On Jul 15, 11:18, Jim Love wrote:
>  Well, isn't that a ringing endorsement of the Laker coaching staff ....
>It seems that a coaching change is likely in the Soo in the near-future,
>but given the difficulties venerable Harvard is having securing a new
>coach (having B. Beaney, J. Marsh, and now T. Taylor withdraw their
>candidacies), how difficult will it be for LSSU to bring a new coach on
>board ??
 
OK, a Cornell fan commenting on the goings-on at Harvard is just *asking* for
trouble... but from what I've seen in the newspapers and various online fora,
the difficulties that "venerable Harvard" is experiencing new-coach-wise are
largely of their own making.  The process was already taking too long even
before candidates began withdrawing their names (Tomassoni resigned two months
ago!), and some sources have mentioned money and the lack of a long-term
contract offer as major hurdles.  The salary figure I've seen is $73,000, which
sounds pretty good to me but is probably not in line with what a hockey power
(which Harvard was not too long ago, and likely can be again) should be
offering for a head coaching position, especially when that position is
endowed, as Harvard's is.  And to be perfectly honest, I've also heard
unflattering things about Harvard AD Bill Cleary -- which I won't repeat here
in part because I can't recall exactly what they were, just that they were, ah,
unflattering.
 
With all the candidacy withdrawals -- and according to the Burlington (Vt) Free
Press, Miami head coach Mark Mazzoleni, listed as the third finalist along with
Marsh and Taylor, withdrew his name a couple days ago (not reported in the
Globe) -- Union head coach Kevin Sneddon, a former Harvard player who was
mentioned early on as a candidate, is apparently generating interest again.
 The Dutchmen are obviously going to be in serious big-time doo-doo if he
departs at this late date. But whoever gets the Harvard job is going to be
under tremendous pressure, given that the Crimson apparently *could* have
gotten a coach like Marsh or Beaney or Taylor.
 
As for Lake Superior, I doubt they'll have anywhere near this amount of trouble
replacing their head coach if they choose to.  I don't see LSSU playing the
kinds of games that Harvard appears to have been with their candidates.  And
even with their less-than-stellar record of late, the Lakers still boast three
recent NCAA crowns, which should make the job very attractive.
 
--
Disclaimer -- Unless otherwise noted, all opinions expressed above are
              strictly those of:
 
Bill Fenwick
Cornell '86 and '95                                             DJF  5/27/94
LET'S GO RED!!                                                  JCF  12/2/97
"2.9 million households watched the U.S. beat Brazil on July 4, giving it
 a higher TV rating than game 7 of the NHL's Stanley Cup finals."
--_Newsweek_ on the popularity of the Women's World Cup (this is somewhat
  faint praise, as there was no game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals)
 
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