It is totally fair to ask what criteria USA Hockey uses to pick coaches for our national teams. But I also believe that giving an untested and unproven coach a chance to show us what he has is appropriate. I am sure USA Hockey did their homework on Housley and decided that his coaching style and philosophy were appropriate for coaching the IIHF U-20 team. If this was the Olympic team, that might require a different type of leadership. It all depends on the age, experience and maturity level of the players on the team. I think choosing a high school coach to coach high school-age kids has a certain logic to it and it certainly has worked out this year. But in a tournament like this, when you have to build a team out of a bunch of individuals in a very short period of time, it is a very inexact science. Blais won gold in 2010 and finished 7th in 2012. You just pick the best people available and/or interested and see what happens.
I, for one, am enjoying this tournament and the success that so many people have made possible with all their hard work over the years. Go USA!!!