Gary Giombetti: Was Motzko the Right Hire?

[BleedGopher]

per Gary:

Did a coaching change really help the University of Minnesota men’s hockey team?

Don’t get me wrong, I think Bob Motzko is a knowledgeable coach. He’s good behind the bench, and he obviously knows how to recruit. He did very well at St. Cloud State.

But his first half season hasn’t been going well with the Gophers.

He was the right man for the job, but Minnesota is losing to teams like Mercyhurst and Ferris State, teams that have no business beating a team from the State of Hockey.

That’s not even counting the Minnesota teams that are better than the Gophers right now.

Yes, Minnesota owns a tie and win over the University of Minnesota-Duluth, but that was early in the season. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Bulldogs dominated the Gophers if they played right now.

Minnesota State-Mankato is better, and the Huskies are certainly better right now. It’s hard to tell if Bemidji State is better, but if they do play, we’ll find out in a hurry.

I know Motzko is in his first season as coach, but I don’t see any difference in how Minnesota is playing compared to the Don Lucia era.

We’re still losing to Michigan, Michigan State and just recently, Penn State, which hasn’t had a hockey program for long. There’s much more tradition with the Gophers’ program than the Nittany Lions’ program.

Of course, I’m not a hockey expert, so if Minnesota is playing better, which I hope is the case, maybe these other teams have more skilled players right now.

If that’s the case, then that bugs me even more because the Gophers should have skilled players. I’m not totally naive about that, but for some reason, they’re not clicking well together.

Motzko needs time to recruit the type of players he needs to run his systems. That’s going to take at least two or three seasons.

I don’t expect the Gophers to win an NCAA title every season, but it would be nice if they were in the running for Frozen Four every year.

Once again, they’re struggling to get into that top 16 to make the NCAA playoffs. There’s still a lot of time left in the season, so maybe something positive will happen in the near future.

For me, it can’t happen soon enough.

https://www.hibbingmn.com/sports/co...cle_93b091d4-1154-11e9-93de-83fcb45b19ad.html

Go Gophers!!

 

[bonin21]

JFC. What a boneheaded question.

He took over a team full of prima donnas scared to check anyone with more than half of them putting in piss poor effort all the time. The D unit he inherited is AWFUL. You can already see better team effort this year than in the last few Lucia years when he should have been gone already. Last game was their best performance of the year.

They might not make the tournament this year. If they do I'd give him an A for his first year no doubt. As of right now, it is a solid B with flashes of good things. He is draining the swamp in the recruiting pipeline and not scared to call out his players which he's done multiple times.

 

[bonin21]

Of course, I’m not a hockey expert, so if Minnesota is playing better, which I hope is the case, maybe these other teams have more skilled players right now.

Shouldn't write a clickbait article then.

 

[magpie]

Shouldn't write a clickbait article then.

That's all BleedGopher does is post clickbait articles. You have seen the same on the football forum. Notice he didn't even cite the original article? If Fleck can have a year zero, Motzko can. The hockey team will win a title long before the football team does anything of note. Dude needs a hobby.

 

[bleedsmaroonandgold]

That's all BleedGopher does is post clickbait articles. You have seen the same on the football forum. Notice he didn't even cite the original article? If Fleck can have a year zero, Motzko can. The hockey team will win a title long before the football team does anything of note. Dude needs a hobby.

What are you talking about? He stated the author, the title, and linked to the original article.

 

[BleedGopher]

That's all BleedGopher does is post clickbait articles. You have seen the same on the football forum. Notice he didn't even cite the original article? If Fleck can have a year zero, Motzko can. The hockey team will win a title long before the football team does anything of note. Dude needs a hobby.

I post Gopher articles when I see them on a Gopher message board. Not sure why this bothers you. I cited the exact article that was written. What are you talking about? If you don't like what I post, don't open the thread.

Go Gophers!!

 

[caliGopher]

That's all BleedGopher does is post clickbait articles. You have seen the same on the football forum. Notice he didn't even cite the original article? If Fleck can have a year zero, Motzko can. The hockey team will win a title long before the football team does anything of note. Dude needs a hobby.

God forbid a Gopher fan posts links to articles about the Gophers on a Gopher fan site.

THE NERVE of some people.

Thanks Bleed.

For the record, the only place year zero exists is Flecks mind. Fleck didn’t have a year zero. Motzko doesn’t get one, either.

Motzko was a convenient, “safe”, uninspired hire. Absolute high point we can aspire to is being ranked #1 in a region and lose the first game. Motzko will not win a championship at Minnesota.


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[Oregon Gopher]

That's all BleedGopher does is post clickbait articles. You have seen the same on the football forum. Notice he didn't even cite the original article? If Fleck can have a year zero, Motzko can. The hockey team will win a title long before the football team does anything of note. Dude needs a hobby.

Good to know you’re the same a$$hat you are on the football board. How you’ve not been banned is amazing to me troll


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[bonin21]

The thing about Gopher hockey that's different than basketball or football is no matter how down the team is, they can always go out and beat ANY team in the country.

Gophers have played their best two games of the season so far in the last two. Combined 9-1 score over two top ten or so teams in the country. If they get the sweep tonight at Notre Dame, woah. If they split we're kinda back to the meh feeling but overall we know this team can play when they want to. Motzko is finally getting them to put in the effort that was so piss poor in the last Lucia years.

 

[bonin21]

Got the right guy!

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

That was a spectacular game winning break away by McLaughlin with 8 seconds remaining. Walker's goal last night might have been better. Anyway, two entertaining games to watch and a sweep at Notre Dame to boot.

 

[GopherJack]

Yep, the 4 year report card on Motzko is a long way from being written. Give him time and his recruits. Patience my young Padawans, patience......

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

That's all BleedGopher does is post clickbait articles. You have seen the same on the football forum. Notice he didn't even cite the original article? If Fleck can have a year zero, Motzko can. The hockey team will win a title long before the football team does anything of note. Dude needs a hobby.

I never thought I'd post on GH long enough to see someone rip on Bleed.

He just posts all gopher-related articles that he finds. I've posted here forever and I couldn't tell you where Bleed stands on many issues, he is literally the least political poster on the board.

What an insanely bizarre post.

 

[Go4]

I never thought I'd post on GH long enough to see someone rip on Bleed.

He just posts all gopher-related articles that he finds. I've posted here forever and I couldn't tell you where Bleed stands on many issues, he is literally the least political poster on the board.

What an insanely bizarre post.

+04

 

[Ski U Mah Gopher]

I never thought I'd post on GH long enough to see someone rip on Bleed.

He just posts all gopher-related articles that he finds. I've posted here forever and I couldn't tell you where Bleed stands on many issues, he is literally the least political poster on the board.

What an insanely bizarre post.

+9999

I come here to see the Gopher related articles, so I don't have to search

 

[Derhey#44]

Time...he deserves time to mold his program.

 

[#2Gopher]

I never thought I'd post on GH long enough to see someone rip on Bleed.

He just posts all gopher-related articles that he finds. I've posted here forever and I couldn't tell you where Bleed stands on many issues, he is literally the least political poster on the board.

What an insanely bizarre post.

100%. Agree that Bleed doesn't take sides for the most part except that I believe he wants whats best for the program in season. Secondly, Bleed finds many articles of interest that I would have never read if it weren't for him. Keep up the good work Bleed! We have your back!

 

[Tucker]

God forbid a Gopher fan posts links to articles about the Gophers on a Gopher fan site.
THE NERVE of some people.
Thanks Bleed.
For the record, the only place year zero exists is Flecks mind. Fleck didn’t have a year zero. Motzko doesn’t get one, either.

Motzko was a convenient, “safe”, uninspired hire. Absolute high point we can aspire to is being ranked #1 in a region and lose the first game. Motzko will not win a championship at Minnesota.
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Are you going to tell us who the inconvenient, "unsafe", inspired hire that they should have gone with was?

 

[caliGopher]

Are you going to tell us who the inconvenient, "unsafe", inspired hire that they should have gone with was?

I’d start with someone that wouldn’t drop three of four games to Michigan State.

Unlike basketball and football, coaching Hockey at Minnesota is a destination job. There are very few coaches that wouldn’t listen if we called.

Of course having an AD that can string together coherent sentences would probably help.


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[Tucker]

I’d start with someone that wouldn’t drop three of four games to Michigan State.
Unlike basketball and football, coaching Hockey at Minnesota is a destination job. There are very few coaches that wouldn’t listen if we called.

Of course having an AD that can string together coherent sentences would probably help.
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Aaah, “someone”. Yeah, he sounds like he’d be good

 

[caliGopher]

Aaah, “someone”. Yeah, he sounds like he’d be good

Yep. Nice comment from The blow hard that’s ready with the reason why any name I might mention sucks.

Pointless conjecture at this point. Motzko’s our coach. And we get what we get. I’d call him the has been from Jan Brady U, but he never was.....




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[WorkingMyTailOff]

I’d start with someone that wouldn’t drop three of four games to Michigan State.

Unlike basketball and football, coaching Hockey at Minnesota is a destination job. There are very few coaches that wouldn’t listen if we called.

Of course having an AD that can string together coherent sentences would probably help.


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You and Magpie (if you are not the same person) are constantly posting negative stuff about the AD, coaches, and programs. Almost seems troll like.

 

[caliGopher]

You and Magpie (if you are not the same person) are constantly posting negative stuff about the AD, coaches, and programs. Almost seems troll like.

Not the same person.

Our AD is not very good at his job. So no. I don’t like him. His coaching hires will play out. I’m not impressed by Fleck. Time will tell if his schtick will translate to success.

Motzko was an uninspired hire.

If having those opinions makes me a troll, so be it.


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[Some Day...Maybe]

Not the same person.

Our AD is not very good at his job. So no. I don’t like him. His coaching hires will play out. I’m not impressed by Fleck. Time will tell if his schtick will translate to success.

Motzko was an uninspired hire.

If having those opinions makes me a troll, so be it.


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Hey punk, name a better hire then. You couldn’t hold Coyle’s coffee. If you’re going to come across like you are, name the names, otherwise you look like a total a$$hat.


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[go4rob]

That's all BleedGopher does is post clickbait articles. You have seen the same on the football forum. Notice he didn't even cite the original article? If Fleck can have a year zero, Motzko can. The hockey team will win a title long before the football team does anything of note. Dude needs a hobby.

Actually, the football team already did something "of note" by beating the Badgers at Camp Randall for the first time since 1994 and by beating Georgia Tech by the largest margin of victory in a bowl game in Minnesota history. (this includes 20 bowl appearances dating back to 1961) And, by the way, the hockey team is not in competition with the football team. Personally, I think the Gophers have the right coaches in place in BOTH of these sports. Give Motzko a few years to recruit his style of players in and I think we'll be just fine. I also think the football team will be Rose Bowl bound within the next 2 years as well. Fingers crossed for both programs.

 

[GopherJack]

JFC. What a boneheaded question.

He took over a team full of prima donnas scared to check anyone with more than half of them putting in piss poor effort all the time. The D unit he inherited is AWFUL. You can already see better team effort this year than in the last few Lucia years when he should have been gone already. Last game was their best performance of the year.

They might not make the tournament this year. If they do I'd give him an A for his first year no doubt. As of right now, it is a solid B with flashes of good things. He is draining the swamp in the recruiting pipeline and not scared to call out his players which he's done multiple times.

I see what you did there. Totally agree.

 

[Word]

Not the same person.

Our AD is not very good at his job. So no. I don’t like him. His coaching hires will play out. I’m not impressed by Fleck. Time will tell if his schtick will translate to success.

Motzko was an uninspired hire.

If having those opinions makes me a troll, so be it.

I can't stand Coyle but Motzko was a great hire. It was a no-brainer though. Any AD with an ounce of intelligence would have hired Motzko. Give it a couple years - he'll have Gopher hockey contending for a national title.

 

[Ski U Mah Gopher]

I can't stand Coyle but Motzko was a great hire. It was a no-brainer though. Any AD with an ounce of intelligence would have hired Motzko. Give it a couple years - he'll have Gopher hockey contending for a national title.

I think Coyle has done a great job with his hires.

Eggum has got wrestling back to at least respectability in the B1G.
While Trachsel has some detractors, she has kept the softball team in the upper tier in the B1G and ranked nationally.
Whalen is Whalen. She has shown an ability to change (although the delay of changing to a 4-guard set might have cost a couple wins).
Fleck & Motzko were no-brainer hires.

 

[bonin21]

Good hiring decisions, but the decision making around ticket prices and gouging the dwindling customer base at Mariucci has been pathetic.