Mike Schafer retiring 2025

[BearLover]

I thought of making this a new thread, but decided against it to prevent thread glut.

With Casey coming in after having been Clarkson's head coach for 13 years, I'd like to know what mistakes he thinks he made at Clarkson and what he would do at Cornell to avoid repeating them.

Similarly, with Mike, I'd like to know the most important things he wants to make sure Casey learns and masters this coming year.

At the end of the season, I'd like Casey to tell us what he learned from working alongside Mike this year. And vice versa.

During this upcoming year, I'd like both coaches to evaluate every aspect of Cornell Men's Hockey -- including recruiting, training, tactics, scheduling, ticketing, etc. -- and come up with a plan to improve it in coming years under Casey.

Perhaps part of the above, they should identify the next Associate Head Coach, after Mike steps down from HC and Casey ascends to be HC.

The university should consider retiring Mike's jersey number, not because of his HOF achievements in the NHL but because of his extraordinary, lifelong contribution to Cornell Hockey.

What other ways of using the knowledge of both men while we have both of them, and of honoring Mike, would you like to see?

I think Sean Flanagan will be the next associate head coach. He will have been assistant coach for nine years by that point.

I agree they should retire Mike's number.

[George64]

Should be a memorable Senior Night on February 22 against SLU, coached by Schaefer protégé, Brent Brekke.  Clarkson, of course, will be Friday's opponent.

[upprdeck]

if you get Casey to coach until 62 and then thinks about retiring then we have been successful.

[Troyfan]

Casey's done a lot with a team that I can't imagine is easy to recruit for.

And good for Coach Schafer.

When Jones went to Clarkson some kids he had recruited for Cornell must have gone with him.  The following year, maybe 2, must have Mike's worst.  I saw them play RIT, I believe, in a Christmas tournament in Albany and get shut out, 4-0.  They were awful.

Clarkson's had good players.  I think Jones is a good recruiter,too.  Clarkson academics are up there with RPI.  Hockey there fights the same academic headwinds Cornell does, if not stronger ones.

Some words from Mike on the situation. I don't know another like it in all the college hockey coaching changes I've ever heard about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Va1gNWMzLsE

[David Harding]

The university should consider retiring Mike's jersey number, not because of his HOF achievements in the NHL but because of his extraordinary, lifelong contribution to Cornell Hockey.

Totally agree on retiring his jersey number.  They probably ought to let Jack O'Brien play his last two years trying to live up to the Schafer standard, then retire #3.

[adamw]

I guess Syer understood he wasn't going to be the next head coach, and so he left?

He wasn't the only one who understood this!

This hypothetical person you're thinking of who posted Syer wouldn't be the next head coach—such a person would have more credibility if he didn't, in that very same post, also say Casey wouldn't be the next head coach!

This hypothetical person only said that about Casey because I wasn't expecting Schafer to retire this quickly, and because Casey is only 5 years behind him. So - I figured if Coach retired in 5 years - they wouldn't give it to Casey in that scenario.

I realize you're trying hard to cling to your narrative that I didn't know what I was talking about - but hey ...

Casey Jones is a home run in this scenario - everyone knows it - and I assure you, I would never say or think otherwise. Casey is the best candidate for the job by a factor of 10 million.

[RichH]

The university should consider retiring Mike's jersey number, not because of his HOF achievements in the NHL but because of his extraordinary, lifelong contribution to Cornell Hockey.

Totally agree on retiring his jersey number.  They probably ought to let Jack O'Brien play his last two years trying to live up to the Schafer standard, then retire #3.

Un-retire the numbers and create a "Ring of Honor" (Wall of Honor? Rafter of Honor?) instead.  Then we'd be able to honor people like Ned and Teet.  

I'll die on this hill.

[RichH]

Casey's done a lot with a team that I can't imagine is easy to recruit for.

And good for Coach Schafer.

When Jones went to Clarkson some kids he had recruited for Cornell must have gone with him.  The following year, maybe 2, must have Mike's worst.  I saw them play RIT, I believe, in a Christmas tournament in Albany and get shut out, 4-0.  They were awful.

Clarkson's had good players.  I think Jones is a good recruiter,too.  Clarkson academics are up there with RPI.  Hockey there fights the same academic headwinds Cornell does, if not stronger ones.

Some words from Mike on the situation. I don't know another like it in all the college hockey coaching changes I've ever heard about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Va1gNWMzLsE

He looks rested and happy.  It should be a fun year, and I hope we all enjoy it.

[Swampy]

The university should consider retiring Mike's jersey number, not because of his HOF achievements in the NHL but because of his extraordinary, lifelong contribution to Cornell Hockey.

Totally agree on retiring his jersey number.  They probably ought to let Jack O'Brien play his last two years trying to live up to the Schafer standard, then retire #3.

With the team & coaches we have coming back, we have good reason to hope that #3 has a double meaning this year. ::banana::

[marty]

Clarkson academics are up there with RPI.  

This is almost as silly a what used to be thrown about in Troy. "RPI is right up there with MIT."

I don't buy Clarkson being overall near RPI academically - even after Shirley Jackson jacked off and pissed off the majority of the RPI faculty.

I can't say there aren't excellent programs at Clarkson and there are some clinkers at RPI.  I could be wrong.   Yet I think they aren't really close in academic stature.

[VIEWfromK]

The first thing my youngster asked me after I told him the news was, "what song will they play after a win?".

I still hope Topher factors into this at some point.

Was Jones still under contract at Clarkson?  I have only read the email so I didn't know if Cornell had to compensate them in any way?

[abmarks]

The university should consider retiring Mike's jersey number, not because of his HOF achievements in the NHL but because of his extraordinary, lifelong contribution to Cornell Hockey.

Totally agree on retiring his jersey number.  They probably ought to let Jack O'Brien play his last two years trying to live up to the Schafer standard, then retire #3.

Un-retire the numbers and create a "Ring of Honor" (Wall of Honor? Rafter of Honor?) instead.  Then we'd be able to honor people like Ned and Teet.  

I'll die on this hill.

I'll die on that hill with you

[abmarks]

I think Sean Flanagan will be the next associate head coach. He will have been assistant coach for nine years by that point.

I agree they should retire Mike's number.

I wouldn't assume so  quickly on next assoc. HC.   That's ultimately up to Casey, not Mike.   Who knows how Casey and Flanagan get along or what Casey thinks of him.  Plus Casey may have someone from outside that he decides to bring in this time next year.

[ithacat]

I wouldn't assume so  quickly on next assoc. HC.   That's ultimately up to Casey, not Mike.   Who knows how Casey and Flanagan get along or what Casey thinks of him.  Plus Casey may have someone from outside that he decides to bring in this time next year.

I'm curious if we see Joe Palmer back in Ithaca as an assistant. I believe Casey recruited him to OSU. He had a nice stint with Mike at Cornell and now is on the Providence staff. Plus he's a Utica native. I have no idea what kind of recruiter he is.

[Troyfan]

Clarkson academics are up there with RPI.  

This is almost as silly a what used to be thrown about in Troy. "RPI is right up there with MIT."

I don't buy Clarkson being overall near RPI academically - even after Shirley Jackson jacked off and pissed off the majority of the RPI faculty.

I can't say there aren't excellent programs at Clarkson and there are some clinkers at RPI.  I could be wrong.   Yet I think they aren't really close in academic stature.

My comments are based on a small sample:  my own work experience, which doesn't include any lawyering or doctoring.  But the Clarkson engineers were as good as any, Which included RPI and Cornell products. Included is experience before Shirley wrought her woe.

Anyway, the point is that Casey has dealt with academic constraints of the most stringent kind successfully.  Constraints not only on recruiting, but on hockey budgets and the conflict for time between school work and athletics.  He is much better prepared for Cornell than a candidate from one of hockey factory schools.