I stand corrected on several points...I knew Paul Pooley got the head job
"somewhere" even if I was a little unclear on his home town and current
town.:-) That is what I get for writing off the top of my head...but hey, I am
running on very little sleep on this rotation too. :-) Yes, OSU had a string of
good recruiting years pre- and post- Pooleys, and I suppose one does have to
give Welsh some credit (grudgingly :-). I have scratched my head about how it
happened at all at times though.  I can't think of what would make anyone come
here...so someone on the coaching staff did a pretty good sell job back then.
 
What happened in the post-Pooley era?  The good teams after the Pooleys (can't
explain the ones before them) were more likely the result of players recruited
at the peak of OSU's strength during the Pooley years and I think that it did
not last much beyond 2-3 years after the Pooley's graduated...just long enough
for the players recruited during their tenure to graduate.  I believe that OSU
has not done better than 5th or 6th in the CCHA since '86 (someone can cheack
that as I am writing from the hospital LAN and don't have my stats in front of
me...a problem for me in recent posts :-).  One would think that the university
would take notice..or be forced to take notice of the program after that much
success and that the recruiting momentum could be maintained, but it has not.
 
While it may be necessary to give some credit to Welsh for the success of the
past, he has not had a real winner here in at least 8 seasons.  Neither the
facilities nor the program have shown any improvement in the last 8 years and
for the most part, seem to be going in the opposite direction.  Last year,
there were some glimmers of hope with the games at the Fairgrounds and maybe,
it is the sign of a new era here. But, I am not holding my breath for that.
I hope the Welsh can lead the team into a new era of support from the
univeristy and into national prominence again.  But, the failure to attain that
support during his tenure and the ever deteriorating quality of the facilities
and the players is ultimately accountable to the coach.  OSU has had one
blue-chip player in the last few years (Brian Loney) and he lasted one season
due to academic difficulties (kind of hard to imagine failing out of here,
but....).  After 19 seasons, a career losing record, and a record of teams who
have struggled to win 10 games in recent years...it is unqeustionably time for
a chance in my opinion.  Obviously, the university feels differently, so for
the sake of the players and the program, I hope Welsh is a lot better than I
give him credit for being.
 
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        *        Dave [log in to unmask]         *
        *                  Cornell '91 OSU Med '95                     *
        *       Nothing good ever comes of a conversation that         *
        *        starts with the words, "Remember the patient          *
        *                 you sent home last night?"                   *
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