Future Gopher Coach Discussion

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cheeseburgerphil26 said:
Oh boy, some things I’ve heard about Coyle’s coaching search are downright concerning.

Brett Larson supposedly one of the finalists, that fact he’s even being considered is asinine as far as I’m concerned. If he is hired might as well just flush the next 5 years down the toilet.

Praying that Raboin is the guy.
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That better be a head fake!
 


Per Shama:

A trusted source tells Sports Headliners two names are at the top of the candidates list for the University of Minnesota men’s hockey head coach opening. The source said people “close to the program” tell him that Grant Potulny and Garrett Raboin are the top targets of athletics director Mark Coyle.


Go Gophers!!
 


I'm not too pumped about Raboin but will obviously give him the chance and see if he keeps the Cullens and gets Joey, and how many of the 2009 and 2010 Minnesotans he gets.

Geiger and McArthur are not looking like that great of pickups anymore on the D side, which is not good. McArthur is -49 in USHL play. Yikes. Geiger is -31. And neither is doing anything offensively.

I can not believe the state of D Motzko is leaving the program in.

Promising:
Harper

Decent:
Whipple

Maybe 6th D at some point:
Grimes
Gruba
Rombach

Yikes or looking like yikes:
Begley
Rud
McLaughlin
Phillips
Geiger
McArthur
 
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BleedGopher said:
Per Shama:

A trusted source tells Sports Headliners two names are at the top of the candidates list for the University of Minnesota men’s hockey head coach opening. The source said people “close to the program” tell him that Grant Potulny and Garrett Raboin are the top targets of athletics director Mark Coyle.


Go Gophers!!
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Who in the world is David Shama? Potulny is a courtesy interview
 






Yoke said:
Russo reported that they’re interviewing Larson, Potulny and Raboin this weekend.
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I like both Potulny and Raboin, either one would be a good get. With head coaching experience in College positive for the Gophers.
 


cheeseburgerphil26 said:
And these are the only 3 people he reached out to, such a lazy “nationwide” search from Coyle
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Gas is expensive, maybe he didn’t want to go far.


I hope there are more, honestly. Not that I dislike Potulny or Raboin, but I’d prefer a more extensive search.
 




Don’t get me wrong, I personally like Raboin and think he would be right around or at the top of the list for me. But only contacting him and the other two middling coaches is ridiculous and puzzling.

Maybe I’m being too harsh on Larson and you can point to the championship game he made it to, but that was still pretty much Motzko’s recruiting that did that. After his recruits left, they got worse and worse.

Potulny has never been head coach of a good team.
 

cheeseburgerphil26 said:
Don’t get me wrong, I personally like Raboin and think he would be right around or at the top of the list for me. But only contacting him and the other two middling coaches is ridiculous and puzzling.

Maybe I’m being too harsh on Larson and you can point to the championship game he made it to, but that was still pretty much Motzko’s recruiting that did that. After his recruits left, they got worse and worse.

Potulny has never been head coach of a good team.
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This is Gophers hcokey. The list should read like who's who of coaches.

That list alone should send red flags that Coyoe needs to go.
 

Regardless of who the next coach is I think the minimum expectations need to be…
Year 1: Find a way to make the tournament or worst case a bubble team, NPI in the teens.
By Year 2: Solid tournament team with a first round win or very competitive loss to an equal or better team in the first round.
By Year 3: Competing for a #1 seed into the tournament. Regional final appearance minimum.
 
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Go4Puck said:
Don’t you have a title chance anytime you make the tournament? Are they changing the format?
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The mess Motzko is leaving is bad even in the transfer portal CHL era. But yes, they need to be competing for titles by Tournament 2029.
 

bonin21 said:
At a program like this, this thread doesn't come too early. Even if it gets dusty at some point. I watched what happened to this program when Lucia was allowed to keep his job for two, if not three, extra seasons.

After almost seven full seasons, I have seen enough to know Motzko hockey. I'm out on the entire staff including goaltending coach, the skating coach if they still have one, and even the trainer as they get outworked so often.

Motzko has been too "smart" for the transfer portal, no longer gets any Mr. Hockeys (a big part of U hockey tradition), and too slow to hit up the CHL to start filling massive gaps for next year. He may lose all four first rounders this spring with zero in the pipeline. Of the three big transfers he did get: one did nothing here and then went to SCSU and was great, one sought him out moreso than a strong recruiting push (Wood), and the other was the same with Souliere basically calling him. Had he put in any effort before that, the Gophers would have a true number 1 between the pipes right now.

These Gopher teams have zero grit, play slowly, rely purely on skill, don't hit anybody... Special teams are a disaster and the PP has been poorly structured most seasons under Motzko. Goaltending recruiting and management is unacceptable for a program of this size. Soft teams that pass and pass and pass and then miss the net instead of getting shots on net to create rebounds and crash the net. They can't bury breakways because of lack of tight scoring skill which is reflected in the shootout.

It's a high likelihood Motzko's legacy is choking with the best roster in program history. Maybe the single biggest choke in program history as well.

It's possible they win a game or two this NCAA tourney. I see maybe a first round win. You will get your 20+ win seasons that go nowhere until he decides to retire or is encouraged to do so. Need to go better and younger with the next staff and that would not be hard to do.

As of March 9, 2025, my number one candidate for a clean sweep staff overhaul is Ben Barr and anyone he wants to bring. Better hope to land him before he pulls off a huge underdog program victory and gets Maine a title.
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Lucia hung around for all the wrong reasons. There’s a story behind it. Hastings was brought in to replace Lucia.
 


USAhockey71 said:
And how do you know he would be a failure?
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He may not be a failure but the hire would be a failure. His resume at NMU and now being out of college a few years in the critical time when NIL and CHL came along makes it a clear and definite no.
 

bonin21 said:
I'm not too pumped about Raboin but will obviously give him the chance and see if he keeps the Cullens and gets Joey, and how many of the 2009 and 2010 Minnesotans he gets.

Geiger and McArthur are not looking like that great of pickups anymore on the D side, which is not good. McArthur is -49 in USHL play. Yikes. Geiger is -31. And neither is doing anything offensively.

I can not believe the state of D Motzko is leaving the program in.

Promising:
Harper

Decent:
Whipple

Maybe 6th D at some point:
Grimes
Gruba
Rombach

Yikes or looking like yikes:
Begley
Rud
McLaughlin
Phillips
Geiger
McArthur
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Who is your top coaching candidate? Who do recruits want to play for?
 

USAhockey71 said:
Who is your top coaching candidate? Who do recruits want to play for?
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I started this thread and my top candidate hasn't changed. Ben Barr

I would love Ferschweiler but consider that a 1% chance and therefore don't call him my number 1 choice.
 

bonin21 said:
He may not be a failure but the hire would be a failure. His resume at NMU and now being out of college a few years in the critical time when NIL and CHL came along makes it a clear and definite no.
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Is NMU a school kids want to play at? I thought we did well for a smaller program. He is currently head coach for an NHL minor league team. It all comes down to who will bring in the right recruits?
 

Tyden Bergeson just followed the Future of Pride on Ice account on X. Hopefully that means Raboin could be the hire and a big commitment flip for the Gophers.
 

He i
bonin21 said:
I started this thread and my top candidate hasn't changed. Ben Barr

I would love Ferschweiler but consider that a 1% chance and therefore don't call him my number 1 choice.
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Western Michigan coach is on my short list. Major upgrade for him.

Denver coach would get automatic recruits, sell tickets and bring championships. I think it’s in his best option to make the move. Be a huge plus for his resume. Great stepping stone to coach NHL team someday.

What about Dave Hakstol UND’s old coach? ( hard to say)

Can we get Hastings?
 

Go4Puck said:
Regardless of who the next coach is I think the minimum expectations need to be…
Year 1: Find a way to make the tournament or worst case a bubble team, NPI in the teens.
By Year 2: Solid tournament team with a first round win or very competitive loss to an equal or better team in the first round.
By Year 3: Competing for a #1 seed into the tournament. Regional final appearance minimum.
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Minimum requirement: Make the NCAA every year.
 

BleedGopher said:
Per Shama:

A trusted source tells Sports Headliners two names are at the top of the candidates list for the University of Minnesota men’s hockey head coach opening. The source said people “close to the program” tell him that Grant Potulny and Garrett Raboin are the top targets of athletics director Mark Coyle.


Go Gophers!!
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I think Reid Cashman would be the best hire.
 

This is a disaster. Raboin turns the job down and Coyle is going to hire fuckin Brett Larson.

4-5 more years until we’re back to square one. We don’t hate Coyle enough.
 

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