The next coach of the Fort Wayne Komets will be?
Todd Brost is not a candidate (his choice). Pat Bingham is. Bruce Ramsay and Kevin Kaminski have applied as have ECHL coaches and AHL assistant coaches. Troy Neumeier is not a candidate because he still wants to play (good for him). The Komets have already heard from 12 people, and the process is just starting.
The Komets want someone who is very good at recruiting in college and juniors, a veteran coach with a winning record and a strong personality. They would also like to find a coach who can find tough players who can also play. They aren't too interested in goons.
The coaching search may mean a little change in the Komets' thoughts on returning players, but a lot of that will be determined on the salary cap issues. The majority will still not be asked back.
The ground rules here are that I'm not going to respond to every idea you come up with because A) I won't pretend to know everything the Frankes are thinking, B) if I did respond I wouldn't have time to do any publishable work which pays the bills; C) there's not as much going on right now as you may think and D) It might all be a conspiracy theory anyway, right?
BTW, congratulations to Justin on his wedding this weekend. Sucker! Talk about marrying over his head, I can't believe some woman would stoop so low. Hope the weather stays perfect like this for them.
Comments
Danton Cole & Peter Sidorkiewicz are a couple of names I've heard on this blog.
I have a buddy who lives and worships the Erie Otters, and Sid is one of 5 remaining coaches in the running for the Erie Otters Head coaching position...he would be a great candidate though..
I mean its only been 24 hours since this news broke, and 12 people have called or applied..this tells you the kind of job this is. This is one of the most coveted positions in all of Minor League Hockey...I hope the Frankes take thier time, and get the RIGHT candidate for the job..
Too bad about Brost. Wonder why he isn't interested. Thought he would be a good candidate. Ramsey and Kaminski are not quality applicants in my opinion. Danton Cole would be, but he took a job. Is Mark Reeds already under contract in Kzoo? Bingham had some success and it seems that he always had a tough team.
Al Sims isn't doing anything is he?
What are the chances of Bruce Boudreau?
I doubt Bruce would leave Hershey to come to the UHL.
I would go with a 4 coach system:
Twister - Assistant coach in charge of officials managment, he could probably still sit in his seat and perform these duties.
Hit - Assistant coach in charge of physical play and goal scoring.
Tony E. - Assistant coach in charge of reality.
Blake Sebring - Head coach in charge of the other three assistants.
Is Gregg Pilling doing anything these days?
Neal - I'm with you on Pilling - great choice for us dreamers and who remember his approach - changing goalies during games, five defensemen on a power play, dumping the puck from center ice for an entire period... The guy was unorthodox, but he was a winner - should have kept him around more than 1 year.
I'd worry about Ramsey being too buddy-buddy with his players - didn't he and Michel Beausileau (sp?) get in some alcohol-related trouble with the PH Beacons a few years back?
I'd like to see what Danton Cole would do if he were a candidate.
It's great to hear that so many people are interested this soon when the job came open.
Uh, Bruce is in the AHL Finals. He won't be coming back. I've been told by a friend of his that Danton Cole is not interested. Sid has not expressed an interest. Pilling is retired and working in Edmonton, I think. Brost got tired of moving his family. I don't think Al Sims would be interested.
I REALLY like the idea of being Hit's boss. (evil laugh).
ME IN CHARGE OF REALITY????
I cannot in good faith assume that position (uh oh I am leaving myself open by saying that!)
Mark they better hire him then. He has served that organization well for the last several years. Everyone likes him
He would be perfect here. He certainly could recruit!
Hey Super Fan....does that mean we all have to call you CHIEF?
What was the name of the coach that was in Quad City that had a really bushy mustache that was loved there and he had awesome teams when we first came into the UHL? I can't remember his name....anyone remember? Where the heck is that guy....go get him.
Paul McClean
The guy I would have loved to have here would have been Ted Nolan; but he was just hired by the Islanders sooooo..... That guy fell off the face of the earth in the late 90's after he won the best coach award. Never quite understood that cause I thought he was a great coach...
Paul McClean it is then...give him a call. His teams were awesome. Never saw a hockey team at this level dominate ever aspect of the game like his teams did. The passing and smothering defense. We could never get the puck up the ice on his teams, and we could never take the puck away either. And they played tough hard nosed hockey. Where is he? Go get him.....
Hit,
Paul McClean is a an assistant for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim...
Well that makes sense...thanks for the info...I doubt he would take 3 steps back to come here then would he....He will probably be a head-coach in the NHL next.
Super Fan it is then....I mean.....Chief?
I predict lots and lots of suicide skates.
Paul Maclean and Lanny Mcdonald. Two of the greatest staches in sports history.
What is your system....Chief? Will it be you behind the bench...or a cardboard cut-out of you? Who will you sign first? Molly McButter or Enema Man? I would go with Enema Man...he beats the crap out of everyone on the ice and always goes 2-hole. You need a guy that isn't afraid to do the dirty work....
You predict lots of suicide skates, huh? I hope the Komets go with the sentimental favorite bull and wind up with Kaminski, before the year's out Komet fans will be screaming "bring back Pulcrapski". I'll be the first to say that he's a real good guy, but as far as coaching goes, he definately needs to find another line of work.
Paul MacLean is an assistant with the Red Wings now... http://www.detroitredwings.com/wings/coachbio.jsp?id=1554
I'm with Jungle Monkey in that Ramsey and Kaminsky wouldn't be good canidates. I didn't think Ramsey was that good a player let alone coach. I don't think Ramsey could coach his way out of a wet paper bag. With Killer, he's got the Missiouri debacle on his resume so it doesn't look good for him either.
Ramsay is one h---ova lot smarter than you give him credit for and I'm not sure I have ever met a more inspirational player. He'll either be coaching for the Komets or against them someday very soon. He's one of those players who you knew someday was going to be a great coach because he knew the game, players respected the heck out of him and he knows people. He's a leader. He could lead by example or lead by saying something.
Kevin is the same way. He's had two crappy ownership situations so far in his career but he tried to make the best of them and never griped about them, which you have to respect. The one time he had a decent team was with the NHLers and that team played hard and well all the way through. If Reiter hadn't been so young and they had gotten hit with half the injuries they had, they could have beaten the Komets in that series. I have never met a more stand-up person, on or off the ice.
I think that you are wrong about Ramsay he's a winner!!!He has won five Colonial Cups and never missed the play-offs!! He is a great guy with more heart and passion than most coaches!! He would be a great asset to Fort Wayne!!!
great comments blake. usually the tough guys make decent coches cause they study the game and see things from different perspectives. either killer or ramser would be ok if we cant land a big name, and theres not alot of those guys willing to go to low aa level.
You can't always judge a coach by how "good" he was as a player. In fact over history, many bench players have made better coaches than the stars. Why? Well in some cases it was because they were on the bench paying attention to the way things are being run.
There are very very few "superstar" players who have duplicated their success as a player behind the bench.
I found the Frankes comments in your latest article interesting. Is there now not going to be as total a house cleaning as previously thought??? I understand that nothing will happen until after the league meetings; but it definetly sounds as if the Frankes and Puhalski were'nt on the same page. Hoopefully between the new coach and the Frankes they can raise the excitment level for fans next year on the ice and not just in the papers this offseason. It would be nice to see the team on the ice reflect what they tell us were gonna have in the paper this summer.