MSU Hockey hires Danton Cole
So says the Free Press:
http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/sports/college/msu/hockey/2017…
April 10th, 2017 at 11:48 AM ^
Hondo throws shit at the wall and sees what sticks. He very well could be right but I'll believe it when a reliable source reports it.
You know Hondo has nothing to do with this report, right? It's an article by the Freep's George Sipple. Unless I'm missing the joke somewhere.
Which links directly to Hondo's report. No one at MSU has been informed of any hire per Solari.
Ah, okay - thanks for explaining that.
hondo is a hack
April 10th, 2017 at 11:49 AM ^
This could cripple our recruiting if we keep Red another season.
April 10th, 2017 at 12:40 PM ^
In your mind what scenerio is our recruiting not crippled if Red stays another season regardless of who's coaching at MSU?
April 10th, 2017 at 12:00 PM ^
Cole was pretty awful at Hunstville, but that's a terrible gig. Nonetheless, definite upgrade over Anastos. He's an actual...coach.
April 10th, 2017 at 12:02 PM ^
He took them a tournament and they almost beat Miami.
April 10th, 2017 at 12:39 PM ^
Barely. I don't think it was a given he even should have been invited back to the NTDP after the past two years. Maybe it works out, but I don't think there's much to get excited about over the hire.
April 10th, 2017 at 12:07 PM ^
April 10th, 2017 at 12:10 PM ^
I hope this is sarcastic, because Cole is not particularly high on my wishlist for Michigan coaches.
April 10th, 2017 at 12:11 PM ^
Still waiting. The Frozen Four is over with. I'd at least like to know the definitive decision instead of leaving everyone twisting in the wind for weeks.
April 10th, 2017 at 12:35 PM ^
Waiting? He's our coach until something otherwise is stated. Hell the only way anything should be said is if he is leaving.
April 10th, 2017 at 12:49 PM ^
April 10th, 2017 at 12:14 PM ^
This is a fine hire. As WD pointed out, his UAH track record is fine. No idea how to evaluate his NTDP work. This seems unspectacular to me, but there's a decent chance that he works out, and he should certainly at least produce competent teams.
As I said last year, Tom Anastos seems like a fine guy, but the fact that I need to point that out should suggest how unqualified he was as a college hockey coach.
In other news, word from the Joe yesterday was that Red had met with Warde and apparently had made his decision EDIT: has not said decision has been made but was not publicly discussing it yet. Which honestly sounds more like something that would be said if he was departing, or at least that he hasn't actually made up his mind yet. You don't need a press conference or a special announcement to say that you're staying.
April 10th, 2017 at 12:17 PM ^
Great hire for Sparty. Credentials much stronger than CCHA Prez. He'll be much more knowledgable about kids from across the board, hard part comes when having to sell the program.
As for Red, sounds like we may get an answer today. According to reports from the Wings game last night (Red was in attenadance), he's already talked to Warde. Doesn't sound promising for those in the anti-Red camp.
April 10th, 2017 at 12:21 PM ^
Where was it said that it would be today? Things usually happen on Tuesdays in the athletic department, I've noticed. As far as hiring/retirement announcements go.
WD immediately proven wrong -- color me shocked
jesus christ is not the ant-Red camp. Why does it have to be pro vs. anti-Red? These bullshit sides people are picking is the reason the football team was in the wilderness for almost a decade.
April 10th, 2017 at 12:23 PM ^
Mork Danton?
April 10th, 2017 at 12:28 PM ^
That is a good hire for them. They were looking at Cole and George Gwozdecky but Gwozdecky opted to stay where he is at coaching hockey at Valor Christian High School in Colorado (home of the Fighting McCafreys).
I'm sure they would have liked someone with more experience but Cole is a fine hire for them. 50 years old, ties all over the state of Michigan, decent track record and you hope he can haul in some higher tier USNTDP players. Not to downplay the Cole hire at all but you literally can NOT get any worse than Anastos.
At least Anastos had a little bit of coaching experience. Even sticking with the very limited category of "Former CCHA commissioners", they could have made worse hires. Bill Beagan was pretty reasonable as the commish, but would've been a worse coaching hire.
Yes, they technically could have done worse. They could have hired a snapping turtle in a top hat but the point is he was very bad. I'm also not ruling out that the snapping turtle couldn't have won more than 10 games
April 10th, 2017 at 12:24 PM ^
April 10th, 2017 at 12:27 PM ^
He has not been a name I have heard mentioned in relation for the Michigan job.
Coach Hutch says "hi."
April 10th, 2017 at 12:28 PM ^
Reading between the lines with no inside information it sounds as though Red is going to step down subject to them working out the details - the details either being working out the terms of the deal with a replacement (more likely) or working out the terms of Red's departure (less likely). If Red were definitely coming back, then there would be nothing holding back an announcement. If things fall through with the proposed replacement, then can bring Red back for another year and say he decided not to retire.
April 10th, 2017 at 12:53 PM ^
When do expect to see the "announcement" that both Harbaugh and Beilein are coming back?
What's Red's current contract situation? I know he got a new contract prior to this season; how long was it for?
I believe one year. He has been going one and two year contracts for awhile now.
That's what I thought as well, but apparently not.
This article from 2012 says Berenson was extended through 15-16. That would have been a 4-year deal ending last season.
And then below I linked an Daily article that sounds like Manuel followed up that contract with an undefined, open-ended agreement.
* I could definitely be wrong. I learned everything I know about Berenson's contract history in the last 10 minutes via a single Google search.
https://www.michigandaily.com/section/ice-hockey/manuel-pleased-berensons-decision-return
Found an article vaguely discussing it. Manuel said a year ago that his new contract won't have a defined term. It will be open-ended and they'll review on an annual basis.
I don't know if there are more specific details than that available.
The next time they tell you they talked to Warde about their job status and can't tell you what they talked about - you will be able to read it between the lines.
April 10th, 2017 at 12:29 PM ^
Never heard of him.
Sure you have. He goes by Mork Dantoncolio until hockey season begins.
MSU Hockey is a tough call. You want them to suck, but I must say that when Red and Ron Mason had their programs humming, I saw some of the best hockey of my lifetime.
College hockey is unquestionably better when Michigan State is competent. After LSSU receded, UM-MSU was a huge rivalry, arguably the sport's best during the Mason trap years. They frequently sold out the Joe for the annual neutral site game there (did again just last year), fought fantastically bitter battles at their home arenas, and met in the CCHAs virtually every season in front of legions of loyal fans. There were, when I attended, thousands of people who were basically College season ticketholders at the Joe that had one team or another, sitting in the same place every game.
The two teams basically invented the outdoor hockey game craze, made Frozen Fours, and won Hobey Bakers. Both always sold out their home arenas (MSU had, at one point, a ridiculous sellout streak whose collapse wasn't inevitable) and sent players to the NHL.
Last season Michigan brought legions of their own fans to a not-so-enthusiastic Munn and absolutely ransacked MSU. I, and a number of other Michigan fans, had genuine pity for the program. It was absolutely pathetic.
I hope they get better. College hockey is better when MSU and UM are both great.
Not to mention we play MSU more times in a season than other teams. If they suck, there's no benefit in the Pairwise for beating them and a huge penalty for losing to them.
April 10th, 2017 at 12:37 PM ^
I don't know anything about his coaching ability, but he has a fantastically hateable douchebag name. "Danton Cole" sounds like the preppy bad guy in an 80s movie filmed at a ski resort, the guy trying to get the filthy locals kicked off the mountain...
April 10th, 2017 at 12:46 PM ^
April 10th, 2017 at 12:56 PM ^
And a blonde girlfriend named Buffy. And a Trans-Am with t-tops...
Hey, be nice. In the 80's I had a Trans-Am with T-Tops. And no, my name isn't Danton.
April 10th, 2017 at 10:28 PM ^
So it seems MSU does care about hockey after all.... They should be back fairly soon. Cole is a well regarded coach
My cousin played on a travel baseball team with both Danton Cole & John Smoltz. I believe my cousin was 1 year ahead of those 2 guys, they would have been high school juniors that spring/summer.... Smoltz was OK, but D Cole was a first class D-bag. And he had a serious case of the "I hate Michigan" fever that afflicts so many in mid-Michigan (Lansing) .... So, he lines up perfectly with Hollis's M.O.; Hire the guy that hates Michigan the most. Same reason he hired Anastos in the first place.