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  • UAF search?

    Heard next to nothing on what's going on here. Any news from up north?

  • #2
    Re: UAF search?

    The short story is that I'm aware they are forming a search committee and I've heard some good names on the committee. I know one person on the committee who is a longtime Fairbanksan, so that is good, because I think the administration at UAF are very new to Fairbanks. Finalists for hockey coach had public meet-and-greets last week and I think they are interviewing for women's basketball coach now too. It all backs up when you need that many new coaches, so they haven't even announced the national search for a new men's coach yet. Hoping for the best, sort of expecting the worst, depending on the day... On the one hand the team was only set to lose one senior so the fact that there is no assistant or head coach right now might not be *that bad* recruiting wise is maybe good. On the other hand, I'm not convinced the team is going to stay together and stay in Fairbanks for the long haul where the snow is still pretty deep, despite the long sunny days!

    I think as long as UAF is sitting on figuring out their hockey coach, the other sports will have to wait. This town loves their hockey... They probably should have announced the hockey coach by now, but as Tsull said, it's good to be patient and let them figure it out--or maybe the coaches laughed at the pay and walked away?

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    • #3
      Re: UAF search?

      https://www.collegehockeynews.com/ne...ame-Brekke.php

      This isn't a hockey board, but it highlights the state and school problems up here. I also know for a fact that Anchorage coaches make about 30-50% more than Fairbanks coaches-don't know why UAA's athletic budget would be bigger than ours, but that is how things have been for a while now.

      As long at UAF doesn't have a hockey coach, the basketball teams are in a world of hurt-still no official announcement on a search for a basketball coach. From reading the CWU coaching stuff on here, I suspect the UAF guys are being held in their scholarships here too and cannot transfer out until a coach lets them go? What happens if UAF doesn't get a coach before recruitment closes? I don't know dates or these kinds of rules, but I'm sure there is some grumbling going on... Wish I knew more.

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      • #4
        Re: UAF search?

        Originally posted by northernGNAChoopfan View Post
        https://www.collegehockeynews.com/ne...ame-Brekke.php

        This isn't a hockey board, but it highlights the state and school problems up here. I also know for a fact that Anchorage coaches make about 30-50% more than Fairbanks coaches-don't know why UAA's athletic budget would be bigger than ours, but that is how things have been for a while now.

        As long at UAF doesn't have a hockey coach, the basketball teams are in a world of hurt-still no official announcement on a search for a basketball coach. From reading the CWU coaching stuff on here, I suspect the UAF guys are being held in their scholarships here too and cannot transfer out until a coach lets them go? What happens if UAF doesn't get a coach before recruitment closes? I don't know dates or these kinds of rules, but I'm sure there is some grumbling going on... Wish I knew more.
        About 355 D-1 hoop programs, I think about the same for D2, around 500 D3 programs, maybe 250 or more NAIA hoop teams, lots of JC squads ... each has a head coach and one to 3/4 assistants, depending on what level. So upwards of 1,000 college programs out there and everyone wants to be a head coach. I think UAF could find someone good, even in a cold weather area. I'm not even including the good coaches, who were fired and want to get back into the business. I still think they could get a solid applicant pool. Heck, Durham was out there last time, I consider him very good.

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        • #5
          Re: UAF search?

          UAF is also without a permanent Athletic Director since Dr. Gary Gray left earlier this year. Coach Durham always gets the most out of his players. He coaches & his teams play the game the right way. Losing him is a big loss for UAF and a win for MSUB. Although, I think Coach Stevens was highly unlikely. They had more major injuries the last few years to key players than any other in the league.

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          • #6
            Re: UAF search?

            Originally posted by MrGNAC View Post
            UAF is also without a permanent Athletic Director since Dr. Gary Gray left earlier this year. Coach Durham always gets the most out of his players. He coaches & his teams play the game the right way. Losing him is a big loss for UAF and a win for MSUB. Although, I think Coach Stevens was highly unlikely. They had more major injuries the last few years to key players than any other in the league.
            Hey and welcome MrGNAC! I so agree with you on the Durham front. Although he's not leaving UAF with some kind of super record here, it's pretty good considering all the challenges of coaching in Fairbanks. Two seasons ago, when we had Travante Williams, he very nearly got the team to the top on the GNAC standings both in league play and at the GNAC tourney. Regularly many other teams in the GNAC have had more talented players--like WWU--they have 4 or 5 Travante Williams types most seasons. If Mick gets a hold of that level of player in Billings (which he is likely to-recruiting for him in Billings is probably a dream compared to him recruiting in Fairbanks) with a nice supporting cast, MSUB will be in the thick of things in the GNAC again. It could be a little stingy watching the Nooks get thumped by the Yellowjackets next winter... :bulgy-eyes:

            Mum continues to be the word on any hires up here. Hockey coach turned down the offer, no word on the announced women's basketball search, not even an announcement of a search for the men's coach and all will be hired by a very-new-to-Fairbanks guy, interim AD Gutierrez... Doesn't look bright at the moment, but I'd be happy to be wrong.

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            • #7
              Re: UAF search?

              Originally posted by northernGNAChoopfan View Post
              Hey and welcome MrGNAC! I so agree with you on the Durham front. Although he's not leaving UAF with some kind of super record here, it's pretty good considering all the challenges of coaching in Fairbanks. Two seasons ago, when we had Travante Williams, he very nearly got the team to the top on the GNAC standings both in league play and at the GNAC tourney. Regularly many other teams in the GNAC have had more talented players--like WWU--they have 4 or 5 Travante Williams types most seasons. If Mick gets a hold of that level of player in Billings (which he is likely to-recruiting for him in Billings is probably a dream compared to him recruiting in Fairbanks) with a nice supporting cast, MSUB will be in the thick of things in the GNAC again. It could be a little stingy watching the Nooks get thumped by the Yellowjackets next winter... :bulgy-eyes:

              Mum continues to be the word on any hires up here. Hockey coach turned down the offer, no word on the announced women's basketball search, not even an announcement of a search for the men's coach and all will be hired by a very-new-to-Fairbanks guy, interim AD Gutierrez... Doesn't look bright at the moment, but I'd be happy to be wrong.
              Recruiting is in full swing right now, maybe they should've hired Durham's top assistant, was that Bobby Howard?

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              • #8
                Re: UAF search?

                Bobby was just announced as going to Billings with Mick. I don't think Bobby was ready to be a head coach right now.

                Mick will win at MSUB. He is the best x's and o's coach in the league. He rarely loses a close game even though he never had as much talent as the UAA's, WWU's etc.

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                • #9
                  Re: UAF search?

                  Yeah, lv2hoop already let us know that Howard was going home to Montana too and lv2hoop also speculated that Howard's lil bro who was Gatorade player of the year in Montana and redshirted at EWU last season might return to Montana to play for MSUB? Who knows, but lv2hoop has a pretty good crystal ball that he talks to regularly-just sayin. I don't think Bobby was ready for HC either.

                  Yes, Mick will win at MSUB-they had some pretty good freshman this last season, so if he can get some supporting casts to that, they'll be upsetting the big dogs next season. He's good at X's & O's, but I'll disagree with you MrGNAC that he rarely loses close games... I live in Fairbanks and I can tell you we lost a lot of close ones in recent years. The UAA guys will tell you I'm rotten on here for a while after those losses-but it wasn't just UAA. Close games often come down to great plays/players-that's what UAF often didn't have, was somebody who could put the nail in the coffin for the other team-X's & O's can't do everything. One thing Mick didn't do which still puzzles many is that he will never foul intentionally when down to the wire with a 3 point lead to put the other team on the FT line and take away the 3, and theoretically get the ball back after the FTs. A lot of the up and coming coaches do that regularly and Mick always, always plays it straight up. We lost a heartbreaker to UAA in 2016 when Mick forcefully told the guys to play it straight up when we had a 3 point lead-Svejcar drilled a 3, took it to OT and UAA ran away with it in OT. Shaw and Pribble take away the 3 option quickly when it's down the wire with a lead. I understand the moral of playing it straight up, but man, that drove some locals crazy.

                  If UAF heads to the bottom of the league this winter, I'll probably take up rooting for the yellow jackets-it was always fun under Mick and he's easy to like.

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                  • #10
                    Re: UAF search?

                    Originally posted by MrGNAC View Post
                    Bobby was just announced as going to Billings with Mick. I don't think Bobby was ready to be a head coach right now.

                    Mick will win at MSUB. He is the best x's and o's coach in the league. He rarely loses a close game even though he never had as much talent as the UAA's, WWU's etc.
                    Bobby will be a great recruiter for MSUB. I am just not sure how much Montana talent there will be. His dad is the long time mentor at Great Falls High. I think that family has coaching in its DNA.

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                    • #11
                      Re: UAF search?

                      Whomever is hired at UAF, I'd find someone who could get JC and 4-year transfers. I used to not be in favor of that, but in today's world, you have to be. I just read where the University of Milwaukee (D-1) had its top 3 scorers transfer out, announced today. All three double-figure scorers from a .500 team last year, meaning if they returned, they would probably have a shot at a league title. But no, they're gone. I'm a Washington State fan, they're top 2 players just transferred out, one was the most improved player in the Pac-12, earning that award. Actually, he's testing the pro waters. The other guy had one other D-1 offer coming out of high school, WSU let him start, shoot, run the offense for two years, now he's gone.

                      WOU started five 4-year transfers last year, this is the way of the world. WOU got Point Loma's post, Point Loma took WWU's top player this year and MSU-Billings top player last year.

                      In a perfect world, there's a team like WOU's from a few years ago. Avgi and Wiley four-year starters, two JC starters, and one local guy, who transferred from a D-1 school and played for 3 years. That world is over, D2 is sadly emulating D1 in the tranfer market.

                      So UAF, I hope you land a bunch of 4-year and JC transfers and crank it up, that's your best hope.

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                      • #12
                        Re: UAF search?

                        The graduate transfer topic is a major problem. I get a guy transferring to a team where he can have a bigger role, but lateral moves make zero sense.

                        The transfers you reference happened for different reasons:
                        + Baumman was kicked off Point Loma's team midseason.
                        + Beverly is from California and left MSUB due to the weather/distance from home.
                        + Hommes has friends on the Pt. Loma roster. He was not recruited by anybody coming out of HS due to a major knee injury. So I can imagine that he is getting more attention now that his skills have blossomed.
                        + Drechsel is transferring to a D1 school.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: UAF search?

                          Originally posted by MrGNAC View Post
                          The graduate transfer topic is a major problem. I get a guy transferring to a team where he can have a bigger role, but lateral moves make zero sense.

                          The transfers you reference happened for different reasons:
                          + Baumman was kicked off Point Loma's team midseason.
                          + Beverly is from California and left MSUB due to the weather/distance from home.
                          + Hommes has friends on the Pt. Loma roster. He was not recruited by anybody coming out of HS due to a major knee injury. So I can imagine that he is getting more attention now that his skills have blossomed.
                          + Drechsel is transferring to a D1 school.
                          There may be all the reasons in the world for transfers, but if UAF doesn't join this world, they're sunk. Not many grad transfers in D2, just saying.

                          Everyone has friends on every roster, Hommes should be thankful WWU went on him. Drechsel has no foot speed, not a d-1 player, maybe deep bench, that's it. He got taken to the rack time and time again by NNU's guards, all freaking night long. Dude is slow as an ox. Beverly should be smarter ... snow in Montana? You're kidding me. I'm not siding with all the players on this.

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                          • #14
                            Re: UAF search?

                            I agree on the transfer front. It is a problem. I can understand the rationale given the coaching changes. Agree on Drechsel, but there are some bad teams in the Big Sky that I'm sure would take him on. Someone has obviously planted this seed, otherwise he would have been coming back as the top returning player for a strong Vikings program.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: UAF search?

                              Originally posted by MrGNAC View Post
                              I agree on the transfer front. It is a problem. I can understand the rationale given the coaching changes. Agree on Drechsel, but there are some bad teams in the Big Sky that I'm sure would take him on. Someone has obviously planted this seed, otherwise he would have been coming back as the top returning player for a strong Vikings program.
                              I agree that athletes have rights, but, for example, the U-Milwaukee coach just went from coaching a top-tier conference team to staying out the cellar. Plus, these guys leave after the signing date, and yeah, I know there are some stragglers out there this summer, but not the good ones. So now when the coach struggles, U-Milwaukee's A.D. meets with some people, clueless alums, more clueless faculty reps, and plans to fire him because he hasn't won enough ... and his career has just taken a huge hit.

                              I don't feel for the Coach K's and Calipari's of the world, they get one and dones; it's the mid- and low-major D-1 guys, and D2 coaches (see MSU-B coach who got canned ... if I recall, his best player left for Point Loma, that's 3/4 wins right there), who see their guys leave, their W-L record go down, and the stupid people wanting to fire them.

                              If a Big Sky team takes that WWU plodder, they're in trouble. Guy couldn't guard a folding chair.

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