I agree with RonC and the others who cited job security as a prime
consideration that might keep someone like Shawn Walsh in college and
out of the pros.  In February 1994, when Heather and I went up to
Orono for a Merrimack-Maine series, we stopped by his office to say
hello - where I felt left out as he and Heather proudly compared their
NC$$ championship rings. :-)
 
Out of curiosity, I asked him about the pro rumors and whether he
might have felt he'd accomplished all there was to accomplish in
college - winning the title in 1993 - and why didn't he choose to move
on.  He pointed to pictures of his two sons and said, "Those are the
two biggest reasons."  He talked about the lack of job security in the
pros and how he didn't want to have to move his family around from
place to place.  That's certainly understandable, given that his kids
are what, about 5 and 2 years old now.
 
Anyway, that impressed me quite a bit because it showed that he had
his priorities straight, and it wasn't in a situation where he had
to do or say the right thing for the cameras.  It seems to me that
even though he's talked to other schools that have positions open, for
him to leave Maine, it would have to be for a job that was absolutely
perfect for him and his family and that would offer him the chance to
stay in one place for a while - something he already has at Maine, in
fact.
 
I can only give my own opinion, but it seems that he is looking
forward to raising his kids up in Maine, and any offer would have to
be quite a doozy for him to leave.  Remembering that he's still
relatively young at about 40 :-), I could see him coaching in college
for a while longer and then perhaps giving the NHL a shot once his
kids have grown.  But I'll qualify this by adding that nothing is a
sure bet. :-)
---                                                                   ---
Mike Machnik                                            [log in to unmask]
Cabletron Systems, Inc.                                    *HMM* 11/13/93