be there for a multiple decade coach. Think David Carle.
Simply based on resume, he doesn't have much of one yet as a HC. He has potential for something bigger than the 50-60 year old coaches. That is the appeal and why you would pull the trigger.
If we are being honest the Gophs just hired a younger Motzko. Could work out, might not, who knows just like any new hire.
And Larson should probably be given credit for 2 Natty's in Duluth I would assume. Anyway....I'm just tired of the "lazy hire" takes. I don't think there was an obvious choice this time around. Pat F is the only one that stands out by a mile, but apparently there's $2 Million reasons and then some why he isn't here. Pat? No guarantee the Gophers hoist....but here's about what was left and it's all a horse apiece IMO.
Barr? Who knows if he wanted to come, who knows for sure if we wanted him. Raboin didn't want to come. Rohlik? Kinda glad myself we didn't hire him. Larson? I guess we will find out in 5 years.
If Coyle reached out to Barr and he wasn't interested then so be it, that probably points to bigger issues with the Gopher athletic department that weren't gonna be fixed overnight. If Kentucky is a major step up for an athletic director as others have mentioned that kinda solidifies that point.
If Coyle didn't even reach out that's just negligent and proves him and his committee are completely lost. IDK if we'll ever know for sure unless someone in the media asks that question specifically.
If Coyle reached out to Barr and he wasn't interested then so be it, that probably points to bigger issues with the Gopher athletic department that weren't gonna be fixed overnight. If Kentucky is a major step up for an athletic director as others have mentioned that kinda solidifies that point.
If Coyle didn't even reach out that's just negligent and proves him and his committee are completely lost. IDK if we'll ever know for sure unless someone in the media asks that question specifically.
go look at the difference in sports donations at Kentucky as compared with MN and then how MN compares with the other B10 schools. This is part of why I don't care for Coyle. He balances the budget fine, but he doesn't really do much to generate more budget (And I imagine that is part of why though he listed for jobs, he isn't listed as a lead candidate many places).
Again hockey is one of our only revenue generators. coyle knows this and has said as much, but he continues to also put money into areas we lose money and has tilted the spend on sports to try get us back to profit (MBB). But unless the teams are all really successful, or you hire someone who vastly increases donations, its not going to work
Time to get behind the coach. I have a feeling that if he manages to win the whole thing, it’s going to be a classic case of “Well, they were Bob’s players or only because of the program” for some of you. I am going to hold any consternation until we see how he does here. All I know is after 45 plus years of watching Gopher Hockey, if your name isn’t Herb Brooks, you probably won’t be liked (even a guy who guided the team to back to back titles).
So Rohlik was the mystery candidate it appears.
Interesting if Coyle truly didn't open it up or reach out to Barr, Cashman, or Ferschweiler.
Again, Ferschweiler had a buyout ($2M) on par with PJ Fleck's CURRENT buyout is $4.5M. For football which has a revenue stream probably an order of magnitude higher than hockey.
I'm sure Coyle would have wanted him but if WMU wasn't willing to budge on the buyout, that was probably a stake in the heart of that option.
We have no idea if Barr or Cashman had been reached out to or not. Maybe they said they were happy where they were too!
Now the key question is who will be St. Cloud's new head coach? He will clearly be our next head coach when Larsen's time is done. 😉
St. Cloud the Gopher internship program.
Raboin, of course!
If that happens then archaeologists will be digging artifacts out of the crater that would form around the twin cities for eons.
I need a presser or something that can get me fired up, because I just feel so meh about this hire.
I need a presser or something that can get me fired up, because I just feel so meh about this hire.
Time to get behind the coach. I have a feeling that if he manages to win the whole thing, it’s going to be a classic case of “Well, they were Bob’s players or only because of the program” for some of you. I am going to hold any consternation until we see how he does here. All I know is after 45 plus years of watching Gopher Hockey, if your name isn’t Herb Brooks, you probably won’t be liked (even a guy who guided the team to back to back titles).
Idk why it would matter who recruited what players if they win. That only became a talking point for Lucia after he struggled years later. In the moment, no one should care.
With all due respect, even Herb wouldn't win anything with what Motzko left behindTime to get behind the coach. I have a feeling that if he manages to win the whole thing, it’s going to be a classic case of “Well, they were Bob’s players or only because of the program” for some of you. I am going to hold any consternation until we see how he does here. All I know is after 45 plus years of watching Gopher Hockey, if your name isn’t Herb Brooks, you probably won’t be liked (even a guy who guided the team to back to back titles).
I remember when Woog was hired... There were tons of paper signs all over Campus reading: WE WANT WOOG!!!
And I had no idea it was about a hockey coach!!!
QoGH
Time to get behind the coach. I have a feeling that if he manages to win the whole thing, it’s going to be a classic case of “Well, they were Bob’s players or only because of the program” for some of you. I am going to hold any consternation until we see how he does here. All I know is after 45 plus years of watching Gopher Hockey, if your name isn’t Herb Brooks, you probably won’t be liked (even a guy who guided the team to back to back titles).
Idk why it would matter who recruited what players if they win. That only became a talking point for Lucia after he struggled years later. In the moment, no one should care.
yeah don't really get this comment. people loved tDon when he went back to back in his first 4 years of being here and went to 8 straight NCAA tourneys. Around 08-09 that's when things turned and then we moved to the B10 a few short years later, and people were in dire straits regarding the program.
Some need to realize that Brett is in a bad situation right now at SCSU... The school itself is dying. They have no money for NIL. It is just a bad situation all around. He is VERY well regarded in the hockey world and I am starting to think that this will be a brilliant move.
The more I think about this hire, the more I come to this same conclusion. He's been to what, three national title games as an assistant? He's been around Minnesota hockey for a long time. I presume he understands the iron range given that he's from Duluth and was an assistant under Sandelin for six or seven years.
SCSU is having serious issues and while you could say the same about NMU, the difference is he's been in the top 4 of the NCHC for most all but this last year. That's nowhere near the same as being midpack in the neo-WCHA/CCHA. Grant still has plenty of time to show his prowess.
Give him the keys to the ferrari and see what he does. I think he's got all the right experience to do great with it.
I've got nothing against Larson. But it's kind of funny that our nationwide search landed in St Cloud.
Time to get behind the coach. I have a feeling that if he manages to win the whole thing, it’s going to be a classic case of “Well, they were Bob’s players or only because of the program” for some of you. I am going to hold any consternation until we see how he does here. All I know is after 45 plus years of watching Gopher Hockey, if your name isn’t Herb Brooks, you probably won’t be liked (even a guy who guided the team to back to back titles).
Idk why it would matter who recruited what players if they win. That only became a talking point for Lucia after he struggled years later. In the moment, no one should care.
yeah don't really get this comment. people loved tDon when he went back to back in his first 4 years of being here and went to 8 straight NCAA tourneys. Around 08-09 that's when things turned and then we moved to the B10 a few short years later, and people were in dire straits regarding the program.
I mean, they went to 2 frozen fours in 3 years around the time the B1G started and went to the title game the first year of it....after losing like 5 guys to pro contracts. It was time for Lucia to go when he went, but people were calling for his head like 4 seasons before it was actually warranted.
Absolute must to retain one of Gordon or Martin.
Guessing assistants will be Laylin, Cullen, and one of Martin or Gordon. According to the presser one coach will be designated to more of a recruiting position, but all will recruit.
Time to get behind the coach. I have a feeling that if he manages to win the whole thing, it’s going to be a classic case of “Well, they were Bob’s players or only because of the program” for some of you. I am going to hold any consternation until we see how he does here. All I know is after 45 plus years of watching Gopher Hockey, if your name isn’t Herb Brooks, you probably won’t be liked (even a guy who guided the team to back to back titles).
Idk why it would matter who recruited what players if they win. That only became a talking point for Lucia after he struggled years later. In the moment, no one should care.
yeah don't really get this comment. people loved tDon when he went back to back in his first 4 years of being here and went to 8 straight NCAA tourneys. Around 08-09 that's when things turned and then we moved to the B10 a few short years later, and people were in dire straits regarding the program.
I mean, they went to 2 frozen fours in 3 years around the time the B1G started and went to the title game the first year of it....after losing like 5 guys to pro contracts. It was time for Lucia to go when he went, but people were calling for his head like 4 seasons before it was actually warranted.
yeah i think don took the brunt of the death of the old wcha from a gopher standpoint (like he had a choice) and so there was no margin there. more was just referencing the move in that people were hyper out for blood right after the B10 started
As underwhelming as the initial news was, listening to the presser he seems like a likable person and if he can truly get this team playing gritty while also recruiting at a high level, I'm optimistic.
After watching the press conference, the three guys
Coyne specifically noted were very generous in their praise of Larson were micheletti Lou Nanne and David Carle. Larson also said that he had people call Coyle on his behalf so I wouldn't be surprised if Sandalin also got a hold of Coyle and advocated for Larson.
Coyle said he was impressed with Larson's recruiting ability and being able to get players on both the Ohio State and UMD teams that made frozen four runs in the early 2010s and then again at UMD in the 2018 title.
Larson immediately talked about being aggressive and retweaking the roster and looking at the CHL and the transfer portal immediately, so we'll see if he puts those words into actions here soon.
I'm just going to go out on a limb and say one of the things Coyle was looking for in a hire was somebody who is very familiar currently with the Minnesota hockey scene which is maybe why he didn't give as much attention to the Minnesota natives who are out east and are much more recruiting from a different recruiting base for the most part. Then the current say Big, Ten and nchc teams.
Vegoe was at the press conference and asked several questions so we'll see what he has to say when he gets back here
@eric-vegoe can you FOIA any of the finalists’ application materials for us? I’ve always been really curious about what an NCAA head coach’s resume actually looks like, what are they putting on there for bullet points etc.
Press conference was encouraging. Seems like a hungry and likable guy. He talked about being very aggressive in the portal and the era of college hockey that we are now in. He talked about tweaking the roster right away. Sounds like David Carle called Coyle and stuck his neck out for Larson.
Only thing that didn't sit right with me was that he said this is not a rebuild, and I get why he says that when he has players in the room during the presser. But make no mistake, this roster absolutely needs to be rebuilt. Coyle knows it, Bob knows it, hopefully Larson knows it.
Only thing that didn't sit right with me was that he said this is not a rebuild, and I get why he says that when he has players in the room during the presser. But make no mistake, this roster absolutely needs to be rebuilt. Coyle knows it, Bob knows it, hopefully Larson knows it.
Since Larson is Coyle’s guy now, Larson definitely knows. Using the word “rebuild” triggers too many negative emotions and tells fans to expect years of mediocrity, I’m okay with calling whatever drastic roster revamp he does this offseason a retool instead.
A lot of the players hated Lucia at the end and even took in-completes so that Lucia wouldn't get his bonus in June.
I’m a hopeless rube. 24 hours ago I was ripping this hire but now after one press conference I’m all on board lol.
Don’t think he was anyone’s top choice but from what I can tell everyone who’s played for him or worked with him has nothing but positive things to say. Let’s see what he can do at a big time program with resources like Minnesota.
Welcome aboard, Brett! Go Gophers!
It was said Lucia was a bear to work with going into rages and his assistant coach had to play good cop to smooth things over with players.A lot of the players hated Lucia at the end and even took in-completes so that Lucia wouldn't get his bonus in June.
Also noted at the end of his tenure his recruiting boundaries appeared to be a 10 mile radius from his home in Wayzata. Lucia did some great things at the U and at CC before that. But the time for him to go was clear.
A rebuild used to be a 3-4 year process for a college team. this team needs a lot of changes, but it should and better be done in a much shorter time frame.Only thing that didn't sit right with me was that he said this is not a rebuild, and I get why he says that when he has players in the room during the presser. But make no mistake, this roster absolutely needs to be rebuilt. Coyle knows it, Bob knows it, hopefully Larson knows it.
A rebuild used to be a 3-4 year process for a college team. this team needs a lot of changes, but it should and better be done in a much shorter time frame.Only thing that didn't sit right with me was that he said this is not a rebuild, and I get why he says that when he has players in the room during the presser. But make no mistake, this roster absolutely needs to be rebuilt. Coyle knows it, Bob knows it, hopefully Larson knows it.
I think this team is closer than a lot of people realize. Sure there are definitely moves to be made but there’s a nice young core and a good crop of recruits on the way. Bob walked into a way worse situation in 2018 imo.
I'm excited to see how the next 3 weeks unfolds, starting with the announcement of assistant coaches. Then how the current roster, portal, CHL, etc is hired. Motzko's handling of the immediate post-season last year was a disaster, this next 3-4 weeks has to be absolutely nailed by the staff.
Here we don’t say the word rebuild, it’s reload. I like Larson already.
“Good pace, a lot of north and south, or it could be east and west, I’m not sure but either way…” Wooger
The problem I have with the decision is it seems to me there were better choices available. In my opinion, Garrett Raboin would have been a superior choice. Ben Barr would have been a superior choice. Pat Ferschweiler would have been an elite choice.
Wait, is superior better than elite, or elite better than superior?
I'm not concerned about that, he wouldn't be getting hired in the first place if that wasn't needed. That's just PR speak to not piss off as many current players on the roster as possible.Only thing that didn't sit right with me was that he said this is not a rebuild, and I get why he says that when he has players in the room during the presser. But make no mistake, this roster absolutely needs to be rebuilt. Coyle knows it, Bob knows it, hopefully Larson knows it.
What does Larsen's wife look like (is he married)?
According to this Providence coach it will let us know about his ability to recruit. 😀
https://twitter.com/CollegeFBPortal/status/2036546414961107198
This wasn’t the splashy hire but I like what I heard in the presser. He has forgot more about hockey than I ever knew. 😂 Looking forward to who he names as assistants and the roster reconstruction. Welcome Brett and Go Gophers!!
What does Larsen's wife look like (is he married)?
According to this Providence coach it will let us know about his ability to recruit. 😀
https://twitter.com/CollegeFBPortal/status/2036546414961107198
Looks like no shortage of NIL $ there 😆
I think Larson is a decent coach, would not have been my first choice. From the outside looking in it doesn’t seem like the search was run very well. If it is true that Raboin was the first choice and turned it down, Coyle should have known he wasn’t going to accept before moving on from Bob. I get we don’t know and probably never will exactly how the search went but it felt a little Maturi like. Glad they didn’t hire Potulny at least. Curious about how he will round out the staff. Hoping Coach Larson kills it!
What does Larsen's wife look like (is he married)?
According to this Providence coach it will let us know about his ability to recruit. 😀
https://twitter.com/CollegeFBPortal/status/2036546414961107198
Looks like no shortage of NIL $ there 😆
“Good pace, a lot of north and south, or it could be east and west, I’m not sure but either way…” Wooger
Impressed by the press conference. And if the rumor is true that Carle spent capital to push for him – that says a lot.
I’m also in the camp of feeling more optimistic after the press conference. I like what I was hearing…speed and skill with grit. Um, yes please!
Way too many drive bye’s without finishing checks by our teams as of late. Love the idea of building the right roster of players that understand their roles and that play with speed, grit, and compete.
Lastly, coach seems genuine and I agree with Coyle. He’s easy to listen to. Seems like he has a positive vibe/energy. That’s infectious to be around whether a coach, boss, or buddy.
Like others have said, it’s time to get behind the coach and stop pondering what could have been or why someone may or may not have been contacted.
lets go gophers! Looking forward to what’s to come.
I'm all for it because the two cranks in Bonin and jank are irate. So it's got to be a win.
Bonin is tailspinning into a racist rant on the hole that Minnesota will never be good again because of "cedar riverside"
and Jank is vowing to cancel his season tickets on 247.
So the dissent over here is much calmer.
Bonin is tailspinning into a racist rant on the hole that Minnesota will never be good again because of "cedar riverside"
The liquor store over there was truly “elite facilities” for me and my friends at 19y/o with shitty fake IDs back in the day
https://twitter.com/gopherhockey/status/2036621358415667701?s=46
it’s a little detail but I’ve always loved a coach that speaks to you while sitting next to you. Makes the message feel more personal and that you’re all in it together. Little thing that I’ve always appreciated.
Bonin is tailspinning into a racist rant on the hole that Minnesota will never be good again because of "cedar riverside"
Being very pessimistic is one thing. Not me for but to each their own. When he shows his true colors I am glad they brought down the banhammer.