Clarkson On the Hotseat!!!

[bigred apple]

Maybe Morris is getting a raw deal, but it isn't surprising that Clarkson expects more maturity from their coaches than they do from their players.  Certainly it isn't surprising that they take this position publicly.  Morris had other disciplinary tools at his disposal, and it appears that in a moment of pique, he chose the wrong response.  For instance, the school probably wouldn't have blinked if Morris suspended the player for 2 weeks or even dismissed him from the team for "conduct detrimental to the team" or under some other nebulous rule.

I feel bad for Coach Morris, because this appears to have been an isolated incident over the course of an admirably successful career, and the punishment therefore seems unduly harsh.  But I also think that he could have survived the "assault" (for lack of a more accurate term), but not failing to cooperate in the investigation.  He probably had good lawsuit-related reasons for wanting to keep his on-the-record statements to a minimum, but I assure you that his lawyers told him that dismissal was a likely consequence.

If this was an isolated incident, I don't think that Morris will be down for long.  I don't know enough about Clarkson hockey in the immediate pre-Morris era to know if he built a great program, but he certainly sustained an impressive degree of excellence during his tenure.  I wish him luck at his next stop.  

Until he has the misfortune of returning to Lynah. ;-)

[jtwcornell91]

USCHO has an updated story, including Morris's first public statement on the issue

http://www.uscho.com/news/2002/11/15_005436.php

[upperdeck]

strange that it was an Ithaca kid that had all of this happen??

[rhovorka]

And it gets even more interesting, I learn on USCHO.   AHCA Director, Hockey East Commissioner, and former ECAC commish Joe Bertagna and Clarkson U. president Denny Brown are exchanging public slaps in the press.

http://uscho.com/news/2002/12/04_005597.php

[Jim Hyla]

Can you expect anything more from a Harvard grad?

[RichS]

Or from Gary Bettman?  a grad from where?  LOL....

Frankly, I'm not at all surprised over pleased at Denny Brown's mishandling of this affair.  He's a lame duck who has always been a cold fish personality-wise and he never showed any interest in Clarkson athletics, especially hockey.  Its no secret he did not like Coach Morris and whatever else happened here, it's pretty clear he jumped at the chance to get another scalp before his tenure ends.  And yes, he has terminated a few other people under suspicious circumstances in his waning days.

He has done a lot of good things in his tenure at Clarkson and I got to know him while active on the Alumni Bd. of Governors but his personality never pleased North Country citizens or a lot of Clarkson employees and alumni.

Seems his dismissal of Morris will be his lasting legacy.  Sad for all, and I'd be shocked if he ever knew Joe Bertagna's name before last week!

[Al DeFlorio]

Frankly, Rich, it seems to me Morris got exactly what he deserved.  How you and others can claim this is in any way unfair is a great mystery to me.  Assaulting one of your players is quite simply unacceptable behavior.  All you have to do is read what the eyewitnesses described.  I've been a college vice president, and have a pretty good understanding of what gets you the gate.  What he did was far over the line.

[bigred apple]

Ordinarily it is unsafe to get in between Rich and Al, but I am going to step in and say that I'm with Al on this one.  The accounts of the incident make it seem like Morris just blew a gasket.  Tough price to pay, but I think the school had to do it.

[KeithK]

It may well be that the Clarkson administration has wanted to get rid of Morris for some time.  But if the statements are true - and there are (reportedly) an awful lot for them to all be falsified - then Morris just handed them a reason on a silver platter.

If a player took a run at his coach as Morris contends and the coach lost his temper and popped the kid once I'd think maybe he could get off with a reprimand.  But the reports sound like Morris did a hell of lot of a lot more, way past a "reasonable" response in a moment of hot blood.

For his sake, I hope Morris can land another coaching job at some point. He may not be the nicest guy (from stories - never met him) but he's certainly a quality coach, regardless of NC$$ failures.  Given Joe Bertagna's defense of him, I suspect he has a chance, though a college job might be difficult to land anytime soon.  Anger management classes anyone?

[Al DeFlorio]

My sentiments exactly, Keith.  If your boss is out to get you, the last thing you want to do is assault one of the folks who works for you.  

Morris was a very successful coach, and I've always said that, most often in defense of him on the "old" Round Table.  I hope he lands on his feet.

[marty]

[Q]In a letter to the editor of the Potsdam-Massena Daily Courier-Observer on Dec. 3, 2002, American Hockey Coaches Association Executive Director and Hockey East Commissioner Joe Bertagna stated his displeasure at the termination of Morris.

"It is clear that forces at work on the Clarkson campus wanted hockey coach Mark Morris removed all along and the incident that took place at Cheel Arena on Nov. 2 gave Clarkson officials the chance to do just that," Bertagna wrote.[/Q]

So will Mr. Bertagna now entertain lectures from the ECAC or any other league for that matter when someone disagrees with him?

I assume he wanted to put up a few talking points for his buddy Mark Morris.  The Clarkson response sure makes me want to hire Morris to coach the young uns on a division 1 team.
 ::worry::