Coaching carousel 2023

Vermont tosses hockey coach Todd Woodcroft July 18 over inappropriate text messages with a UVM student. No hanky panky, though: "I want to just be really clear that there was [sic] no allegations or indication of anything beyond inappropriate text messages," says athletic director Jeff Schuman. Woodcroft had a base pay of $286,855 last season or $21,000 per victory or tie (half-victory).

[www.burlingtonfreepress.com]

Jacob Rosseau, Burlington Free Press
Todd Woodcroft, the former University of Vermont men’s hockey coach, was fired without pay after a four-month investigation, the university's athletic director Jeff Schulman confirmed in a press conference Wednesday.

A formal complaint into Woodcroft’s alleged “inappropriate text messages with a UVM student,” was filed to the university’s Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity on March 16 after a staff member in the athletic department was alerted of the conduct.

“The complaint was only about inappropriate text messages,” Schulman said. “And I guess I do want to just be really clear that there was no allegations or indication of anything beyond inappropriate text messages.”

Per CNN: "Woodcroft was hired by the university in April of 2020 and led ["led"?] the Catamounts to 20-55-9 record over three seasons as head coach."

i thought that was the same woodcroft who played at colgate on the '90 finals team but i guess not?

This Todd Woodcroft is a 1992 baby, played college hockey at McGill '95 / also Toronto '96. His career is one of a long slog to the top and ~15 different jobs, assuming any D1 HC slot is a pinnacle job. His career: ran own hockey school out of college, video coach 2 pro teams, assistant 6 teams, scout 4 teams, assistant GM (HC Dinamo Minks). Last stop was assistant with the Winnipeg Jets. Per Wikipedia: "Woodcroft comes from a hockey family.

His older brother Craig is the head coach at Dinamo Minsk, while younger brother Jay is currently the head coach of the NHL's Edmonton Oilers. Two of his uncles were part of the "Flying Fathers," a traveling hockey team of ordained Catholic priests.

Trotsky

6esud00z.jpg

Well played Sir!

Five coaches departed during or after the 2023 season, per College Hockey News

Team	         New Coach	Replaced Coach	Reason
Vermont	         Steve Wiedler	Todd Woodcroft	Fired
Bentley	         Andy Jones	Ryan Soderquist	Resigned
Colgate	         Mike Harder	Don Vaughan	Retired 
Minnesota State	 Luke Strand	Mike Hastings	To Wisconsin
Wisconsin	 Mike Hastings	Tony Granato	Fired

If I'm reading the NCAA hockey coaches Wikipedia page, Mike Schafer is fourth in longevity.

1. Rick Gotkin, Mercyhurst, 1988-89
2. Bob Daniels, Ferris State, 1992-93
3. Rank Pecknold, Quinnipiac, 1994-95 (D1 as of 1999)
4. Mike Schafer, Cornell, 1995-96
Of the four, Pecknold/Quinnipiac is the only one with an NCAA title. Daniels/Ferris State lost to BC in the 2012 title game. Schafer/Cornell made the Frozen Four in 2003.
Colgate coach Don Vaughn had been at Colgate since 1992-93.

billhoward
Of the four, Pecknold/Quinnipiac is the only one with an NCAA title. Daniels/Ferris State lost to BC in the 2012 title game. Schafer/Cornell made the Frozen Four in 2003.
Colgate coach Don Vaughn had been at Colgate since 1992-93.

Gotkin's Mercyhurst teams made the two-team NCAA Div. II tournament in 1993 and 1995, losing to Bemidji both times.

IIRC correctly, a still-emerging Q D1 team made the NCAAs ~20 years ago and in a 6-1 rout by Cornell, the Q goalie came almost to the blue line to misplay the puck, give it away, and led to the easiest Cornell NCAA goal ever.

billhoward
IIRC correctly, a still-emerging Q D1 team made the NCAAs ~20 years ago and in a 6-1 rout by Cornell, the Q goalie came almost to the blue line to misplay the puck, give it away, and led to the easiest Cornell NCAA goal ever.

Yes, in the opening round in Worcester in 2002, the last year the field was 12 teams. The goalie pulled himself from the game after that, skating directly to the bench without waiting for the coach to do it. That's the only time I've ever seen that happen. The impressive-at-the-time bussed-in Quinnipiac student crowd responded to our "Let's Go Red!" chant at one point with their own "Let's Go Drink!" chant, and we replied, "First One's on Us!"

The next day, UHN (excuse me, UNH) eliminated Cornell in the QFs.