Is it time to Fire Hak?

[Knickball2]

Oh yeah, I also thought we wouldn't get home ice, Hak and the coaches know what they're doing, and I'll quit coaching from my seats at the Ralph...

Hell of a great season, especially ending Gopher season in the process...

[siouxforeverbaby]

Oh yeah, I also thought we wouldn't get home ice, Hak and the coaches know what they're doing, and I'll quit coaching from my seats at the Ralph...

Hell of a great season, especially ending Gopher season in the process...

No you won't! I have said that multiple times, but it has never worked. I think it is sometimes healthy to question the team and wonder if they might do something different. I think the difference is not being obsessively negative about it when things are not going the way that we the fans would like it to go.

[yzerman19]

i didn't have a problem with posters this season who pointed out the fact that we're not having a great season when we, in fact, were not having a great season for a good portion of the season.

the posters that got me going earlier this season were the ones who were calling for hakstol's firing because we were struggling at the time. the post i'm referring to most specifically was this one: http://forum.siouxsports.com/index.php?showtopic=13494

on that thread, the majority of posters were making comments essentially saying that hakstol needed to go because we hadn't won a national championship in his first five years. posters like yzerman19, irish, and especially ticklethetwine left posts on that thread that would make one think hakstol hadn't accomplished a thing since taking over as head coach.

i finally replied on page six with this:

"it's all about results. four frozen four in five years. a couple seconds away from making it again last year, which would have made it five for five. i'd say hakstol is giving the team more than a chance, but anything can happen in a single elimination playoff system and things just haven't worked out for us on the biggest stage lately; hardly worth firing a coach over."

i know i was a bit off since our loss last year was in the first round, not the second, but my point is still valid. now here we are ranked 5th in the nation and playing in our sixth consecutive national tourney in six years under hakstol.

in a later post on that same page i did call ticklethetwine out and pointed out how badly we'd all be making fun of our rivals if they had a coach as top-notch as hakstol and they were saying the sort of things about him that ticklethetwine was saying about hakstol.

i hope we go all the way this year, but anybody criticizing hakstol's performance in his first six seasons as head coach will likely only be happy if we get a coach that wins six national championships in his first six seasons as head coach. good luck finding that guy.

Imagine me pulling your original post and calling you out as "not knowing hockey" because you misstated our loss last year in the NCAAs as being a second from the Frozen Four.

You call me out specifically in your post above. Read my posts in context. Hak missing 2 final fives would probably not be well received by alumni, and might get him fired. It was a hypothetical. Blais going to Minny would warrant upset faces too. I don't know many Sioux faithful that would be pleased with that scenario. Would I hire Dean Blais? Yes, as I think he is the best amateur coach in the world and showed another reason this year with WJC gold.

Regardless, I use this site to vent A LOT. Most people on here support the program completely, including me. I support the program having grown up in GF, despite being a two time Gopher(undergrad and MBA).

I for one do not put blind faith in anyone, however; and I will always want more championships. I live in Mpls and travel to several games a year and watch 90 percent of those that I don't attend on the internet. Insinuating a lack of my worthiness as a Sioux fan is insulting and shows an ignorant disrespect. I will happily talk hockey and buy a beer to 99 percent of people. If you want to make a judgment, read every post and educate yourself.

Most of my issues with Hak are constructive. You will see me complain about the cycle and the high breakout. You will see me complain about the defensemen's abilities to handle an aggressive forecheck. These are coaching issues. There is plenty of good too, but I don't teach kindergarten.

[redwing77]

Great so I was wrong at the time. I think it was frustration. I was wrong and Hak was right. There does that make you feel better. Gosh a guy can't vent after some serious frustrating losses. So I suck as a human being as that what you want to hear Rick?

I wasn't intending to specifically call you out. And I know your response to my post was more pointed at Rick, but I'll comment anyways.

squirtcoach is right in a way: It's not easy to be high on a team that is losing, especially when the team is losing games they either barely lost or could have won (depending upon perspective). And I don't think anyone here expects sunshine and songs of kumbaya and all that either.

What we expect is for the season to play out before we start chopping off heads and pointing fingers.

Hey, I wrote a long, sentimental blog post that made sense at the time but now is a bunch of crap on how this is a down year and we shouldn't be so hard on the team and blah blah blah. Now, the team has turned it around, become pretty dominant, and made me look the fool (even more so than I usually am).

Firing a coach comes after years of failure or a trend of lack of improvement. Look at WMU or tOSU for examples this year. Both coaches lost their jobs because the Administration did not see their schools improving under the current coach.

UNO did the same thing the year before and hired Dean Blais.

Kneejerk reactions aren't good either. Everyone (including myself) blasted Alaska Fairbanks about Doc DelCastillo's debacle with recruiting and the state of the team coming into the first offseason after his hire. It was a mess and he surely did not do a good job of handling himself. Now, the current Alaska coach has pretty much all DelCastillo recruits on his team and they're in the NCAAs.

So, that's my spin on things anyways. Patience is a virtue.

[Big A HG]

If you post something idiotic, even if it was only out of frustration, you still lay claim to what you have said and deserve any responses that it may inhibit (good or bad).

If you don't want someone to potentially rag on a comment, don't post it. Otherwise, be willing to hear what people have to say. Just because you were frustrated, and maybe didn't mean what you said, doesn't make you immune to comments.

People are willing to bash Hak, Eidsness, Lee, Finley, LaPoint, etc., but when someone bashes them, they get all uptight. Fair? You decide.

[ticklethetwine]

I wasn't intending to specifically call you out. And I know your response to my post was more pointed at Rick, but I'll comment anyways.

squirtcoach is right in a way: It's not easy to be high on a team that is losing, especially when the team is losing games they either barely lost or could have won (depending upon perspective). And I don't think anyone here expects sunshine and songs of kumbaya and all that either.

What we expect is for the season to play out before we start chopping off heads and pointing fingers.

Hey, I wrote a long, sentimental blog post that made sense at the time but now is a bunch of crap on how this is a down year and we shouldn't be so hard on the team and blah blah blah. Now, the team has turned it around, become pretty dominant, and made me look the fool (even more so than I usually am).

Firing a coach comes after years of failure or a trend of lack of improvement. Look at WMU or tOSU for examples this year. Both coaches lost their jobs because the Administration did not see their schools improving under the current coach.

UNO did the same thing the year before and hired Dean Blais.

Kneejerk reactions aren't good either. Everyone (including myself) blasted Alaska Fairbanks about Doc DelCastillo's debacle with recruiting and the state of the team coming into the first offseason after his hire. It was a mess and he surely did not do a good job of handling himself. Now, the current Alaska coach has pretty much all DelCastillo recruits on his team and they're in the NCAAs.

So, that's my spin on things anyways. Patience is a virtue.

Redwing, I was more or less talking to Rick. I was wrong about Hak this year and I am eating my humble pie right now.

[jodcon]

This whole thread is counterproductive, let's forget about the ups and downs of how we got here and who said what out of frustration and concentrate on uniting as one for the drive to #8.

First order of business: kick Yales ass.

Second order of business: revenge on BC.

Sioux Nation as one is what we need now.

[BigGame]

Life is easier if you can count your failures as successes. Potato-patahto for goofer fans.

Wow! being the second best team in college hockey makes you a failure? I don't think you should hang banners but it's far from failure.

[NorthDakotaHockey]

. . .

Second order of business: revenge on BC.

. . . .

Let's hope BC is overlooking Alaska as much as you appear to be.

One game at a time for everyone. Next team to win four straight is National Champion.

The boys had better bring their A game, and they will. It is preordained.

Yale. Alaska. Michigan. Wisconsin. Bing, bing, bam, boom. Trophy.

[krangodance]

But it'd be pretty cool if we did! Right? Right?...

oh hell yeah

[krangodance]

Imagine me pulling your original post and calling you out as "not knowing hockey" because you misstated our loss last year in the NCAAs as being a second from the Frozen Four.

You call me out specifically in your post above. Read my posts in context. Hak missing 2 final fives would probably not be well received by alumni, and might get him fired. It was a hypothetical. Blais going to Minny would warrant upset faces too. I don't know many Sioux faithful that would be pleased with that scenario. Would I hire Dean Blais? Yes, as I think he is the best amateur coach in the world and showed another reason this year with WJC gold.

Regardless, I use this site to vent A LOT. Most people on here support the program completely, including me. I support the program having grown up in GF, despite being a two time Gopher(undergrad and MBA).

I for one do not put blind faith in anyone, however; and I will always want more championships. I live in Mpls and travel to several games a year and watch 90 percent of those that I don't attend on the internet. Insinuating a lack of my worthiness as a Sioux fan is insulting and shows an ignorant disrespect. I will happily talk hockey and buy a beer to 99 percent of people. If you want to make a judgment, read every post and educate yourself.

Most of my issues with Hak are constructive. You will see me complain about the cycle and the high breakout. You will see me complain about the defensemen's abilities to handle an aggressive forecheck. These are coaching issues. There is plenty of good too, but I don't teach kindergarten.

okay...sorry. i'd like to strike yzerman19's handle from my post, but ticklethetwine is staying (i think he was probably a skippy anyways).

[krangodance]

This whole thread is counterproductive, let's forget about the ups and downs of how we got here and who said what out of frustration and concentrate on uniting as one for the drive to #8.

First order of business: kick Yales ass.

Second order of business: revenge on BC.

Sioux Nation as one is what we need now.

i disagree. my order is:

1. make fun of those who called for hakstol's job (just until saturday though)

2. win a national championship (i'm not on the team so i don't have to have the "take it a game at time" mentality.

[siouxbear1]

OK seriously...did I just read all 4 pages of this stuff..are you kidding me!!!

Who cares...drop the puck already and kick some ass!

[HeidiSioux62]

Right before the St. Clown series I made plans for the weekend of the 1st round of playoffs (I ended up canceling them) telling the person it was going to be next to impossible to get home ice so I could just listen on the radio. After they made it to the final 5 I said, "no way can they get through Denver". Here are my predictions for the coming games:

1. No way can we beat Yale - they're too tired, too many games in too short a time & Yale has had 2 weeks off.

2. BC is going to run circles around us - we've got a huge "head case" when it comes to BC (this is assuming BC beats Alaska - I'll revise statment for Alaska if needed)

3. I just don't see us beating Miami (assuming they get out of their regional - I'll revise if needed). They are pissed off how they did in their regional and are out to prove something.

4. Beating DU/Wisco (again will revise if needed) will be next to impossible - again with the too tired & DU or Wisco have something to prove after final 5.

Here's to these predictions being as acurate as my predictions for the first 2 rounds.

[jodcon]

Let's hope BC is overlooking Alaska as much as you appear to be.

I would enjoy an Alaska victory over BC, but I don't think they have the horses.

Of course considering my record in Sioux Survivor, maybe they are the pick.

[xI Hammer Ix]

I would enjoy an Alaska victory over BC, but I don't think they have the horses.

Of course considering my record in Sioux Survivor, maybe they are the pick.

I must be the Sioux Survivor version of SCSU, I was one-and-done on all them this year

[mikejm]

I must be the Sioux Survivor version of SCSU, I was one-and-done on all them this year

I believe your banner is in the mail.

[Irish]

I thought it might be a good time to dust of some comments from a few of our internet coaching experts. There's a reason why Hak, Cary & Dane get paid to lead/coach the team and there's also a reason why 11,500 of us have to pay to sit in The Ralph and watch the team. JK said it very well in another thread....as well as the coaching staff has done since Hak took over, this might be the best job of coaching that Hak, Cary & Dane have done. When you come into the season with only 3 seniors and you're playing 17 freshmen and sophomores, the expectations shouldn't be out in the stratosphere. Then we lose the best defenseman in college hockey and we're down to two seniors. Then we lose VandeVelde and Hextall to injuries for lengthy periods of time but the coaching staff is able to hold the team together even though we were down to one senior.

How this team managed to get to a tie for #4 in the pairwise and win the Final Five is quite amazing. We're actually getting bonus hockey now that we probably had no reason to expect. Even with all the adversity the team faced after Genoway went down, they were very competitive when they went out to Denver and deserved to win one of those games. As the second half rolled around, Hak kept saying they were close and it turns out he was right.

Here are some of the Internet Coaching experts comments.....

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OETKB

Just a weak season. No real fight.

They try to compete, but they don't have nearly the grit they are given credit for.

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Oxbow6

If I hear "We're close" from Hak in post game...

No you are not close, but you are close to being out of time this season!

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Shawn-O

Kiss home ice goodbye.

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fightingsioux4life

Here is the remaining schedule for this team and my predictions for what I think will happen:

2/13 @St. Cloud (L)....this time Lee is the "hero" in net.

2/19-20 UM-Duluth(W)(L)....boys win on Friday, party too much and lose on Saturday.

2/26-27 @Colorado College (L)(L)....the World Arena has been tough on our great teams, this could get ugly.

3/5-6 Michigan Tech (W)(W)....this is Grand Forks, not Hougton and it's not the Winter Carnival. Thus, a home sweep.

3/12-14 WCHA First Round, on the road (L)(W)(L)....doesn't matter where this series is held, I don't see us in St. Paul.

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SIOUXELEVENS

This will be the first year, no home playoffs, no final five.

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ticklethetwine

1 win out of 3 with Minny 0 wins out of 4 Denver.

I say fire his a@@.

*****************************************

ticklethetwine

Every week we hear oh this team is due and they should really get it going they are just having some bad luck. The funny thing is we keep saying that every weekend but nothing changes. Our leaders don't step up

******************************************

gfhockey

scott sandelin???

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BringDeanBack

I feel bad for Genoway, his season is done, and his team doesn't seem to care.

I bet you aren't quite as smug now - It's time for Hak to GET ER DONE

[brianvf]

I bet you aren't quite as smug now

Smug?

All of his points are still valid, regardless of today's loss.

[dagies]

Saw that coming at about 6:30 tonite...

[mikejm]

Saw that coming at about 6:30 tonite...

You should've seen the post the mods deleted!

[Sioux87]

Hak is still a great coach! One who alot of teams in our league would be happy to have! This whole fire Hak thread is absurd! Think back to the prior coaches who did not make it to the ncaas, Yeah the loss to Yale stings alot but remember how banged up the guys are, not how the coach coached against a good not great team almost on home ice with all thier fans!!!

[Siouxpremacy]

Hak is still a great coach! One who alot of teams in our league would be happy to have! This whole fire Hak thread is absurd! Think back to the prior coaches who did not make it to the ncaas, Yeah the loss to Yale stings alot but remember how banged up the guys are, not how the coach coached against a good not great team almost on home ice with all thier fans!!!

Great coaches win National Championships and have their teams ready for big games. Hak has not shown us he has that in him.

[BigGame]

I really wonder about the mental acuity of these fans that want Hak fired.

[BLEEDSGREEN]

Hak is still a great coach! One who alot of teams in our league would be happy to have! This whole fire Hak thread is absurd! Think back to the prior coaches who did not make it to the ncaas, Yeah the loss to Yale stings alot but remember how banged up the guys are, not how the coach coached against a good not great team almost on home ice with all thier fans!!!

Totally agree - some people are never satisfied - Lets be realistic. Hak worked his magic again this year -which I was wondering if it was gonna show up - and got us to the playoffs - the rest is up to the players - and the hockey gods to smile on us a little - which just didn't happen against Yale. Sure it sucks to be done with what we had hoped more games to play - this fire hak thread should be dumped.