Schafer a candidate for Notre Dame vacancy?

[calgARI '07]

According to ushr.com, Schafer is one of the four people's names surfaced the most for the position.  They say they have heard rumors that he has already been offered the job with $1,000,000 over five years.  They say he is at the top of their short list.  They list other candidates being Minnesota coach Don Lucia (Notre Dame alum), former Lake Superior State coach Jeff Jackson, and current US U18 team coach Ron Rolston.
You need a membership to the site to see the article and it is pretty expensive so take my word for it.

[nyc94]

Do you have a rough idea of what Cornell pays Schafer now?

[billhoward]

Mark Mazzolini was making $100K when he left Harvard a year ago. At least, that was the number repeated so often it took on the aura of accuracy. Figure hockey is more important to Cornell but Cornell is a lower cost-of-living area, has a smaller endowment, and maybe the university thinks it can hire alumni for a discount.

There is a huge difference between $100K and $200K even if $100K is already twice what the average famly earns in the U.S. Mike Schafer would be a fool not to listen to Notre Dame's siren song even if he's not interested. It might make Cornell up the ante.

[Rich S]

If he or any other big name coach seriously considers taking the ND job, he should get assurances that ND goes ahead with the supposed desire to build a new arena.  The hockey facility is just a fieldhouse and a part of the Joyce Center that they "convert" to a hockey rink for games and is sub standard, especially for Notre Dame.

Saw it last summer and when you imagine how it looks for a game, it's pretty clear that they need a real arena!  Building one AND bringing in a top coach would show a committment to the sport.

[Trotsky]

Schafer will be considered a top tier candidate for *every* D-1 job from now on.  This is one of the many reasons it is important for Cornell to take care of him.  Yes, Andy, I'm talking to you.

[calgARI '07]

[Q]Trotsky Wrote:

 Schafer will be considered a top tier candidate for *every* D-1 job from now on.  This is one of the many reasons it is important for Cornell to take care of him.  Yes, Andy, I'm talking to you.[/q]

Although it is probably true that he'll be considered a candidate for every job, I doubt he will be offered every position (which some report has happened with Notre Dame).  If he makes $100,000 a year at Cornell, it would be pretty damn hard to turn down twice that amount (what he was allegedly offered).

[Tub(a)]

[Q]calgARI '07 Wrote:

 [Q2]Trotsky Wrote:

 Schafer will be considered a top tier candidate for *every* D-1 job from now on.  This is one of the many reasons it is important for Cornell to take care of him.  Yes, Andy, I'm talking to you.[/Q]
Although it is probably true that he'll be considered a candidate for every job, I doubt he will be offered every position (which some report has happened with Notre Dame).  If he makes $100,000 a year at Cornell, it would be pretty damn hard to turn down twice that amount (what he was allegedly offered).[/q]

But if his ultimate goal is to get to the NHL, wouldn't that be better served by sticking with a traditionally successful program?

I guess it's a balance. He can make 100k more a year, and if he builds the ND program into something great, I suppose he would have the same shot at the NHL.

[lynahrick]

Rumor has it that Schafer has been working w/o a contract for the past year....and isn't very happy about it.  Anyone else know anything about this?  Why can't they just sign him?

[Jeff Hopkins '82]

Because Cornell is in the Ivy League with all the "holier than thou" anti-athletics baggage that position carries.

[Josh '99]

Andy should give Schafer whatever the fuck he wants.  Period.

[billhoward]

Maybe Cornell's MVP is not a player.

[JasonN95]

[Q]billhoward Wrote:

 Maybe Cornell's MVP is not a player. [/q]

I don't think there's any "maybe" about it.

[mgl11]

http://www.southbendtribune.com/stories/2005/05/01/sports.20050501-sbt-MICH-D3-ND_search_for_hockey.sto

worthwhile, if only for the fact that Shafer is not mentioned in the article.

[billhoward]

[Q]mgl11 Wrote:worthwhile, if only for the fact that Shafer is not mentioned in the article.[/q]Mike Schafer's not being mentioned could mean either he's not a serious candidate or he definitely is a serious candidate. The local paper's story basically lists anyone who laced on a pair of skates for the Fighting Irish since Joe Montana was an undergrad. Maybe the writer doesn't know Schafer exists and the ND athletic department wants to keep it that way to make it look like they're not too eager.

No question that a perfect fit for Notre Dame would be Ron Luchia currently on assignment to Minnesota. He's an alum and he's got a great coaching record. Plus you know from his resume that he's willing to relocate. He'd be better than Mike convincing the Irish faithful to pony up, what, $25 million for a new rink. (What is it, $5000 a seat these days?)

[billhoward]

Here's an ace in the hole: Jeff Lehman genuinely cares about Cornell hockey. As with any good executive, he is loathe to undercut an underling, but he certainly could make clear to the Andy Noel the importance of keeping your best and brightest.

Assuming the numbers are accurate and not WAGs, that Notre Dame is offering $200K and the best of the Ivy coaching jobs pay about half that, Cornell wouldn't need to match the offer dollar for dollar, but it would have to make some upward financial gesture (25 percent?). Plus if Schafer's goal is to coach in the NHL - a real goal, not a throwaway he mentioned in an interview - then his next jump should be NHL assistant coach.

All this conjecture is just that and we're reduced to looking for the reasons why a coach would want to stay.

Oh, one other: Maybe Mike and his family genuinely like living in Ithaca and have developed lots of friendships.