Who do you want as the next Gopher hockey coach?

Who do you want as the next Gopher hockey coach?

  • Mike Guentzel

    Votes: 4 6.0%

  • Grant Potulny

    Votes: 28 41.8%

  • Bob Motzko

    Votes: 17 25.4%

  • Robb Stauber

    Votes: 8 11.9%

  • Scott Sandelin

    Votes: 1 1.5%

  • Other

    Votes: 9 13.4%
  • Total voters
    67
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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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Who do you want as the next Gopher hockey coach?
 

Maybe do a poll with some of the popular names? Stauber, Potulny (sp?), Hendrickson, ...?
 

badgergopher said:
Maybe do a poll with some of the popular names? Stauber, Potulny (sp?), Hendrickson, ...?
Click to expand...

I was working on it, it takes time to build a poll after posting the initial post.

Go Gophers!!
 

Has to be someone with success coaching at College Level- Motzko.
 



Out of the one's you've listed I would want Robb Stauber.

If it were up to me, it needs to be an alum of the U. They will understand the importance of Gopher Hockey, and the standard the fans hold it to, better than someone else. They need to have been a head coach before, with a proven background. He's really the only one that fits the bill.

He's been on staff as a goalie coach with the gophers from 2000-2008, which included our last 2 national championships, and most recently lead the US women's national team to gold medals at the 2017 world championships and the 2018 Olympics as head coach.

I'm sure if offered, he'd accept the job.
 

Ignatius L Hoops said:
Don't overlook Nate Leaman.
Click to expand...

yes, or Norm Bazin, or Rick Bennett or etc... There are quite a few good coaches that we could poach. The only requirement is that they play a fast paced "Minnesota" style of hockey! We are the Kentucky or Alabama of college hockey, go get the best coach in the country.
 

I hate the idea that it has to be an alum. That really narrows the options -- and pulls in some people who wouldn't otherwise be considered. Potulny? He may be a great coach someday. But he wouldn't be considered after just one year as a head coach if he played and coached anywhere else. I've heard Tom Ward's name. Why? Guentzel and Bell? Maybe, but while there's value in promoting assistants who are ready for the next step, I think in this case we need someone coming in here with a fresh look.

That could be Stauber. It could be Todd Richards, although he doesn't do anything for me. But I think there are a lot of great coaches out there who didn't go to the U who would do great here. Why limit it?
 

Leaman's resume is amazing. If it's going to be someone with no Gopher ties at all, he'd be the lead candidate.

Gopher ties required? Motzko
 



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Go Gophers!!
 

Gopher ties is overrated, if you ask me. You can't convince me that someone that went to Wisconsin or North Dakota doesn't understand Gopher hockey. In fact, I think it could be sort of an advantage to look outside Gopher hockey ties the way North Dakota did with Dean Blais. " I may have gone somewhere else to play, but here's why this place is better;......" After all, Don was a Notre Dame alum. Didn't seem to hamper him any.

I'm in no way saying that they shouldn't hire a former Gopher. Just that they shouldn't limit themselves in any way. For whatever it's worth, I still think Grant Potulny is my choice, even given his lack of experience. I just think the man's a winner.
 

I'll say this as I ponder who would be our best fit. Athletic Directors around the country are nervous.
 

Darby Hendriksen, young energetic coach, has teenagers playing hockey. Tied in to the local youth scene even if he is a pro coach. Former Gopher, I could get behind him as the Gophers next coach.
 



bonin21 said:
Leaman's resume is amazing. If it's going to be someone with no Gopher ties at all, he'd be the lead candidate.

Gopher ties required? Motzko
Click to expand...

I like Motzko as a coach but he is an SCSU alum. Would probably take a ton of money to lure him away.
 

gopherdudepart2 said:
Darby Hendriksen, young energetic coach, has teenagers playing hockey. Tied in to the local youth scene even if he is a pro coach. Former Gopher, I could get behind him as the Gophers next coach.
Click to expand...

Darby could get the job done and would fit in well with the State of Minnesota hockey scene.
 

Posted in another thread, but how about George Gwozdecky who lead Denver University to two Natties. I followed his teams for over a decade before they parted ways. He is currently coaching a high school in Colorado.
 

We could dust the cobwebs off of Dean Blais.
 

gopherdudepart2 said:
I like Motzko as a coach but he is an SCSU alum. Would probably take a ton of money to lure him away.
Click to expand...

uw opened the wallet when they fired Eaves. If we're cheap with the hire, don't expect the lost season ticket holders to open their wallets and come back, either.

If we have to, we should be making the next Gopher coach the highest paid in the nation.
 


I follow Gopher hockey very little and non-Gopher hockey even less. I honestly don't know any of the names on the list aside from Guentzel and Motzko.

What I will find interesting is the name and pedigree of the coach who is hired. The Gopher hockey hardcores equate our hockey program with Alabama football and Kentucky basketball. Neither of those programs would hire anything less than one of the top coaches in the country - and furthermore wouldn't care what it cost or what job he currently held. If and when we end up (as I predict we will) with a lower-level collegiate head coach or NHL assistant, hopefully the nonsense about Gopher hockey being on par with those programs will stop. I doubt it, but a man can hope.
 

I think it would be wise to step outside of the U of M pedigree...

I think Steve Rohlik would be a good choice with a solid chance of landing him.
St Paul native, very good player for (urp...the Badgers) did an awfully nice job in a fairly long stint assisting up at UMD, including recruiting, and now has Ohio State on the rise.
 

Potulny or Hastings.

I also wouldn’t mind going completely off the grid as long as they have an Elite culture.
 

I did not vote in the poll because I don't know who any of these people are.

Judging by the results though it seems there isn't a clear cut favorite among GH posters though...
 

bonin21 said:
uw opened the wallet when they fired Eaves. If we're cheap with the hire, don't expect the lost season ticket holders to open their wallets and come back, either.

If we have to, we should be making the next Gopher coach the highest paid in the nation.
Click to expand...

Good luck with that. This University is notoriously cheap, er thrifty when it comes to spending on Athletics. Getting the Athletes Village built used up a majority of arm twisting for the next five years.

Alumni need to speak out loudly about the importance of athletics to the university. Unfortunately, so many Alumni leave the state that this never raises up to anything more than a low rumble.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
 

dpodoll68 said:
I follow Gopher hockey very little and non-Gopher hockey even less. I honestly don't know any of the names on the list aside from Guentzel and Motzko.

What I will find interesting is the name and pedigree of the coach who is hired. The Gopher hockey hardcores equate our hockey program with Alabama football and Kentucky basketball. Neither of those programs would hire anything less than one of the top coaches in the country - and furthermore wouldn't care what it cost or what job he currently held. If and when we end up (as I predict we will) with a lower-level collegiate head coach or NHL assistant, hopefully the nonsense about Gopher hockey being on par with those programs will stop. I doubt it, but a man can hope.
Click to expand...

I think generally the comparisons are drawn in terms of where the program should sit amongst its collegiate peers, not how it relates to pro teams with whom it might compete for a head coach.

That is, when people say the U should be the Alabama of college hockey, they mean it should win the conference most years, be in the frozen four most years, and student athletes who choose it and stay for four years should leave with a ring. It’s a really high bar but it should be the target.

What they don’t mean, is that the coach of an NHL team is going to leave to come here.

My POV only, I could be wrong.
 

Agree that it doesn't have to be someone with ties to the U. If the want a U of M guy, I would prefer Potulny. Don't think Motzko is going anywhere and can't blame him. I'm all for looking at fresh names outside of U ties.
 


Mike YEO!

(jk)

1. Motzko
1A. Potulny

Happy with either.
 

I see that Guentzel was picked a couple times. Trolls on this site as well?
 

Mike Hastings
Bob Motzko
Nate Leaman

Anyone of these three


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