Official: Red retires, press conference at 4:30
A legend is retiring. We'll hold a 4:30 pm press conference today.https://t.co/cMgUrZgAVI#ThankYouRed #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/i0C1Vj1t04
— Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) April 10, 2017
Blashill would be no great loss to the Wings.
It could be that he's a better college coach than pro coach, but he's taken an unfavorable situation and made it worse.
A friend of mine played for him at Miami of Ohio and said he was phenomenal. I figure he'll get another year in Detroit, and if things don't go well again (probably expected?), he'll just go get a job in the AHL again.
He is just not an elite level coach and far from what Wings fans had become used to between Bowman/Babcock eras. It's funny though, much like the backup quarterback in most places, how Blashill was beloved by the Wings' fanbase when he was in GR. Beloved until he actually started coaching, of course.
There are far better candidates available for Michigan.
That seems awfully short-sighted. The Red Wings' roster has been in steady decline for a decade. His Eliteness, Mike Babcock was BARELY squeaking this team into the playoffs the past couple seasons only to get wiped out immediately. And he bolted to take over a lottery team. The Detroit franchise severely lacks top-line talent.
I'm not saying Blashill is good, bad or otherwise. But writing him off for one bad season of non-playoff hockey with a non-playoff roster seems a little too judgmental.
That's like roasting theoretical new U-M coach Mel Pearson for not making the tourney next year with the scrap heap left in Berenson's wake. "Beloved until he actually starts coaching, lolz"
Check out some MGo threads on the back end of the Babcock era. Same talent concerns in many ways as this year since 2014 (Holland hasn't exactly been stellar for a while with his signings) and yet he "squeaked" them into the playoffs. People here were happy to see Babcock go and mocked him/celebrated when he went to the Leafs. There seemed a genuine appreciation that under Blashill the young talent would thrive. That lottery team tht Babcock took over certainly wasn't supposed to be in the playoffs this year and maybe not next year. Pre-season projections put the Wings in the playoffs. I find it amusing you don't see Babcock as an elite level coach but I also find it amusing he was more or less run out of town.
Maybe Blashill proves me wrong. Maybe his system works. I doubt it, but maybe.
Babcock wasn't run out of town. He's from Ontario and the opportunity to coach the Maple Leafs was a dream for him. Blashill lost his best player last offseason and Holland went out and replaced him with Frans freakin Nielsen. Holland is responsible for the state of the Red Wings, not Blashill.
April 10th, 2017 at 10:56 PM ^
I really have no idea if Blashill is a good coach or mediocre. I will just make a reference to Saban. He made the jump from NCAA to NFL and absolutely bombed. Goes back to Alabama and I think we all know how that is going.
Thanks Red for all you did during your time at Michigan building the program. We as a fan base appreciate all you did. Michigan hockey is in a better place because of you. That said I'm also glad to see you retire as your time had clearly passed. Thank you for not holding on way too long.
I don't know if Michigan wants this Saban like coach...
No one wanted to see this go on or end in some awkward stand off. I'm sure it was hard for Red, but this was the right call.
That's not what I did.
I'm just saying I'm glad I got to be there part of the small patch of fans in the lower bowl corner at the Joe chanting "Thank you Red" as he walked off the ice.
Thank you Red.
#ThankYouRed #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/R9IFcaT2Hp
— Michigan Athletics (@UMichAthletics) April 10, 2017
May be the delay for the announcement was because the athletic department needed to get all of these photoshops made.
Thank you, Red!
Despite his name, Red Berenson embodies the Maize and Blue as well as anyone ever has.
We'll miss you Red. Your mark on Michigan sports will remain forever and will never be forgotten. Neither will you. Thank you for 33 years.
Gordon?
Yes, I realize "Red" is a nickname. Point still stands.
what was best for Michigan hockey.
Don't ever forget that.
If Red always did what was best for Michigan hockey, he would've retired much earlier than today. The last few years have been about what Red wanted, not about what was best for Michigan hockey
Come on down!
Thanks to Red for everything that he has achieved during in his time in AA.
Go Blue, Red!!!
I'm sure it was difficult for him to walk away particularly after the last few years.
He'll be remembered as a legend at Michigan and beyond.
Might I suggest you take a look at any number of comments I made in the various "is Red going or staying" threads where I said, repeatidly, that if Warde forces Red's hand and makes him retire my opinion of Warde will change dramatically. If that's what happened you wont hear another peep from me on that subject for quite a while.
I haven't been on the Warde complain train at all, but to be honest I think we should reserve praise until we know who's coaching hockey for the 2017 season. Red stepping aside is a good start and I certainly expect Warde will be able to make a good hire (crossing fingers).
The blender is in its proper spot on the counter, so now he can focus on the AD. /s
"... if Warde forces Red's hand and makes him retire my opinion of Warde will change dramatically. If that's what happened ..."
so here's the real issue you seem to have. When you critique Manuel, it's, "this is definitely how it went down and that's on Warde"
When it goes in favor of Manuel, its, "if that's *really* what happened... then I'll give him credit"
e.g., the ND deal. You assumed he got strong-armed by ND somehow when we don't know the details. It's just as likely, however, that Harbaugh told him to, "get ND on the schedule ASAP, I don't care when or where we play em."* But that's not your default assumption.
For Red Berenson retiring, it's leaving any available alternative explanation (it was Brian? lol) to avoid giving him credit.
* BTW, god forbid Warde doesn't do anything and everything to keep Harbaugh happy. FFS, he'd get just as much shit, if not more, had he pumped the brakes on getting ND back on thus resisting Harbaugh a bt there.
April 10th, 2017 at 11:44 PM ^
For $8 mil a year or whatever it is, Harbaugh can do what his boss tells him like the rest of us. It's just Manuel doesn't have a clue how to do that so he capitulated in the worst way possible. I doubt very much Harbaugh was behind canceling Arkansas or putting ND first after the shit they pulled last time or the mid october nonsense. He probably didn't even look at the schedule just said "get it done ASAP, i want to relive my glory days in the 80s"
And instead of tell him not until 2020, we get this embarrassment instead.
April 10th, 2017 at 11:39 PM ^
Yeah even though it very much seems he talked Red into staying for THIS season
Granato gets 500k/yr and each of his 2 asssitants gets 200k each /yr. If we go to those lengths and potentially more we should be able to attarct an elite coach. Schools like Umass-lowell (bazin), providence(leaman) and d(montgomery) are not going to be able to go to those lengths. They simply do not have the overall athletic budget to support it. With all of its resources um has a huge advantage over virtually every program in college hockey. Hell if UM wanted to get real serious and poor resources into its third sport like the top womens basketball and baseball programs do we could pay around 1mil. Several womens bball coaches and baseball coaches in the south are making that.
I would be surprised/frustrated if money was in any way a roadblock in the hiring process.
It's Michigan and an elite job, really. Michigan has more or less unlimited money in the scheme of college athletics.
Fire the Money Cannon at will.
This is the feeling I'm struggling with as well.
Red's out, remaining talent is suspect.
Wings miss the playoffs, will not play in the Joe again, Ilitch is dead, roster is not looking great.
Ugh
At least the Griffins are pretty good
Would do it myself, but hope a better man than I can craft a fitting Red Berenson Appreciation thread. Been a great part of our program for longer than most on here have been alive. Thank you, Red.
I doubt this has much to do with Warde and was Red's call.
Red loves UM and is smart enough to know this is time to pass the baton.