Omaha Forums

Greg S wrote:I agree. Lately they've been downsizing coaching salaries and going with cheaper in house candidates. I'm afraid this will happen again with hockey. Hockey is their marquee sport, like NU football and CU basketball. This is the one sport UNO can not shop on the end caps for good deals. Need to spend to get the right person.

Greg

Yes, but this will be difficult to do as the AD is run by a group of people who don't get it, and there is a budget squeeze they have no remedy for. UNO will end up getting some B-team coach. I think this will be the trigger that lets Husker D1 hockey come to life. The regents will say that UNO had it's chance and that they should just settle for a club team for now if they can't recruit a high level coach. Then they will set things up to make sure no one good will take the job.

The problem is that UNO athletics reminds me of a failing business run by leaders who have no clue how to stem the tide other than cutting budgets any way possible and selling off assets (in this case coaches). This mentality is doomed to failure.

It's like a doctor continuing to cut of body parts off of a patient they know has a disease, rather than actually trying to find a cure for the disease itself.

There is no creativity in this leadership. As a season ticket holder, the only time I ever hear anything from UNO athletics is when they want my season ticket money or they want a donation to the One Fund. After almost 8 years of Trev Alberts leadership, the marketing arm of the athletic department still operates with a D-II mentality. There are no perks to being a ticketholder. There are no discounts on tickets to other sports. There are no discounts on merchandise. There are no exclusive events for season ticket holders (unless you donate an outrageous amount of money to the One Fund).

To fix the budget deficits that UNO faces, the athletic department needs bold and creative leadership. I don't believe Trev Alberts has these tools in his toolbox. He needs to be playing chess...he's playing checkers and hasn't shown the capacity for much beyond that.

It's time for a change at the top. I would not let him make another coaching hire in any sport let alone the flagship sport for the entire university.

bigredmed wrote:

Greg S wrote:I agree. Lately they've been downsizing coaching salaries and going with cheaper in house candidates. I'm afraid this will happen again with hockey. Hockey is their marquee sport, like NU football and CU basketball. This is the one sport UNO can not shop on the end caps for good deals. Need to spend to get the right person.

Greg

Yes, but this will be difficult to do as the AD is run by a group of people who don't get it, and there is a budget squeeze they have no remedy for. UNO will end up getting some B-team coach. I think this will be the trigger that lets Husker D1 hockey come to life. The regents will say that UNO had it's chance and that they should just settle for a club team for now if they can't recruit a high level coach. Then they will set things up to make sure no one good will take the job.

Er...no. If that does come into play, that would just lend thoughts that Trevy boy is trying to prop up a floundering UNL Athletics program with another program that can't really compete in the Big 10.

Trev has got to go, he's been in over his head since day #1, Omaha79 is right. He's picking his nose while everyone is playing chess.

Any Guesses on new coach? Mike Hastings?

Probably Mike Gabinet

omaha79 wrote:Probably Mike Gabinet

Yeah based on UNO's hires since they have hit major budget issues, they will go with the cheaper, internal option. Gabinet will most likey be UNO"s next hire. He was brought in by Trev and Kemp last year, not by Blais.

Greg

MadMartin8 wrote:

bigredmed wrote:

Greg S wrote:I agree. Lately they've been downsizing coaching salaries and going with cheaper in house candidates. I'm afraid this will happen again with hockey. Hockey is their marquee sport, like NU football and CU basketball. This is the one sport UNO can not shop on the end caps for good deals. Need to spend to get the right person.

Greg

Yes, but this will be difficult to do as the AD is run by a group of people who don't get it, and there is a budget squeeze they have no remedy for. UNO will end up getting some B-team coach. I think this will be the trigger that lets Husker D1 hockey come to life. The regents will say that UNO had it's chance and that they should just settle for a club team for now if they can't recruit a high level coach. Then they will set things up to make sure no one good will take the job.

Er...no. If that does come into play, that would just lend thoughts that Trevy boy is trying to prop up a floundering UNL Athletics program with another program that can't really compete in the Big 10.

Trev has got to go, he's been in over his head since day #1, Omaha79 is right. He's picking his nose while everyone is playing chess.

Also, what UNO does, has absolutely no bearing on UNL's athletics. I always find it interesting that some UNO fans think they have such an impact on what occurs down in Lincoln. They just don't. They are not even in the same neighborhood. UNL is a Power 5 athletic department that has been self supporting for years. They are now in the richest conference in college sports, they are now about to enter their first year getting paid by the conference as a full member, and the Big 10 just signed the richest TV contracts in history. UNL will not be making monetary decisions, or decisions on hockey based on UNO's success or failure.

Greg

Greg S wrote:

MadMartin8 wrote:

bigredmed wrote:

Greg S wrote:I agree. Lately they've been downsizing coaching salaries and going with cheaper in house candidates. I'm afraid this will happen again with hockey. Hockey is their marquee sport, like NU football and CU basketball. This is the one sport UNO can not shop on the end caps for good deals. Need to spend to get the right person.

Greg

Yes, but this will be difficult to do as the AD is run by a group of people who don't get it, and there is a budget squeeze they have no remedy for. UNO will end up getting some B-team coach. I think this will be the trigger that lets Husker D1 hockey come to life. The regents will say that UNO had it's chance and that they should just settle for a club team for now if they can't recruit a high level coach. Then they will set things up to make sure no one good will take the job.

Er...no. If that does come into play, that would just lend thoughts that Trevy boy is trying to prop up a floundering UNL Athletics program with another program that can't really compete in the Big 10.

Trev has got to go, he's been in over his head since day #1, Omaha79 is right. He's picking his nose while everyone is playing chess.

Also, what UNO does, has absolutely no bearing on UNL's athletics. I always find it interesting that some UNO fans think they have such an impact on what occurs down in Lincoln. They just don't. They are not even in the same neighborhood. UNL is a Power 5 athletic department that has been self supporting for years. They are now in the richest conference in college sports, they are now about to enter their first year getting paid by the conference as a full member, and the Big 10 just signed the richest TV contracts in history. UNL will not be making monetary decisions, or decisions on hockey based on UNO's success or failure.

Greg

Psssh, we all know Trev is secretly undermining UNO

Greg S wrote:

omaha79 wrote:Probably Mike Gabinet

Yeah based on UNO's hires since they have hit major budget issues, they will go with the cheaper, internal option. Gabinet will most likey be UNO"s next hire. He was brought in by Trev and Kemp last year, not by Blais.

Greg

Alberts said money wasn't going to be an issue. And if it was, he said he had donors that will back him for the best hire. At least, that's what he said during an interview. Blais is supposed to be helping in the process of finding the next coach. But perhaps it will just be the assistant promoted.

I think they kind of have to say that. I hope it's true. If they do have the money lined up, I think the new coach would also want to bring his own assistants. Time will tell.

Hopefully Trev and the donors are working on fixing the budget mess UNO has with athletics and Baxter Arena.

Greg

choke wrote:

Greg S wrote:

omaha79 wrote:Probably Mike Gabinet

Yeah based on UNO's hires since they have hit major budget issues, they will go with the cheaper, internal option. Gabinet will most likey be UNO"s next hire. He was brought in by Trev and Kemp last year, not by Blais.

Greg

Alberts said money wasn't going to be an issue. And if it was, he said he had donors that will back him for the best hire. At least, that's what he said during an interview. Blais is supposed to be helping in the process of finding the next coach. But perhaps it will just be the assistant promoted.

Who are the big donors of UNO Hockey?

I mean, I can name ones for Creighton, and certainly for Nebraska...but for UNO Athletics who are the big ones?

Greg S wrote:I think they kind of have to say that. I hope it's true. If they do have the money lined up, I think the new coach would also want to bring his own assistants. Time will tell.

Hopefully Trev and the donors are working on fixing the budget mess UNO has with athletics and Baxter Arena.

Greg

I'd rather have the big money donors focus on paying off Baxter Arena (if there are really that many that exist with truly deep pockets and I'm talking 6-7 figure donations). That is the key here. If UNO was operating it free and clear outside of maintenance and staff, they would be in a much better position. Things like coaching salaries and full cost of attendance scholarships shouldn't really be an issue at that point. Having a donor pony up for a new coaches salary is a bandaid. It's a one time fix, but the real problem is the debt service on the arena.

The post below asks who are the big money donors? I haven't found anything for the most recent year, but I did find the 2014-2015 One Fund brochure that comes out annually. The big UNO athletics donors would be those that donate $15k or more annually and are part of the "Legacy Society". At that time, the "Legacy Society" donors to The One Fund were...

Aircraft Specialties, Inc.
Beau Baltzell
Ron & Connie Brasel
Tim & Michelle Burd
William & Pamela Fleming
John & Carmen Gottschalk
Jon Jabenis
Right at Home, Inc.
Don & Barb Story
Dr. Steven Williams
Brant Yantzer

http://docplayer.net/14716303-2015-2016 ... paign.html

Obbiously, this list has likely changed in the last several years. The next level down donates $5k-$14,999 and there were a couple dozen on that list.

He's not listed there but Howard Hawks has been a big donor to UNO.

Greg

Greg S wrote:He's not listed there but Howard Hawks has been a big donor to UNO.

Greg

Some of those 6 figure plus donors probably don't donate to The One Fund. They just tell the AD where they want the money to go. It's a different stratosphere of donors altogether.

Get ready. I'm hearing an announcement is coming very soon. It's imminent.

omaha79 wrote:Get ready. I'm hearing an announcement is coming very soon. It's imminent.

Yeah Gary Sharp said this morning on Sharp and Benning to be on the look out for an announcement Friday. It's the off day of the Frozen Four.

Greg

Greg S wrote:

omaha79 wrote:Get ready. I'm hearing an announcement is coming very soon. It's imminent.

Yeah Gary Sharp said this morning on Sharp and Benning to be on the look out for an announcement Friday. It's the off day of the Frozen Four.

Greg

I've heard it could even be today. The team is hearing today. If it's today, keep your calendar open at 2pm...

As I thought all along. Mike Gabinet, new UNO Head Coach!

Omavs.com wrote:He's a Maverick to the core and now takes the reins as head coach of his alma mater. Congrats, Coach Gabinet!

http://www.omavs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?D ... =211549011

Omavs.com wrote:

mistake. UNO just handed the reins of their flagship program to the equivalent of a 16 year old first time driver.

omaha79 wrote:mistake. UNO just handed the reins of their flagship program to the equivalent of a 16 year old first time driver.

I think that's a bit of a stretch. While its is first NCAA Head coaching job, he did win a CCAA championship in the Canadian version of the NCAA. From everything I have heard, players respond well to him. I think he has a chance to succeed.

In his first season as head coach of NAIT, he led his team to the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference Championship with a perfect 36-0 record.

Video of Coach Gabinet being "introduced" to the team.

Whatever happened to Mike Hastings? I would have thought that he'd be a great candidate.

Stargazer wrote:Whatever happened to Mike Hastings? I would have thought that he'd be a great candidate.

That ship sailed a long time ago. He is the Head Coach at Mankato and has no plans of leaving.

I know things are tight for UNO right now but how can UNO compete with the other schools in the NHCH if the other schools are going to offer hockey scholarships and UNO isn't?

UNO offers scholarships but not cost of attendance.

Greg

2017 NCAA Frozen Four Championship game ends up with two NCHC teams...Nothing like playing in the toughest conference in the country.

I was hoping for an all NCHC championship game.

Greg

Brad wrote:2017 NCAA Frozen Four Championship game ends up with two NCHC teams...Nothing like playing in the toughest conference in the country.

Had the same thought last night. I know there are rumors of ND going to the B1G for hockey, which I get for brand recognition, but the NCHC is by far and away the best conference for college hockey. I hope they don't leave so quick after it started.

Brad wrote:

omaha79 wrote:mistake. UNO just handed the reins of their flagship program to the equivalent of a 16 year old first time driver.

I think that's a bit of a stretch. While its is first NCAA Head coaching job, he did win a CCAA championship in the Canadian version of the NCAA. From everything I have heard, players respond well to him. I think he has a chance to succeed.

In his first season as head coach of NAIT, he led his team to the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference Championship with a perfect 36-0 record.

That's not entirely true about NAIT; they compete in the Alberta College Athletics Conference, which is a group of what is basically community colleges. It's probably closer to the NAIA than the NCAA.

Well Denver is the national champion. They clinched their regular season title right here in Omaha on Baxter's ice.

Dave Noel-Bernier is coming back to UNO:

Mavericks Add NHL Assistant Noel-Bernier To Staff

http://www.omavs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?D ... =211568092

omavs.com wrote:Noel-Bernier was an original Maverick, playing forward in the first four years of the program. The native of Montmagny, Quebec appeared in 138 games for UNO, scoring 24 goals and 26 assists for 50 points. He was a two-time CCHA Scholar Athlete, graduating from UNO with a degree in exercise science in 2001.

Noel-Bernier spent the 2015-17 hockey season as an assistant coach for the Detroit Red Wings, working with players both on-ice and in video sessions. He was responsible for skill development, scouting reports of opponents and both in-game and post-game breakdown of video.

Brad wrote:Dave Noel-Bernier is coming back to UNO:

omavs.com wrote:He was responsible for skill development.

I like this...