Mike Machnik, responding to Greg Ambrose, writes:
>There is ample evidence to suggest that for
>various reasons both PC & Merrimack took longer to come around - both teams
>had a number of freshmen to work in on defense - freshmen who took longer
>to adjust than UNH's freshmen did - as well as some injuries in the first
>half. Can't blame the coaches for those things.
Leaving aside the injury factor (and UNH has had their share this year),
why not? If one coach prepares his freshmen to play right out of the gate
and another doesn't, it's not the coach'S fault, either in his coaching or
recruiting?
I don't want to talk this issue to death but the bottom line is that
Umile's competition for this award - Anderson and Pooley, I guess - have
not even led their teams to .500 records this year. The only way PC or
Merrimack is going to the NCAA's is if they win the HE title. UNH is
already in and is fighting for a first round bye.
I have just reviewed last year's HE Media Guide (I don't have this year's
for some reason), here is a rundown of the Coach of the Year winners:
1986 Jack Parker w/20-11-3 (25-14-4 overall), 1985 19-11-4 (24-14-4)
1987 Bill Riley w/20-10-2 (22-12-2 " ), 1986 5-27-2 (11-29-1)
1988 Shawn Walsh w/20- 4-2 (34-8-2 " ), 1987 19-12-1 (24-16-2)
1989 Fern Flaman w/13-11-2 (18-16-2) " ), 1988 13- 9-4 (20-13-4)
1990 Shawn Walsh w/14- 6-1 (33-11-2) " ), 1989 17- 9-0 (31-14-0)
1991 Dick Umile w/10- 9-2 (22-11-2) " ), first year as coach
1992 Jack Parker w/10- 7-4 (22- 9-4) " ), 1991 10-15-1 (14-20-1)
1993 Shawn Walsh w/22- 1-1 (42 -1-2) " ), 1992 17 -2-2 (31- 4-2)
1994 Bruce Crowder 14- 6-4 (25-10-5) " ), 1993 10-13-1 (20-17-2)
1995 Shawn Walsh w/15 -3-6 (32- 6-6) " ), 1994 a forfeit year
What does this tell you? First, to win you should have a winning record,
both in HE and overall, and only once has a coach won after winning less
than 20 games. Second, you don't necessarily have to go from the bottom to
the top to be honored. In only 3 years has the winner had a losing record
the previous year. Third, you should be a contender for the title. In the
10 years shown, the winner finished 1st or 2nd in the league 7 times
(Flaman was 3rd, Umile 5th & Parker 4th in '92). Based on these criteria,
there are only two possible candidates - Umile & Parker. Since Parker's
team is doing worse this year than last, it looks as though it should be
Umile.
However, my gut tells me that it will be close because Umile is underrated
by HE (and most UNH) fans as a coach. The man has won 20 games five of the
seven years he has coached and, this year, will lead his team to the NCAA's
for the fourth time. If Parker or Walsh had compiled records such as UNH
did last year, and then turned it around as much as Umile has done this
year, would there be any question as to who would be the coach of the year?
I think not.
Greg Ambrose
GO UNH BLUE!!!
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