Ron Correia writes:
>Rumors such as these always seem to abound this time of year, but they are
>just rumors.  Since they can and do have a negative impact on recruiting, I
>would strongly urge that such rumors be contained until they become fact.
 
and
 
Bill Schneller writes:
>Ron Correira has also mentioned the negative impact rumors of coaches
>leaving can have on a program, especially concerning recruiting.  I couldn't
>agree more.  When someone has concrete info let's talk about it.  In the
>meanwhile, let's put it to rest and let the Friars get started working on
>next year.
 
As I told Ron in email, I disagree.  It is a topic that is certainly
worthy of discussion - and certainly had more to do with hockey than a
lot of the other things we have seen the last few days.
 
I would question the "negative impact" upon recruiting, especially in
this situation.  First of all, ever since Jerry Welsh left OSU, any
prospective PC recruits - or at least their parents or coaches - have
surely been wondering whether Pooley might be interested in the job at
his alma mater.  And even if any potential recruit were to somehow
hear of this rumor first from my post - and again, I merely put into
keystrokes some of the discussion that has been taking place elsewhere -
the natural thing to do would be to ask his prospective coach about
it and get an answer.
 
Second, I was not the first to bring up this possibility.  For
example, as Bill and Ron have stated in their messages, it was raised
in the media, including the newspapers in Providence - newspapers I do
not read - before I ever posted about it.  I had no way of knowing
whether anyone had ever asked Pooley if he was interested in the OSU
job, but I did hope that perhaps my post would result in those who had
more information than I did enlightening all of us, and clearly that
happened.  It was reasonable to suggest that there might be a fit
between him and OSU.  I won't apologize for having done that.
 
Successful coaches are certainly coveted by other schools.  They are
also often mentioned by media as possibilities when certain jobs open
up.  It is normal.  And in discussing such possibilities, it is one
thing to wonder, as I did, whether OSU might be interested in Pooley
or Pooley in OSU...it is another to give the impression that one might
have "inside information" if that isn't true, because then that *could*
have a negative impact.  That's not what I did.  I simply posted my
opinion, and it is clear from my post that that's all it was.
 
Some may wonder if my opinion would be different if it were "my" coach
that was being discussed.
 
Several years ago when Jack Parker nearly became AD at BU and gave up
coaching, a number of names were mentioned as possible replacements.
One was Merrimack's Ron Anderson.  I wasn't upset that his name was
mentioned, because it was just speculation.  And that is all that this
discussion is.
 
>Finally, Mike Machnik posted several quotes from Pooley contained in the
>PC Media Guide.  There was another which I think bodes well for a *long*
>and happy relationship between Paul Pooley and the Friars.
 
I should add that I did not include this quote because I didn't think
it was relevant to what I had to say.  My intention in including the
quotes was to give an idea of what Pooley seems to be like, the man
and coach.  I felt the quote about PC spoke more about PC than Pooley.
As well, I considered the number of times in the past that I have
heard people say such things about the place they were at, and wind up
elsewhere saying similar things about their new home.  It is only
normal.  Perhaps it is cynicism on my part, but without calling into
question Pooley's sincerity in what he said, experience has led me to
not put much emphasis on a quote like this.
---                                                                   ---
Mike Machnik                                            [log in to unmask]
Cabletron Systems, Inc.                                    *HMM* 11/13/93