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Thomas: Herald story not true


PCM

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On Thursday's 6 p.m. WDAZ sportscast, Pat Sweeney reported that Roger Thomas says the Herald's story about Dave Hakstol being offered the head coach job is inaccurate. Sweeney quoted Thomas as saying, "The story is not true. We're in the middle of a search process. No offers have been made."

Sweeney also noted that under UND rules, the job must be posted internally for five business days. That means the soonest a new coach could be hired is next Wednesday.

It was also reported that Brad Berry would not be applying for the head coach position and that he had no comment on the report that Hakstol had been offered the job.

If you want to see the newscast, go here, click on the link for the 6:00 p.m. newscast and move the slider ahead to the 22 minute mark.

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Wow.

This may mean nothing, really. Hak might have been assured "unofficially" he'll be named the coach next week.

On the other hand, maybe there's a big snafu in the leaked info.

I would guess the former.

Should be interesting to see how it plays out.

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Just the fact the UND went "internal" for coaching position was confirmation Hak would be the next coach. There was no need for Virg to claim an "unnamed source says Hakstol was offered the job"....that's exactly what UND's "internal" decision meant...HELLO!! Of course UND has to follow procedure and "open" the job for a week - it's something they have to do. Don't blame Rog for just saying what he has to say right now...the decision has been made and will be announced in due course next week. (I HOPE THE SUSPENSE DOESN'T KILL ME:-) The Herald was simply overblowing a headline that came out on TV the night before to make it look like they were FIRST with the story...if they really wanted to be bold - they'd name the unnamed source....

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Just the fact the UND went "internal" for coaching position was confirmation Hak would be the next coach. 

Wrong. Posting jobs first internally is standard operating procedure at UND. I've said this several times and people for some reason refuse to believe me. It's stated right up front at the human resources Web site where the job is listed.

UND provides all eligible regular staff employees the opportunity to apply for vacant staff positions prior to external recruitment. All regular position vacancies will be listed internally for a period of five working days.(Emphasis added)
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"The only thing UND athletic director Roger Thomas would confirm Thursday is that the new head men's hockey coach at the school will be somebody who's currently working for the university."

I believe the Herald. Time will tell.

I agree. It sounds like Thomas has (and must) deny offering the position to anybody at this point since it would subvert the protocol for the hiring process. He's covering his butt. Let's look at this logically.

1. He has admitted that he will hire someone that is currently a university employee.

2. Berry and Hakstol are the 2 current UND employees as hockey coaches (if there are more this point can be argued)

3. It is reported that Berry has no interest in the head coach position at this point.

Unless the equiptment manager or Biology teacher makes a late charge for the position it seems the handwriting is on the wall...Hakstol will be named head coach wednesday or soon after.

As has been written on this site, to open the position up to outside the university (which is what most level-headed on this site seem to want) would prolong the process at least another 30 days and it doesn't seem as though the administration wants that.

IMHO the position should be opened up. You never know who will show interest. Just because there is a well qualified applicant within the UND doesn't mean that there isn't a better one (perhaps with head coaching experience at the NCAA level)outside. Why limit the search?

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"The bottom line is that they're saying they have a good candidate or candidates on campus."

Lucy Ganje? :);)

Then again,

I know of a UND employee who is

(a.) a guy who played hockey at his collegiate alma mater,

(b.) good with the media and PR, and

(c.) familiar with the program ...

but his office isn't in Hyslop or REA, but it's close. ;) ;)

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"The bottom line is that they're saying they have a good candidate or candidates on campus."

Lucy Ganje? :);)

Then again,

I know of a UND employee who is

(a.) a guy who played hockey at his collegiate alma mater,

(b.) good with the media and PR, and

(c.) familiar with the program ...

but his office isn't in Hyslop or REA, but it's close. ;) ;)

You're campaigning for PCM? Wouldn't it be a conflict of interest for him to interview himself for USCHO stories?

I wonder if he would get frustrated with himself for offering only cliches as answers to probing, hard hitting questions.

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He's covering his butt. Let's look at this logically.

1. He has admitted that he will hire someone that is currently a university employee.

This is what I don't get. How does Thomas do the CYA thing by making a statement before the application deadline passes that essentially says Hakstol is the only person whose application will be considered? That violates UND's policy just as much as offering the job before the deadline passes.

I'd like to think that Thomas has been at UND long enough and hired enough people to know how to properly play the CYA game.

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"The only thing UND athletic director Roger Thomas would confirm Thursday is that the new head men's hockey coach at the school will be somebody who's currently working for the university."

My guess is that Kupchella wants to be the coach and redefine what wearing a "sweater" is. :)

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Hak will do a fine job, as will Berry. These guys could have been head coaches last year (not that they were looking to leave), but there are college hockey programs that would have loved to have had them for their coach. I have worked in a hockey capacity with both of these gentlemen, and either of them would be a great head coach and fine representative of UND and the hockey program. They have excellent hockey minds and are well respected in the hockey world, and both are excellent recruiters, as the Sioux roster will verify. They will be successful in their new postitions, whatever they may be.

It does look like Hak will be the new head coach, but just remember that it was the GF Herald (more specifically, Virg Foss) that had Ned Harkness in a moving van headed to the old Engelstad arena when Rube was let go. I remember petitions that were being circulated for signatures against the hiring of Gino. Boy did that look like a stupid move after Gino's first year at the UND helm.

Sandy is another example of a fine young hockey mind being given the chance to run a program, and taking that opportunity and doing a great job. Remember, Duluth didn't win a lot of games in his first couple of seasons. I remember a conversation I had with him after a playoff game at UND in his first year at Duluth. He was most concerned about recruiting players that were willing to pay the price to win, and to do it his way. If Hak is the head coach, the players and the coaching staff will be miles ahead of the situation that Sandy was in. And if the team should lose a series or just a couple of games that the public thinks they should have won, just step back and think of the times the team has stumbled in the past, even during championship years.

If it is to be Hak, great! If someone else is hired for the head job, that person has been blessed with the best supporting staff in college hockey. Let's support the team, the coaches, and enjoy the season to come.

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"The bottom line is that they're saying they have a good candidate or candidates on campus."

Lucy Ganje? :);)

Then again,

I know of a UND employee who is

(a.) a guy who played hockey at his collegiate alma mater,

(b.) good with the media and PR, and

(c.) familiar with the program ...

but his office isn't in Hyslop or REA, but it's close. ;) ;)

Maybe the two from the Alumni Center will apply. :0;)

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"The only thing UND athletic director Roger Thomas would confirm Thursday is that the new head men's hockey coach at the school will be somebody who's currently working for the university."

I believe the Herald. Time will tell.

RT was never quoted saying that (statement does not have direct quotes). It looks to me the Heraldo jumped the gun on a bad lead and doesn't have the decency to retract the original story. I'm sorry but I am going to give RT the benefit of the doubt and believe him over some staff reporter and an anonymous lead.

The Heraldo would rather make the University look bad with unsubstantiated rumors and speculation than apologize for inaccuracies in reporting. :) Tabloid journalism at its finest. ;)

Now even if/when the university opens the search up nationally and if Hak gets the job it will look like a coverup. We should all thank the Heraldo for putting a cloud over our hockey program.

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RT was never quoted saying that (statement does not have direct quotes). It looks to me the Heraldo jumped the gun on a bad lead and doesn't have the decency to retract the original story. I'm sorry but I am going to give RT the benefit of the doubt and believe him over some staff reporter and an anonymous lead.

The Heraldo would rather make the University look bad with unsubstantiated rumors and speculation than apologize for inaccuracies in reporting. :) Tabloid journalism at its finest. ;)

Now even if/when the university opens the search up nationally and if Hak gets the job it will look like a coverup. We should all thank the Heraldo for putting a cloud over our hockey program.

I believe the Herald. A close friend of Erin Hakstol has said that Dave Hakstol was officially offered the job on Wednesday. It is a done deal. They are just waiting for the 5 days to officially pass.

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I believe the Herald. A close friend of Erin Hakstol has said that Dave Hakstol was officially offered the job on Wednesday. It is a done deal. They are just waiting for the 5 days to officially pass.

Did we find the anonymous source. :)

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