Search for a New Head Coach

[Dustin]

Regarding Canadian recruiting:  while I know (especially) western Canada has been a primary source of UND’s players throughout its rich hockey history, I would be in favor of a (not necessarily American) coach who has connections to burgeoning American talent. Take a look at this article from late December. Canadians in the NHL are on a pretty sharp decline, while Americans are trending upward. 
 

https://soundofhockey.com/2024/12/26/data-dump-nationality-trends-across-the-nhl/amp/

[ksixpack]

2 minutes ago, RhettRingers said:

But when you compare it to ASU or Ann Arbor it's a little different.

I’d rather live in GF then Ann Arbor…how many folks aspire to retire and move to Ann Arbor?

[Greenbayguy87]

16 minutes ago, siouxkid12 said:

Karl

KG still living the dorm life?

[dagies]

3 hours ago, SJHovey said:

There have been a number of posts about how far this program has "fallen" (in their opinion), that we are no longer considered a blue blood school, etc...

First, I do not think that is an opinion that is shared outside this board, or outside a portion of this fan base.  I suspect that if you went around and asked college hockey players, coaches, administrators, media types and fans to name the premier schools in college hockey, the blue bloods, UND shows up on all or almost all of their lists.

Second, I've had the privilege of going to UND games for a long time.  My first games were at the old Winter Sports building, and those were definitely not the good old days.

The vast majority of my UND seasons have ended in disappointment.  We lost, season over.  It might have been in the national championship game, or it could have been in the first round of the conference playoffs, but either way, the dream was dead.  Wait 'til next year!  That is the norm!

We had an incredible 20 year run from the '96-97 season through 2015-16.  Incredible.  I hate to burst anyone's bubble, but that is not sustainable.  If you don't believe me, talk to a 70 year old UCLA basketball fan, or a current NE Patriots fan, a New York Yankees fan or an Alabama football fan in 10 years.

If that is the "bar" that you want to set for this program, then no coach should want this job, and we're going to be firing coaches about every three years.

We should expect our coaches to run a clean program, to work hard to recruit the best possible players (who are also good people) to come play for the program, and to teach them.  That's the job of a coach is to teach.  If we find someone who teaches the game the right way, we'll continue to have more success than most other programs, and we'll occasionally even win a title.

I have no reason to think that Jackson can't be that guy.

And finally, I think that a reality check is needed.  College athletics are changing, and changing dramatically.  UND (and a lot of others) are going to be at a significant disadvantage.  That doesn't mean that we should give up, or do nothing, but let's not kid ourselves into thinking that whatever collective we can put together is going to compete with the likes of the Michigans, Penn States, Arizona States, etc..., of the world.  We just can't.  They can find way more NIL money in the cushions of their football coach's couch than we could ever raise.

I understand that, and as a college athletics fan, I think it sucks.  But we have to be prepared to try to win more with less.

Just my two cents.

Good post

[siouxkid12]

3 minutes ago, ksixpack said:

These are the same players that leave home at age 14 to play AAA hockey in moose jaw or Detroit…selling them on ND is not tough…the school is great and the facilities are even better…good grief.

Yea the school is great and so are the facilities but getting them to understand what North Dakota is really about take a special individual. 
I am not saying we can't do it because we sure have shown in the past that we can, but it takes the right coach to be able to sell that. Bringing in someone that hasn't been to Grand Forks and expecting them to sell it to a player is going to be hard thing.

[fightingsioux4life]

1 minute ago, Dustin said:

Regarding Canadian recruiting:  while I know (especially) western Canada has been a primary source of UND’s players throughout its rich hockey history, I would be in favor of a (not necessarily American) coach who has connections to burgeoning American talent. Take a look at this article from late December. Canadians in the NHL are on a pretty sharp decline, while Americans are trending upward. 
 

https://soundofhockey.com/2024/12/26/data-dump-nationality-trends-across-the-nhl/amp/

The United States produces way more players than it used to. It isn't limited to The Three M's (Minnesota, Massachusetts and Michigan) anymore.

[siouxkid12]

1 minute ago, Greenbayguy87 said:

KG still living the dorm life?

Wife and daughters live in Vegas, so I am assuming he rents a small apartment in Grand Forks.

[fightingsioux4life]

4 minutes ago, tnt said:

But even then, I think it was a better brand of hockey to watch.  Of course winning is the most important, but at least with guys like Romaniuk, Ward, McLean, Bombardir, etc. they played an up tempo game. 

Winning 11 games (4 of those wins were against woeful Michigan Tech) was not fun to watch. That final season was not up tempo. You are thinking more of the late 1980's and early 1990's.

[BestInBlack89]

Everyone wants the next David Carle, well here he is. I can barely even tell these 2 apart. Both 35 years old. Fire red hair should have been a part of the applications requirements.

[RhettRingers]

3 minutes ago, ksixpack said:

I’d rather live in GF then Ann Arbor…how many folks aspire to retire and move to Ann Arbor?

I can't tell if you're serious or not, these kids aren't retiring, they are college kids looking to have a good time. I think a game at the Big House beats a game at the Alerus Center...

[AlphaMikeFoxtrot]

3 minutes ago, ksixpack said:

I’d rather live in GF then Ann Arbor…how many folks aspire to retire and move to Ann Arbor?

Lots of cult of M members retire in AA, one of the best cities in the country for health care.

[nascar99]

4 minutes ago, Dustin said:

Regarding Canadian recruiting:  while I know (especially) western Canada has been a primary source of UND’s players throughout its rich hockey history, I would be in favor of a (not necessarily American) coach who has connections to burgeoning American talent. Take a look at this article from late December. Canadians in the NHL are on a pretty sharp decline, while Americans are trending upward. 
 

https://soundofhockey.com/2024/12/26/data-dump-nationality-trends-across-the-nhl/amp/

Canada will be a greater source of talent to the NCAA now with the CHL opened up. Ryan Roobroeck, Carter Bear, Roger McQueen, Gavin McKenna, Cayden Lindstrom, Caleb Desnoyers, etc literally wouldn't be able to play in the NCAA under the old rules, now they're all major targets for almost every top tier program in the States.

[ksixpack]

If you can’t sell UND over ASU hockey because of weather then you are either the wrong guy for the job or are recruiting the wrong player. Weather should be about dead last in a recruits mind when considering where to go to get to the next level (NHL). During the season these guys are so busy between hockey, school, and travel they shouldn’t have time to worry about weather. In fact the only down time they have is when they are on the road - then they can soak up whatever weather they have at the time. In addition, the weather around here and in lakes country from May-October when they have tons of down time is just as good as it is anywhere. They are a big fish in a small pond at UND and have a lot of perks at UND you can’t find at other bigger schools where they would be small fish in huge pond. Show them the UND/NHL wall at ice level of the Ralph…weather concerns will melt away.

[franchise]

1 hour ago, Oxbow6 said:

Will that at least get us to a shootout with the CO schools?

If you can deke without getting tired, that extra point can be had.

[tnt]

1 hour ago, siouxkid12 said:

Jackson has recruited a lot of great players and has an understanding on how to "sell" North Dakota to a kid. That is the big part that is missed in all this. Yes, we have the best facilities and 120% backing from alumni and the fans but you have to know how to sell a kid on coming to North Dakota. 

...and part of that is going to need to be results in developing players to the next level, and having a real shot at winning a Championship.   If we get tangible results on both those fronts it makes it a lot easier going forward.   Hopefully another part of the equation is the brand of hockey we play. 

[petey23]

12 minutes ago, ksixpack said:

I’d rather live in GF then Ann Arbor…how many folks aspire to retire and move to Ann Arbor?

And Ann Arbor is glorious compared to East Lansing.

[franchise]

21 minutes ago, RhettRingers said:

But when you compare it to ASU or Ann Arbor it's a little different.

Girls, sun and golf.

ASU will be good for a long time.

[franchise]

17 minutes ago, siouxkid12 said:

Yea the school is great and so are the facilities but getting them to understand what North Dakota is really about take a special individual. 
I am not saying we can't do it because we sure have shown in the past that we can, but it takes the right coach to be able to sell that. Bringing in someone that hasn't been to Grand Forks and expecting them to sell it to a player is going to be hard thing.

I feel the same way about Packer fans thinking that every FA is looking to spend their time in the middle of WI, rather than LA, Miami, etc.

[fightingsioux4life]

9 minutes ago, ksixpack said:

If you can’t sell UND over ASU hockey because of weather then you are either the wrong guy for the job or are recruiting the wrong player. Weather should be about dead last in a recruits mind when considering where to go to get to the next level (NHL). During the season these guys are so busy between hockey, school, and travel they shouldn’t have time to worry about weather. In fact the only down time they have is when they are on the road - then they can soak up whatever weather they have at the time. In addition, the weather around here and in lakes country from May-October when they have tons of down time is just as good as it is anywhere. They are a big fish in a small pond at UND and have a lot of perks at UND you can’t find at other bigger schools where they would be small fish in huge pond. Show them the UND/NHL wall at ice level of the Ralph…weather concerns will melt away.

Awesome! 

[fightingsioux4life]

1 minute ago, franchise said:

I feel the same way about Packer fans thinking that every FA is looking to spend their time in the middle of WI, rather than LA, Miami, etc.

Reggie White went there.

[franchise]

1 minute ago, fightingsioux4life said:

Reggie White went there.

And really changed the perception of GB.

That's not to say that there aren't players who aren't very interested, or at least open to, a small town cold climate...but there will always be the ones that pass on that every time if given good alternative options.

[sioux24/7]

I think ASU will be good for a long time but why aren’t their football and basketball teams typically great? Football was good this year. Maybe due to sheer numbers of more competition I suppose. 

[SIOUXFAN97]

42 minutes ago, tnt said:

Curious, why they would want to take a lateral move and go through North Dakota winters.    Not that Grand Forks is a bad place to live, but if you aren't born to it, living in the Rockies is probably the bigger lure, all things being equal. 

macmillan was born in alberta and played in alaska....GF would be like Mesa to him

[The Sicatoka]

22 minutes ago, ksixpack said:

If you can’t sell UND over ASU hockey because of weather ...

It ain't the weather. (Use link with prudence.)

[SIOUXFAN97]

43 minutes ago, RhettRingers said:

So those guys are automatically "winners" because they are part of a few winning seasons at a program?

maybe.....we never will know the trajectory of und football if we would've offered at vigen....

you make it sound like macmillan is 25 and straight out of the minor leagues...he's been around the block and is currently assisting the top young coach in the....world???