If Red Berenson Won't Retire, He Should Be Fired
[Patrick Barron]
So here's a post I absolutely never wanted to write. Despite being an e-site on the internet staffed by basement trolls, historically this space has been very slow to get on a soapbox and say FIRE THIS GUY. I was still barely on board with Rodriguez after his third season and only called for Hoke's firing after the Shane Morris concussion fiasco. Meanwhile other parts of the internet call us Beilein slaps, because other parts of the internet are dirt stupid Rome listeners. And I love not just Michigan hockey but damn the torpedoes, screw your trap, let's score a buttload of goals Red Berenson hockey. Without Berenson it's likely I'm not a hockey fan of any variety.
But I kind of have to write this, because apparently missing the tournament for the fourth time in five years with the worst team Red Berenson's had since the mid-80s isn't enough for everyone involved:
I think Red Berenson will be back for a final season. We'll see what happens with meeting later this week with Warde Manuel. @umichhockey
— George Sipple (@GeorgeSipple) April 2, 2017
George has a pretty good feel for these things. Have been told the chances of him retiring are growing slimmer by the day. https://t.co/1WshrO0XUz
— Michael Spath (@MichaelSpathITH) April 2, 2017
This is why I was fretting about Michigan's post-Frozen-Four decision date on Berenson. If there was a decision to make it should have been made midseason, probably after Michigan handed a Tom Anastos-led Michigan State team two of their three conference wins. If not then, then immediately after the season. And yet.
Red Berenson is no longer a good hockey coach. Michigan's decline has been near-constant for a decade, with two items obscuring that: walk-on goalie Shawn Hunwick turning in two of the program's best-ever years in goal and last year's near-unprecedented pile of NHL talent. While Berenson should get credit for each, those are blips as Michigan hockey slaloms downhill.
Even when Michigan has been at a relative peak during their decline, North Dakota pops up to remind us that Berenson's approach has been lapped by modern hockey coaches. The last two times Michigan and North Dakota have met in the NCAA tournament Michigan has gotten outshot two to one. They won one of those with the greatest single-game goalie performance in program history. Last year they lost, meekly, because they could not even get out of their own zone.
That should have been the last straw. Michigan is no longer a program that can go into any game against a top-end foe and expect to have an even game even if their entire power play should already be in the NHL. North Dakota flat-out embarrassed Michigan in that game, and they specifically embarrassed Michigan's coaching.
It was not the last straw, so Michigan fans were treated to a season in which the only thing keeping them from a single-digit-win season was outstanding goaltending. Michigan finished 57th of 60 D-I teams in even-strength Corsi*. Forgive me if I bring out my inner Jim Rome right now, but that is flat-out unacceptable. Michigan controlled their zones about as well as 5-31-3 Niagara, 7-21-6 Alaska-Anchorage, and second-year independent Arizona State—which is still using club players.
Talent is indisputably down, but not that much. There are nine NHL draft picks on the roster and a tenth player (Luke Martin) will go in the next one. It is distantly possible that you could build a case for Red to return if Michigan had missed the tournament by a hair. They did not. They missed it by a mile, and the underlying numbers are even worse than the record.
Michigan's coaching is not and has not been an asset since Mel Pearson left. Pearson is working with scraps and guys from places so remote that Houghton seems like a metropolis in comparison. He's made the tournament twice in the last three years, and finished in the top five of even strength Corsi all three years. His talent is at best average in the WCHA; he outperforms. Berenson's talent was at worst league-average in the Big Ten; he underperforms.
Meanwhile there are signs every year that nobody's afraid of Red anymore—that nobody even respects him. This year Cooper Marody was academically ineligible for the first half of the year, which hasn't happened since I've been paying attention. Every NHL talent flees the instant it's an option. Jon Merrill missed half a season with personal issues a few years back; things never should have gotten that bad with him. When Andrew Copp jumped to the NHL after his junior season, Red slammed his character and that of his father. When Mike Spath related this, Copp's furious father responded at length, explaining why Copp decided that another year in Ann Arbor would not be a positive for his hockey career.
The year Copp decided to leave Michigan excluded him from the hockey banquet entirely: not a mention of his name. For the captain of the team. Does that sound like a rational person?
[Bill Rapai]
Red Berenson is 77. His hockey team was horrendous this year. He appears increasingly incapable of controlling the kids on his team. He's been on his "final" season for three years now. If he won't retire he is RedPa. Warde Manuel should do him a favor and prevent that from happening.
*[Corsi is your percent of all shot attempts. It is broadly more predictive of future events than actual goals, which are lower in number and subject to goalie vagaries.]
I have avoided commenting on all of these threads, other than to encourage people to take a breath and wait a week. I'm avoiding saying too much on this one as well.
Two people nobody has mentioned are Michigan's assistant coaches, Billy Powers and Brian Wiseman. Not--emphatically not--as candidates to replace Mr. Berenson, but as the biggest obstacle to convincing him that it is the right time to retire. Just like the assistant coaching staff under Lloyd Carr during his last years, there are no candidates to ever be a head coach on our current staff.
As a result, once Mr. Berenson retires, Powers and Wiseman are gone as well, and not very likely to land a top gig like the University of Michigan ever again. Berenson knows this, like Lloyd Carr knew the exact same thing about his top assistants a decade ago. Berenson might be hanging around as a (perceived) favor to Powers & Wiseman. I hope that's not the case, but I'm afraid it is.
Let's just hope that everyone involved has the courage and foresight to do the right thing for the current players, the future players, and the program.
Good point, as usual. Though, would Powers be a candidate to stay if Mel Pearson came?
Yes, I suppose Pearson might keep Powers around.
I'm not sure how good Powers is at his job any more. In my mind, I tend to assign a lot of the team's struggles to him (and to Wiseman) rather than to Berenson. A good assistant could be taking up much of the slack in a case like this.
There is not, nor should there be, a "mandatory retirement age" for coaches. Coaches aren't doctors, or pilots, or any other profession where the aging process and its effects create a personal safety issue for others.
However, that doesn't mean the age of a coach is a non-issue altogether. Affixing the label "legendary" carries with it certain responsibilities to maintaining the dignity of both the coach and the program. If Red's not ready to hang up his skates, others need to make it for him, as painful as it may be.
It's called being a "leader;" Warde Manuel needs to step up and be one.
This is sort of what I expected to read about Red here. And honestly, fine, fire him if you want. That seems incredibly short-sighted in the grand scheme of things, but considering people are comparing him to Joe Paterno at this point (and seriously, comparing people to Joe Paterno is starting to feel like comparing everyone to Hitler for an argument), I don't see how else it resolves it if he doesn't retire.
But if you are going to replace him, you have to make the right hire. The last thing Michigan needs is another Carr-to-RR situation, where the AD fails to grab the best guy and you are stuck scrambling. You want to really screw up a program; hire a guy like MSU did who craters them and then are too stubborn to fire. So if there is a better option out there that Michigan can get, then fine, fire Red Berenson if he won't leave. It's not something I'd do, but I don't care all that much about hockey. But if you are going to simply replace him with the equivalent of Anastos because you swung and missed on 2 other guys, then it's a terrible idea.
But I think you're missing an important piece of the discussion. There shouldn't have to be a scramble to find Red's successor. Even if the program hadn't been declining for the better part of a decade, even if we had made the tournament each of the last 5 years, there should be a plan from the AD. Red is 77 and we've been talking about his imminent retirement every season for many years. If there is no plan, that is not okay.
I agree, but that's a separate issue from firing Red Berenson. If you haven't planned yet for him leaving, then suddenly firing him AND scrambling to fill the now-vacant coaching spot (while dealing with all the inevitable issues that come from firing a favored HC) isn't going to probably work out for you. And so that's an Manuel, and maybe he does have someone and will boot Red/come to an agreement and announce his successor this week. But I'd rather have a guy you sort of know and can maintain some continuity than just boot him without a plan on replacing him. If that's the case, the issue is as much with the AD as the hocket coach.
Okay, I agree they are separate issues. But my point is that it shouldn't even be considered a possibility. It would be like if we were worried about firing Red because what if Warde replaces him with an inflatable wolverine holding a clipboard? It should be that preposterous that there is no plan.
But the guy you hire to take over for him, in theory, needs to be someone you believe is a good fit for years, probably decades. Sure, there might not be a hockey Harbaugh next year, but nothing screws up a team quicker than a bad hire. So I am fine getting rid of Red, but it's like when people called for Beilein's head: show me the guy you are going to replace him with, and make me believe he's better. The last thing this team needs is a mad scramble and settling on a bad candidate because he's available after you swung and missed on other guys.
I'm sorry, but this is simply ridiculous. People have identified a *string* of first-rate candidates, starting with the former heir-apparent Mel Pearson and going on through a few other good names. These have been discussed extensively, and the AD should have a very good sense of who they want, availability, cost, etc. already worked out.
Of course, no hire is a guarantee, and so if (say) Pearson comes in and doesn't do well, you will get to claim "I told you so" re: firing Berenson this year. But that's not rational thinking.
I don't deny that there are lists of names, but you actually have to be able to close on one of them. You even noted it - the AD needs to know their availability, cost, etc., but those are always subject to external forces. Lots of dudes get pay raises this time of the year across college sports, so who knows if someone at, say, Providence or Michigan Tech or UMass-Lowell wants to be the Guy Who Replaced Red when Guy Who Got a Raise Because They Thought I'd Be the Guy Who Replaced Red is a lot easier.
If Manuel has someone he knows will sign tomorrow, then great, get him in. But people on the internet having lists doesn't really mean much of anything unless you can act on it.
that I have never had any emotional capital invested in this program. But if they get to the Frozen Four, I'll cheer like hell!!! Until then, don't care.
That said, has Warde made a decision of note yet? I'm also waiting for Red's public comments.
Somebody named Jason Rubinstein said on Twitter he's hearing the opposite, meaning Red will retire. I don't know how reliable that guy is, but that twitt was liked by Angelique Chengelis.
a coach clearly underperforming for a number of years and the team headed in the wrong direction, the decision of any rational AD would have been made by now. The coach is fired. But this is clearly not a "normal" situation. Red has built this program to where it is and brought many wins and championships to Ann Arbor. So, it is always a very difficult decision for the leadership to make. That being said, this is a real opportunity as well as a test for Warde Manuel to see if he is capable of making the tough decisions. No one person - coach, player, legend, or whomever is bigger, or should be bigger than the program. Bo, Crisler, Yost, or Osterbaan all would have said that. Red needs to step down, and barring that, be relieved of his responsibilties.
of course we love him, but there always comes a time. Happens all the time across sports....for all bashing brian, you want another year like this year....just keep killing recruiting?
I have seen this a number of times and interested in if anyone has ever compiled stats on coaches. There are some folks who are born to work. It is part of their self worth. When they are no longer capable of working they die. It is possible Red Berenson is one of these kinds of people. Playing and coaching is what gives meaning to his life. Without it there is no purpose to live. Not saying we should not fire Red because firing him will kill him. It could also be that what I say is a bunch of huey as I just take the cases that I recall. After all Bobbie Bowden did not kick the can.
I personally find it hard to move someone out who has made the program. But this is a business and anything competative can have the moniker of the NFL, not for long. Hopefully a working solution can be figured out that gives Red his dignity of at least contributing to how he ends it verses an arbitary firing. I do not have a solution.
Metaphysically, I am still like stuck in the late 1990s, where Red won two titles in three years, Legg had that jaw-dropping play, and there were Frozen Fours with Hash Bash block parties.
But I totally hear what you're saying.
I get that Berenson may be all but spent as a coach. But (other than loving it and being willing to keep going) he may or may not be the problem where succession planning is concerned. Poor planning could be the issue--and not necessarily by Manuel; he's the third guy in a pretty short span. Timing, including timing of a sort that none of the decision-makers could control, could be the issue. I worry that you can only come into possession of enough of the variables to truly judge this situation further down the line. (If Manuel judges that all of the hires available are sh*t should he pull the trigger now? Is good or average available now but long-term great available in a year? Did these variables shift during the last few weeks or months?)
In the meantime you've called for his firing in a situation where there may be quite a few other things in play.
"Signs that nobody respects him. . . " I do. Hope this doesn't come back to bite you in the a**. You've earned, Brian, a more measured approach. I WANT people to keep listening to you, because your sense of things is often mine, too. Don't relegate yourself to the sidelines.
And meantime, if you're going to rake muck, rake muck! What we get here too often is idolatry much of the time, which tends to make the idiosyncratic stab at independent thought look like it's come out of nowhere. You're wiping one political post, retaining another. We've all figured out that you come from a pretty unsurprising A2 position of some political progressivism; you won't lose many people you haven't already by digging in more fully. The place will be FAR richer for it.
While I respect the opinion, if Warde and/or Red could not find a suitable replacement last year (which is plausible although suspect), it is absolutely incumbent on him to make it happen this year. If he cannot find suitable replacements, then he is doing it wrong. He had all the time in the world. If he cannot respond to changes in the landscape, then he would have be way out of his league if he was hired earlier to get Harbaugh to come. Simply put, I am sure there are moving parts behind the scenes and a number of factors. But I don't see any evidence of obstacles that cannot be overcome and if Warde cannot handle this, how will he be able to handle a search in the future for a FB or BB coach (or a serioud financial undertaking)?
Simply saying, "hey guys, this might be a somewhat difficult thing" does not mean we just give him a pass.
Brian:
Thank you for lending credibility to what is painfully obvious to anyone who cares enough to take an objective look.
The final step is up to Warde, unless Red comes to his senses when faced with the prospect of being fired from UM unless he retires gracefully.
We'll see what Warde is made of, but I am guessing he is stronger than he has thus far been given credit for by the general readership on the blog.
I respect Red and everything he has done for our hockey program, but it is obvious things have changed and he is not the coach he once was. Warde's excuse last year was BS but it should have served as notice to Red.
The question I ask is "What would Hackett do?" I suspect he would politely let Red "retire" and have a replacement ready to go for 2017-18.
Comparing Berenson to Paterno, no matter the intent, is utter chickenshit.
You guys are better journalists than that. Regardless of your beliefs about his effectiveness as a hockey coach, do NOT put him in the same category as a coach who ignored a pedophile for decades. Just don't.
That's when my Michigan hockey fandom began. My glorious, obsessive fandom, on par only with my fandom for Michigan football and basketball.
I love Red Berenson for giving me this. Giving me the thrill of watching at Yost during my 4 years as a student in the early 90s. Giving us numerous conference titles, GLI crowns, outdoor games, beat downs of the Sparties and Buckeyes and 2 national titles (as well as countless other years where we as Michigan fans thought that we should have had another one).
I love Michigan hockey. These things - seemingly things that mean the same - do not. Yes there is overlap. For over 30 years there has been overlap. Red = Michigan hockey.
But the institution of Michigan hockey should not be reliant on one man, even if it's the man who laid the groundwork.
It should persevere and thrive going forward as a testament to that man. He has set us on the right path and we go forward.
It seems a shame that the same man who is responsible for the construction of this thing - this glorious thing of Michigan hockey - can kick out a support beam and topple the whole thing over.
But alas, we are here.
And through gritted teeth, I support Brian's post.
Pretty sure everyone on this site understood Brian's intent about mentioning JoePa - its about a coach sticking around and refusing to retire, even though the results of the field made it clear that he was no longer able to coach at the highest levels....
in that regard, Red is exhibiting those traits...
this enitre linking it to him enabling a pedophile has zero to do with the point of the comparison...
You're probably the only one that took that analogy in that way....
Anyone else that did is reading far, far too much into it....
Then choose another fucking comparison. It was Fox News style journalism. Period. So much easier to do better. And zero reason not to.
If you can't seperate the two, that is your problem. The rest of us shouldn't have to dumb it down.
But he could've used Bowden, or a number of others. Joe Paterno is synonymous with the Sandusky scandal and will be, first and foremost, for some time. Everyone knows it, especially Brian. It was a bad choice. That's the comparison he created.
In that way, Brian is like Hitler.
WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!?! I meant in an artistic way as Adolf Hitler was a painter. Jeez! You automatically think I'm talking about the negative Hitler traits like genocide? You read far too much into that comment.
you're right, I am wrong.
Brian was calling Red a pedophile
stupid me should have made that connection
That's not at all what I said, but if you came away thinking I'm right and you're stupid, then I'm gonna allow it.
If he won't retire he is RedPa.
Seriously? There aren't other analogies, like Bill Synder at K-State?
At this point, I could go either way on Red's firing/resignation/whatever. But the JoePa analogies are just really hard to get past. I don't think it's just me.
Right or wrong, the post makes me very sad. I agree with Brian, but man do I wish it were different.
You all assume that Manuel is capable of hiring a decent replacement, but i don't see any evidence of that
Secondly, talk about ungrateful fucks. "I only became a fan thanks to Red, oh hey let's fire the guy" And comparing to Paterno, who was covering for and enabling a pederast for years and possibly decades and lied under oath? Jesus, you might want to look in the mirrow when you talk down on Rome, because i doubt i've heard anything so preposterous and disrespectful on his show. Berenson might have acted unfairly to Copp. Would Copp have even come here if not for the coach though? Highly unlikely, and his dad's explanation only reeks of entitlement complex. Speaking of which, yes you can take one more losing season so that a legend can retire on his own terms. Unless you want to be like the SEC in football
I wouldn't trade anything for my experiences as a student at Yost. 98% of coaches and ADs (just look how they've killed Yost even aside from the win %) would never have been capable of delivering that. But Berenson and Canham came thru for many years and THAT is the reason thousands still turn up to see even a crappy team that's failed to make the tournament 4/5 years. If anyone needs to go, it's Manuel, and the little shit who wrote this
It's possible to cherish the great memories that Red's program has given us and also feel that he should now step down as coach. It's not an either/or.
Bold move calling the guy whose blog you have had an account on for 1.5 years and post rather consistently on a "little shit."
"I wouldn't trade anything for my experiences as a student at Yost."
The next generation of Michigan hockey fans would love to say the same. Unfortunately, Red has gone from being the one providing those experiences to the one standing in the way of forming new ones. I love Red as much as anyone, my senior year I went to every game of the Porter/Kolarik run to the Frozen Four, and I was there for the Molly Game before I was a student at Michigan. I think the kids who are in school now deserve to see great hockey like you & I did.
Dear Red,
We Love you. Thank you for your loyal service. Please leave. Thanks !
Seriously.
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