Mike Babcock on Michigan Hockey bench after next season?
Babcock today said he would either remain the coach of the Red Wings after next season, or instead go to Michigan to be Berenson's assistant.
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HeleneStJames Mike Babcock says not worried about negotiating for extension, will either remain coach of Red Wings or be assistant at U of M/ Berenson 4/29/14, 11:44 AM |
Yeah that's not happening.
I think you should buy us all season hockey tickets. Sound good??
Deal.
You better not StraightDave it
Not only will I not StraightDave it, I'll BKFinest it.
The rumors they be true!!!!!!!
Well he said it himself. He's obviously interested.
2015-2016 season will be his last.
As I recall, Berenson has also said that he would retire if he ever felt he was getting in the way of Michigan hockey succeeding as a program, and indeed, according to an article last year, he very nearly did this in 2013, right before that late season win streak.
Whoever takes over for Berenson when he retires, it will be strange for me - being a few months short of 36 years old - to see him not by that bench.
I assume he's saying "assistant" aka coach in waiting or he knows Red will retire soon.
I don't know how anyone would doubt Michigan being the top program in Hockey.
To potentially swipe TWO NHL HCs. Berenson was good for the Blues. But Babcock has a Stanley Cup.
Whether it's Pearson or someone else, just do what's best for the program.
Have Babcock join after next season for one year as coach in waiting to get the lay of the College Hockey landscape, and then Red will retire.
was not stolen from St. Louis to coach Michigan. He was fired by St. Louis towards the end of the 1981-82 season. He was hired at Michigan for the 1984-85 season.
But "stolen" makes for a better story. So, between MGoFriends, let's just ignore that little firing incident in St. Louis.
Plus, how many other college programs can brag about having a Jack Adams winner behind the bench?
If Babcock comes, Michigan will not have an Adams award winner behind the bench.
I know you were talking about Berenson, but I just wanted to take the opportunity to bitch about the fact that Babcock has never won coach of the year, despite being pretty clearly the best coach in the world right now. It's super frustrating that douchbag Patrick Roy is likely to win this year.
They fired a guy 1 year removed from winning the Adams trophy, and then...splat.
Next Blues coach to have a record in St. Louis better than Red was Joel Quenneville, from 1997-2004.
Basically, they fired Red, and it took 15 years to get a guy who produced equal or better results.
Must be a bitch to play for, but really cool.
Babcock actually probably has a personality that would fit college even better than pros. The one (perhaps only) main argument against him is he wears on players because he is do demanding. That was the "whisper" about 2 years ago before he took Detroit to game 7 vs Stanley Cup favorite Chicago and then this year found a way to get in with massive injuries.
But that works great in the college game because you are only around 4 years so his demanding authority figure type style is only on you for a finite amount of time before you graduate.
Now for the original quote it sounded like a half joke. This guy if he ever leaves the Red Wings would be the most sough after coach in the NHL.
Players love playing for him actually
As a Wings fan, I'd like to see him stay put. As a Michigan fan, I'd love to see him assist and then succeed Red.
I rattled this around in my noggin for a while, and there's really nothing here for me not to like. Only question would be whether Babcock understands college recruiting. The rest I'm positive he could figure out with a year under Red's wing.
(Red's wing! Hah! Get it? Do you get it? ... oh, sorry.)
Mike Babcock's son...also named Michael Babcock...plays in the USHL and is committed to play at Merrimack. So he has some experience with college recruiting from the parents point-of-view. I don't think he'll have any problems transitioning to recruiting players if he were to end up behind the Michigan bench. When you carry the resume he does and add to it the weight the Michigan program carries, it's a win-win if you're a top recruit.
I'm sure Babcock would be just fine recruiting, all he has to do is show his resume, especially to any Canadien players. Also, if you've ever spent time around hockey coaches, they tend not to be the charismatic type that would blow recruits away. Darryl Sutter of the LA Kings is a great and hilarious example. Babcock is actually pretty loquacious compared to many hockey coaches, I'm sure he'd kill it on the recruting trail.
at the Joe. Looked around and Bill Bonds was in line behind me.
A couple months later, I was in the beer line at Comerica. Looked around...Darren McCarty.
Cool starry bra.
well, obvs.
Coincidentally, according to Google Maps there is a business in the adjacent building called Name Droppers.
Shhhhh. You'll get downvoted for saying that a gold-medal-winning NHL coach would leave the world's best hockey league and arguably the best franchise in its history to come be an assisstant for a college program.
So what is your explanation then? I understand that in the general sense of things your logic is sound (i.e. pro coaches don't move to college), but there seems to be fairly credible eveidence that this is in fact what Babcock wants to do.
A tweet by a sports writer, with zero context (was he laughing, smiling, etc.) is fairly "credible evidence"? A google search on the topic gives you this thread and this
http://themajors.net/detroit/?p=12507
Ya not happening. Les Miles has a better chance of being invited to Gary Moeller's Christmas dinner.
I don't consider one comment, probably in jest, to be fairly credible evidence. Leaving the Red Wings to be an assisstant at Michigan would be the most nonsensical career move in history.
Not just that tweet that I was referring to. In late January Red Berenson had a quote indicating that being a college coach was something that Mike Babcock could see himself doing someday. Not saying that this is a done deal or even likely, just that it probably shouldn't be treated as idle internet speculation.
Not to mention that the Wings aren't letting any teams talk to Blashill; who also only has 1 year left on his deal
I agree with you, I think it's unlikely, but to outright dismiss it is silly
There have been whispers around it for years. Today from St. James. Last summer it was Darren Dreger tweeting about it. Before that it seemed crazy, but there's too much smoke to dismiss the fire completely.
He's nearly 60, has done nearly everything there is to do in hockey--gold medals, Stanley Cup. He's been with this team almost 10 years, maybe he doesn't want the stress of coaching at that level anymore. He has shown an affinitly toward Michigan in the past, and I believe his daughter is/was a student.
People don't always do things for money and career prestige, sometimes they do things for personal reasons that don't make sense to an outsider. This could be it.
One correction - he is 51. If he is almost 60, almost all our football players are almost 30 ;)
I know this will be controversial but don't even make that comparison. Belichick:NFL>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Babcock:NHL. Babcock is a good coach, but Belichick has coached a team to consistent dominance over 15 years in a sport with much more parity than hockey.
Ya I get that. It was the best comparison I could come up with. Not trying to split hairs, just pointing out the ridiculousness of the thought.
I've heard this numerous times from different well connected hockey sources. I'd love to see it.
You've got a pretty epic hockey program when the Red Wings/Canadian Olympic coach would rather come to your school.
IF this were to happen
1) Who knows, maybe Red would retire right away.
2) If Red didn't retire, obviously Babcock would only be an assistant for a year or two and then be the head coach.
3) OH MY GO DO I WANT THIS TO HAPPEN!!!!!!!
I hope not. I'd rather see Babcock keep coaching the Red Wings.
This would be awesome. Would inject the program with a much needed positive jolt.
I know Babs is probably joking, but I had a HUGE chubby when I read that tweet earlier.
....don't act liek this isn't the most homoerotic website that you visit.
Do you have inisde knowledge? Babcock himself said that he wants to either coach Michigan or coach the Red Wings next year. I have no idea what he'll do but explain why you know that he won't coach us.