Ok, lots to cover tonight, so let’s get going.
Earlier today College Hockey News’ Joe Meloni reported that UMass had offered USHL coach Mark Carlson its head coaching position. Thus far there has been no confirmation of that report. I personally have not been able to confirm that report either. Meloni mentions the report of Carlson being offered in this interesting piece focusing in on how the current players are faring through all this as well as some must read quotes by Rocco Carzo on Toot’s final season as coach.
Matt Vautour posted a lengthy article on Carlson where John McCutcheon denies an offer was made, but the story does say Carlson is considered the top candidate. In the article Carlson is endorsed by former Minuteman and Cedar Rapids RoughRider Casey Wellman (who will be staying in the Rangers organization apparently).
Earlier this story out of Iowa confirmed Carlson as interviewing for the job but had not been offered.
Overall, if reports are true that UMass is on the road to offering Carlson and he actually accepts it I’ll be very happy. Carlson has a lot of the qualities that I was hoping for in a coach. He’s done nothing but win in his time at the USHL, developing some of the best young American players there and at USA Hockey. He has experience as an assistant at two Hockey East schools and played in the conference as well. In talking to many people about him in the last two days I have yet to hear anything negative about him. I think he’d be a great choice to lead the program going forward. At the very least I’m happy that McCutcheon and the search committee are turning to these types of candidates versus good coaches from lesser conferences who would be an awkward fit for the UMass job.
Other UMass blogs are behind Carlson as well.
However, if he is the top candidate that doesn’t mean UMass has stopped looking at others. USHR reported tonight at UNH Associate Head Coach Scott Borek interviewed for the position today. Borek was a name that was speculated upon early on. He’s been an assistant at UNH for the last 10 years and was head coach at Lake Superior State for five unspectacular seasons in the late 90s. It sounds that other candidates have interviewed in recent days as well.
Hopefully UMass will have its coach no later than the end of the week but if fans have learned anything from this search it’s not to get your hopes up until you see someone behind a podium.
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Boston University released their schedule today so the UMass schedule is almost known now. I’ve updated the schedule page with the new dates. It appears the three BC games will likely happen during the weekends of October 19th-20th and January 18th-19th. Assuming two games will be played in January, that means three of the first four games will be played against BU and BC and then UNH will follow. Trial by fire for whoever is named coach.
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Some sad news recently out of Lowell where the Riverhawks lost an honorary team member to cancer.
The Kitchener Rangers out of the OHL are suing Michigan’s student paper for reporting they offered a Wolverine commit $200K to jump to major junior. Imagine how many more players they can pay if they win the $1 million they’re seeking!
Fear The Triangle - UMass Hockey Blog 
max
/ July 10, 2012Sons of Old Massachusetts is just ONE “other UMass blog,” sir. Fight Mass officially endorses Douglas Howard Kublin as our candidate for the coaching position.
(in before “at least they actually post articles”)
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rocks22
/ July 10, 2012Fitting that you have to make your endorsement on another blog instead of your dormant one.
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max
/ July 10, 2012fitting that SHUT UP 😦
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C-H-C (@UNHRecruitsCHC)
/ July 10, 2012Kudos for cranking out the latest on the search for a new head coach night-after-night. Good stuff!
-Mike (“C-H-C”)
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rocks22
/ July 10, 2012Thanks Mike. Glad to keep people up to date. I enjoy your work over at the UNH Hockey Blog as well.
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The Sons
/ July 10, 2012First — thanks for the hat tip.
Second — while I am firmly in the Carlson camp I’m still keeping an open mind about this search as the only certainty so far has been nothing is certain. You have to think that the job needs to be filled soon even with a recycled assistant coach because at this point the “search” is becoming more of a distraction than anything else.
For the record, Borek is a completely unspectacular option and would do nothing to make me look forward to the season ahead. 10 year assistant at BU screams “incapable of being a HC” to me.
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Anonymous
/ July 11, 2012It’s truly amazing how public this search has
Become, such a distraction for the players. Knew the players felt that way about toot but surprised to hear someone actually say it.
Let’s hope they get this wrapped up so we can get back to talking about what’s gonna go on, on the ice.
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Anonymous
/ July 11, 2012a 10 yr assistant at BU or BC is making 125k or more…thats without pressure of being a head coach. add in hockey camps they walk away with 150k for the yr.. they have security with there job and a AD that will do whatever takes to win…these guys aren’t going to leave to come to Umass.
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Anonymous
/ July 11, 2012I disagree, these are all competitive guys, and I would guess all wanna try and make it on their own. Nobody wants to be #2 all their life, well almost nobody there are exceptions.
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Anonymous
/ July 11, 2012i agree but i mean is they’re at BU and BC both coaches are getting older they might be in position to take over the program.. they have families and both make great money close to a head coach salary. they don’t need to come to umass for 200k with no security. we’re better off getting a young coach that wants to recruit like hell to make us great.
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Anonymous
/ July 11, 2012Recruit like hell…..who does that more than borek?
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Kevin
/ July 11, 2012The question to me is, will the hockey program have a new, qualified coach by the end of the week?
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Anonymous
/ July 11, 2012I wonder if this is why Toot never named captains at end of this past year, he wasnt sure if he was going to be there…
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rocks22
/ July 11, 2012I talked to Toot at length about captains. That wasn’t the case. Up until about a week before he stepped down Toot was entirely committed to next season.
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Anonymous
/ July 11, 2012A/D – SIGN CARLSON TODAY -HEARD HE IS EXTREMELY QUALIFIED AND CAPABLE
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rocks22
/ July 11, 2012Co signed.
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Anonymous
/ July 11, 2012Agree with that, I got that sense at the golf tourney also.
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Anonymous
/ July 11, 2012Rocks nothing today ? in most case’s no news is good news , but not in this case !
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rocks22
/ July 11, 2012Writing something about nothing right now.
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Bob
/ July 13, 2012Carlson will stay with RoughRiders.
http://thegazette.com/2012/07/13/carlson-will-stay-with-roughriders/
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