Report: Mel Pearson To Be Hockey Coach
From John Buccigross himself so likely to be accurate:
Sources tell me Mel Pearson is the new Head Coach of @umichhockey. He succeeds Red Berenson. pic.twitter.com/U09KBnjS8F
— Bucci Mane (@Buccigross) April 23, 2017
Everyone reading this likely has at least a vague idea of who Mel Pearson is, but the Cliffs Notes: long, long time Red Berenson assistant who left to be the head coach at Michigan Tech, his alma mater, several years ago. Michigan immediately dropped off and Tech got a lot better. A lot. In 2015 the Huskies got their first bid to the NCAA tournament since 1981(!), and Tech was a two-seed. They went again this year by winning their conference tourney.
It's a bit hard to tell exactly how much Tech's newfound success comes from Mel and how much is the radical reshaping of Western college hockey occasioned by the creation of Big Ten hockey. The WCHA went from the most powerful league in the country to a mid-major, and Tech's rise is partially due to that.
On the other hand, Tech was top five in ES Corsi the last three years. Mel Pearson can coach, and he knows his way around Ann Arbor. It might work out. From a year ago:
I was going to put a vertical line on the chart when Mel left for Tech and then I realized it was already more or less there. It's the blue uptick and red downtick in 2012. Pearson got Tech in the tourney for the first time since 1981 last year. This year the Huskies won their first conference title since 1976. (I realize this WCHA is not the old WCHA but when you're Tech hockey any hardware is a miracle.) They've currently scrapped their way onto the bubble again. Pearson immediately made Tech much better and now that it's his program they're at a level they haven been at since Pearson was playing in Houghton.
Yes, he's a bit older than is ideal at 57. On the other hand, Red was 57 in 1997. He won a national title the year before and the year after. Michigan has the raw tools to win a national title every year; there need be no building phase. Even if Pearson does retire at around 65, you get almost a decade out of him. That decade is immediately productive. He is obviously a top-level coach who was a linchpin of Michigan's success under Red.
I'd have preferred one of the younger slam dunk guys but the first person to compare this hire to Brady Hoke gets ejected into space.
It's frat boyish, but at least he gives a damn about the sport. Most people at ESPN wouldn't even be able to tell you what a hockey puck looked like.
Yeah, he gives a puck.
Also, it's charity driven. So...
'nuff said.
Cupboard is never empty at Michigan, unmeasured strength of a program
If you look at what happened to Michigan hockey since he left, this is a good thing. Age be damned.
April 24th, 2017 at 10:14 AM ^
Age be damned, indeed. It's ridiculous how much has been made of Mel's age. He's in the prime of life. Why, I turn 57 this year, and I can still eat punks like you for breakfast.
Just let me have my Metamucil and put my teeth in first, and by gadfrey, I'll show you!
This is a good hire. Like some have said Michigan didn't overthink this one. I'm with Brian in that I would have preferred a younger coach like Leahman or Bazin or Hakstol, but out of all the "Michigan Men" Mel is by far the most qualified and it's not particuarly close. Looking forward to seeing what he can do. His staff and recruiting are going to be big keys moving forward.
so, immediate reactionary expectations for next year?
25 wins, tourney bubble? top 4 B10?
The usual standards.
Win the B1G and be good enough to get into the NCAA Tournament without caring about the bubble.
Everything is there for Mel to come in and win. Great class coming in.
April 24th, 2017 at 11:14 AM ^
Tech went from 4-30-4 before Mel, to 16-19-4 in Mel's first year which is a healthy 12 win bump, so science would dictate that Michigan will jump from 13-19-3 to 25-7-3
April 24th, 2017 at 10:23 AM ^
April 23rd, 2017 at 10:28 PM ^
I wonder if Warde and Red came to an understanding that if Red retired this year Mel would be next in line, but if he waited then that ship would sail so to speak. Red has always wanted Mel to be his replacement, so it does make some sense.
Man, I hope the cops never have to rely on you to pick suspects out of a lineup.
April 23rd, 2017 at 10:28 PM ^
Those guys look a lot more similar in your ppictures.
April 23rd, 2017 at 10:51 PM ^
April 23rd, 2017 at 10:00 PM ^
what were you drinking?
April 23rd, 2017 at 10:11 PM ^
Bring on the next season! :)
Warde delivers Mel. It's all happening, you guys.
Disclaimer: I'm 95% hockey-ignorant, so apologies in advance if this is a pants-on-head stupid question, but regarding recruiting, what should the immediate expectations be regarding the incoming class? Is Michigan traditionally and/or *still* a blue-blood hockey program that can essentially recruit itself?
This is probably the most comprehensive college hockey recruit database out there (no ratings or anything) but you can do your research. Sort my college to see Michigan guys
April 23rd, 2017 at 10:53 PM ^
Bucci called Michigan a top three job in the sport, and even skeptics have to grant that we're top five. We have a fanbase exceeded in numbers by only a couple of schools, a bottomless supply of cash, a good facility, a history that is second to nobody, the greatest brand in college sports... you name it, we have it.
April 24th, 2017 at 10:23 AM ^
I wonder how much of that bottomless supply of cash will go toward salaries. It looks like Pearson's salary at Michigan Tech was $275,000.
Bye bye.
Yes I hope it was tongue in cheek.
If he is Elon, he might be able to reuse that free ride
April 24th, 2017 at 10:04 AM ^
TO HELL WITH NOTRE DAME!
Like Brian, I think it might have been cool to get some of the younger hot candidates, but Pearson will give us a decade plus of superior coaching, and if he brings Muckalt along, that could put is in a great position moving forward (assuming Muckalt continues to develop and takes the reins in an appropriate time).
This is a great hire - sometimes the obvious choice is the best choice.
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