Mike Schafer retiring 2025

He's a grand parent now, it makes perfect sense for him to retire

How long have people referred to him as “CJ”?

Cop at Lynah
He's a grand parent now, it makes perfect sense for him to retire

He has also mentioned his health issues.

several things went into the decision.

VIEWfromK
How long have people referred to him as “CJ”?

Exactly never.

toddlose
I’m actually surprised Schafer is retiring given the state of the team. I respect how he’s handled it in regards to trying to make a smooth transition with CJ, but this team has the potential to be serious national contenders for at least two more years. The only thing not on his resume. Yet.

Read his remarks again. He was basically retired Last Year. The lounge chair was ready. This is a one off transition year...he wasn't signing up for a generational run.

abmarks

toddlose
I’m actually surprised Schafer is retiring given the state of the team. I respect how he’s handled it in regards to trying to make a smooth transition with CJ, but this team has the potential to be serious national contenders for at least two more years. The only thing not on his resume. Yet.

Read his remarks again. He was basically retired Last Year. The lounge chair was ready. This is a one off transition year...he wasn't signing up for a generational run.

I’m not disagreeing completely. I’m just remarking how can you walk away from probably the best team since the frozen four team as someone who has literally been apart the program for the better part of 40 years? The lounge chair could be warm and ready, but we all know how competitive Mike is. Hopefully the players realize what they have and are motivated enough to get him over the top once and for all.


I worked as the manager alongside ray barile in 93/94 (dark days im aware) when Casey was assistant to McCutcheon. He was the hard ass of the group. He was the one that expected players to work hard and go deep into corners. Casey is a solid hire. Maybe not the best. But let’s see what happens.

toddlose

abmarks

toddlose
I’m actually surprised Schafer is retiring given the state of the team. I respect how he’s handled it in regards to trying to make a smooth transition with CJ, but this team has the potential to be serious national contenders for at least two more years. The only thing not on his resume. Yet.

Read his remarks again. He was basically retired Last Year. The lounge chair was ready. This is a one off transition year...he wasn't signing up for a generational run.

I’m not disagreeing completely. I’m just remarking how can you walk away from probably the best team since the frozen four team as someone who has literally been apart the program for the better part of 40 years? The lounge chair could be warm and ready, but we all know how competitive Mike is. Hopefully the players realize what they have and are motivated enough to get him over the top once and for all.


I worked as the manager alongside ray barile in 93/94 (dark days im aware) when Casey was assistant to McChutcheon. He was the hard ass of the group. He was the one that expected players to work hard and go deep into corners. Casey is a solid hire. Maybe not the best. But let’s see what happens.

I’m skeptical of Casey. I mean, he wasn’t that successful at Clarkson. He was just okay. It was not even remotely close to how good Cornell has been under Schafer. It comes down to: how much more difficult is it to win at Clarkson than at Cornell? And: can Casey keep cooking with Schafer’s secret sauce? I’m not saying he wasn’t the best option available given the constraints (financial limitations, interest in the job, etc.), but he’s far from a slam dunk.

It felt like a couple of years there with Clarkson he was beating us at our own game. And those were some really good Cornell teams that he did it to. Replacing Schafer was always going to be tough but this still appears to me like the best option to continue the lineage. Maybe thinking that the next coach is supposed to carry on is a bad idea but it’s still comforting to me nonetheless.

VIEWfromK
It felt like a couple of years there with Clarkson he was beating us at our own game.

The 2019 ECAC final was like watching a scrimmage. Casey built that Clarkson team to Mike's exact specifications. We are going to see a continuation of the same philosophy, and I'm fine with that. Casey is a 5-year +/- bridge. We should be aware Mike was a generational talent as a coach. It took us 26 years to find an ideal successor to Ned, so I don't think we can just assume the next Perfect Coach will swing by in the 20's or 30's; it is actuarially likely I won't be here for Mike's true successor. We will most probably see a succession of good coaches in 4 to 8-year tenures. Maybe there will be some Extra Special Something New to push us to new heights, but to keep up Schafer's level of excellence is the reach goal.

Better to walk away on an up note. Plus, somewhere on the high side of 60, a lot of people think about when is the right time to step back from work. Schafer is ~62. Sometimes you think about whether you'd rather enjoy a slower pace of life and you factor in your health, how long your ancestors lived, do you have enough to retire early, etcetera. Sometimes you get tired of being in a place where it snows. Sometimes a job you love isn't one you love so much three decades in.

Yes, the 2024-25 Big Red is a talented team, has the ability to win it all, but still there's no guarantee they'd win this year or they'd have a better chance next year.

BearLover

toddlose

abmarks

toddlose
I’m actually surprised Schafer is retiring given the state of the team. I respect how he’s handled it in regards to trying to make a smooth transition with CJ, but this team has the potential to be serious national contenders for at least two more years. The only thing not on his resume. Yet.

Read his remarks again. He was basically retired Last Year. The lounge chair was ready. This is a one off transition year...he wasn't signing up for a generational run.

I’m not disagreeing completely. I’m just remarking how can you walk away from probably the best team since the frozen four team as someone who has literally been apart the program for the better part of 40 years? The lounge chair could be warm and ready, but we all know how competitive Mike is. Hopefully the players realize what they have and are motivated enough to get him over the top once and for all.


I worked as the manager alongside ray barile in 93/94 (dark days im aware) when Casey was assistant to McChutcheon. He was the hard ass of the group. He was the one that expected players to work hard and go deep into corners. Casey is a solid hire. Maybe not the best. But let’s see what happens.

I’m skeptical of Casey. I mean, he wasn’t that successful at Clarkson. He was just okay. It was not even remotely close to how good Cornell has been under Schafer. It comes down to: how much more difficult is it to win at Clarkson than at Cornell? And: can Casey keep cooking with Schafer’s secret sauce? I’m not saying he wasn’t the best option available given the constraints (financial limitations, interest in the job, etc.), but he’s far from a slam dunk.

I think if you're setting the standard of "is he going to be as good as Mike Schafer" you should be skeptical of Casey Jones because the answer is almost certainly no. Nothing against Jones, but Schafer is a hall of fame college hockey coach so replacing him was always going to be an exercise in finding a guy who could hopefully match up if things go well.

On the upside, my impression is Jones took over a Clarkson program in sharp decline after the Mark Morris scandal and the mostly ineffective tenure of George Roll, stabilized it, and put together a strong 3-season run before COVID screwed everything up. I think one way to look at his record is he's a coach who'll have a lot of ups and downs but every now and again he'll put together a strong run like his teams did pre-COVID - think Don Vaughn at Colgate but with better institutional support. Another way to look at it is he took some time to really get the program re-established during a number of up and down seasons, and was on his way before COVID derailed the process - think Schafer but with a longer ramp-up time (possibly caused by a weaker starting point in terms of talent) and maybe less consistent strength at the level of conference title contention.

So that's a big range, but honestly we'll never get a slam dunk replacement for a coach like Schafer, and given the constraints on Cornell's program I suspect this is about the best we can hope for. By all accounts Jones is at least a solid coach and should be an excellent steward of the program, and as fans we're just left to hope that "at least solid" turns out to be another all time great.

Tom Lento

BearLover

toddlose

abmarks

toddlose
I’m actually surprised Schafer is retiring given the state of the team. I respect how he’s handled it in regards to trying to make a smooth transition with CJ, but this team has the potential to be serious national contenders for at least two more years. The only thing not on his resume. Yet.

Read his remarks again. He was basically retired Last Year. The lounge chair was ready. This is a one off transition year...he wasn't signing up for a generational run.

I’m not disagreeing completely. I’m just remarking how can you walk away from probably the best team since the frozen four team as someone who has literally been apart the program for the better part of 40 years? The lounge chair could be warm and ready, but we all know how competitive Mike is. Hopefully the players realize what they have and are motivated enough to get him over the top once and for all.


I worked as the manager alongside ray barile in 93/94 (dark days im aware) when Casey was assistant to McChutcheon. He was the hard ass of the group. He was the one that expected players to work hard and go deep into corners. Casey is a solid hire. Maybe not the best. But let’s see what happens.

I’m skeptical of Casey. I mean, he wasn’t that successful at Clarkson. He was just okay. It was not even remotely close to how good Cornell has been under Schafer. It comes down to: how much more difficult is it to win at Clarkson than at Cornell? And: can Casey keep cooking with Schafer’s secret sauce? I’m not saying he wasn’t the best option available given the constraints (financial limitations, interest in the job, etc.), but he’s far from a slam dunk.

I think if you're setting the standard of "is he going to be as good as Mike Schafer" you should be skeptical of Casey Jones because the answer is almost certainly no. Nothing against Jones, but Schafer is a hall of fame college hockey coach so replacing him was always going to be an exercise in finding a guy who could hopefully match up if things go well.

On the upside, my impression is Jones took over a Clarkson program in sharp decline after the Mark Morris scandal and the mostly ineffective tenure of George Roll, stabilized it, and put together a strong 3-season run before COVID screwed everything up. I think one way to look at his record is he's a coach who'll have a lot of ups and downs but every now and again he'll put together a strong run like his teams did pre-COVID - think Don Vaughn at Colgate but with better institutional support. Another way to look at it is he took some time to really get the program re-established during a number of up and down seasons, and was on his way before COVID derailed the process - think Schafer but with a longer ramp-up time (possibly caused by a weaker starting point in terms of talent) and maybe less consistent strength at the level of conference title contention.

So that's a big range, but honestly we'll never get a slam dunk replacement for a coach like Schafer, and given the constraints on Cornell's program I suspect this is about the best we can hope for. By all accounts Jones is at least a solid coach and should be an excellent steward of the program, and as fans we're just left to hope that "at least solid" turns out to be another all time great.

Well, I would definitely not consider Don Vaughn a successful coach, so hopefully we don’t end up anywhere close to that outcome.

I think the upside case is that Cornell’s success is due to assistant coaches, institutional support, and the quirks of Cornell (academics, Lynah crowd, historic success) as much as it’s due to Schafer. I.e. another good coach could step in and see similar levels of success.

BearLover

Tom Lento

BearLover

toddlose

abmarks

toddlose
I’m actually surprised Schafer is retiring given the state of the team. I respect how he’s handled it in regards to trying to make a smooth transition with CJ, but this team has the potential to be serious national contenders for at least two more years. The only thing not on his resume. Yet.

Read his remarks again. He was basically retired Last Year. The lounge chair was ready. This is a one off transition year...he wasn't signing up for a generational run.

I’m not disagreeing completely. I’m just remarking how can you walk away from probably the best team since the frozen four team as someone who has literally been apart the program for the better part of 40 years? The lounge chair could be warm and ready, but we all know how competitive Mike is. Hopefully the players realize what they have and are motivated enough to get him over the top once and for all.


I worked as the manager alongside ray barile in 93/94 (dark days im aware) when Casey was assistant to McChutcheon. He was the hard ass of the group. He was the one that expected players to work hard and go deep into corners. Casey is a solid hire. Maybe not the best. But let’s see what happens.

I’m skeptical of Casey. I mean, he wasn’t that successful at Clarkson. He was just okay. It was not even remotely close to how good Cornell has been under Schafer. It comes down to: how much more difficult is it to win at Clarkson than at Cornell? And: can Casey keep cooking with Schafer’s secret sauce? I’m not saying he wasn’t the best option available given the constraints (financial limitations, interest in the job, etc.), but he’s far from a slam dunk.

I think if you're setting the standard of "is he going to be as good as Mike Schafer" you should be skeptical of Casey Jones because the answer is almost certainly no. Nothing against Jones, but Schafer is a hall of fame college hockey coach so replacing him was always going to be an exercise in finding a guy who could hopefully match up if things go well.

On the upside, my impression is Jones took over a Clarkson program in sharp decline after the Mark Morris scandal and the mostly ineffective tenure of George Roll, stabilized it, and put together a strong 3-season run before COVID screwed everything up. I think one way to look at his record is he's a coach who'll have a lot of ups and downs but every now and again he'll put together a strong run like his teams did pre-COVID - think Don Vaughn at Colgate but with better institutional support. Another way to look at it is he took some time to really get the program re-established during a number of up and down seasons, and was on his way before COVID derailed the process - think Schafer but with a longer ramp-up time (possibly caused by a weaker starting point in terms of talent) and maybe less consistent strength at the level of conference title contention.

So that's a big range, but honestly we'll never get a slam dunk replacement for a coach like Schafer, and given the constraints on Cornell's program I suspect this is about the best we can hope for. By all accounts Jones is at least a solid coach and should be an excellent steward of the program, and as fans we're just left to hope that "at least solid" turns out to be another all time great.

Well, I would definitely not consider Don Vaughn a successful coach, so hopefully we don’t end up anywhere close to that outcome.

I think the upside case is that Cornell’s success is due to assistant coaches, institutional support, and the quirks of Cornell (academics, Lynah crowd, historic success) as much as it’s due to Schafer. I.e. another good coach could step in and see similar levels of success.

Oh I'm with you on Vaughn, although I'm talking more about ebb and flow than final results - Cornell would win proportionately more games than Colgate under those coaching circumstances - but I think that's kind of the worst case here. As for the upside case, I really think it is that Jones has grown into as good - or nearly as good - a coach as Schafer AND the strengths of the program propel him to more consistent success than he found at Clarkson. It's easy to forget because it was 30 years ago, but Schafer took over a program underperforming its talent, won 2 ECAC titles in his first two seasons, and then had 4 mediocre years before getting back to the NCAA tournament. If you didn't follow the program closely at that point and just looked at Schafer's record at the end of the disappointing 2003-2004 season you might reasonably wonder if he was really good or just a decent coach who rode a couple of great recruiting classes for one push. Due to the COVID mayhem Jones is kind of in that same space in his career.

From what I've been reading, and from looking at Clarkson's record progression, I think he's far more likely to end up like Schafer but not as consistently competitive at the national level than he is to be Don Vaughn with a better record, but time will tell.

In the 3 seasons prior to Mike Schafer becoming head coach, we had zero shut outs.

With tonight's 5-0 win against Princeton, Cornell has at least one shut out in every season of his tenure.

Thank you, Schafer.

Shut outs during Schafer tenure, by goaltender:

Pelletier (1)
Elliott (4)
Burt (1)
Underhill (6)
LeNeveu (11)
McKee (18)
Davenport (2)
Scrivens (19)
Garman (1)
Iles (9)
Gillam (11)
Stewart (3)
Galajda (19)
Howe (1)
McDonald (1)
Shane (12)

Total: 119

Never forget the Joe Howe and Justin Ertel era

chimpfood
Never forget the Joe Howe and Justin Ertel era

Do you rank that above or below the Tony Romano and Justin Milo era?

Joe Howe had one of those shutouts.

VIEWfromK

chimpfood
Never forget the Joe Howe and Justin Ertel era

Do you rank that above or below the Tony Romano and Justin Milo era?

Careful: if you say Milo’s name three times, his dad will show up again to shit-post.

I am dying to know what went into the decision to not give the head coaching job to Syer. Right now it looks like a colossal blunder, with Princeton and Clarkson vastly improving on last year with Cornell horribly underperforming. Here is how Cornell, Clarkson, and Princeton rank in RPI as compared to last season after Princeton hired Syer and Casey left Clarkson:

Cornell: 13—>25
Clarkson: 37—>22
Princeton: 55—>24

Maybe adamw can tell us, since he kept posting cryptically that Syer would never be the next HC.

On a completely unrelated subject, [new.reddit.com] is a moderated forum with Block User.

Trotsky
On a completely unrelated subject, [new.reddit.com] is a moderated forum with Block User.

Maybe you should stay over there, then? It’s a highly relevant question to ask, why Cornell passed on Syer, who is an early frontrunner for coach of the year.

Bearlover - the absolute king of hindsight!!!
Adam W. knows a little something about college hockey - you, not so much!

BearLover

Trotsky
On a completely unrelated subject, [new.reddit.com] is a moderated forum with Block User.

Maybe you should stay over there, then? It’s a highly relevant question to ask, why Cornell passed on Syer, who is an early frontrunner for coach of the year.

You're "only asking questions," right?

No. You're a snail dragging its sludge across this forum. That's been your MO for your whole tenure as many here have hinted, directly stated, or pointed at you and laughed. I have no idea what motivates the perma-children who react to their disappointment by public flagellation, but it's as boring as it is pedestrian. Maybe if you STFU and watched the way other folks here discuss the same issues you might learn a thing about interacting with people you missed out in IRL.

I know it's already losing to interact with trolls like you but, meh, the game sucked enough that your presence in the thread didn't actually significantly make it worse. For once. Grow up or go away.

BearLover
Maybe adamw can tell us, since he kept posting cryptically that Syer would never be the next HC.

I mean he probably knew that Casey was the pick but couldn't say it.

Dafatone

BearLover
Maybe adamw can tell us, since he kept posting cryptically that Syer would never be the next HC.

I mean he probably knew that Casey was the pick but couldn't say it.

In the same post where he said it wouldn’t be Syer, he also specifically said it wouldn’t be Casey either.

Anyway, I remain extremely curious about my question, even though it seems to have taken Trotsky to a bad place. It was a relevant question at the time Schafer retired, and it’s even more relevant given what has transpired since. I’ll disconnect from this forum for a few days and let all the other wonderful posters discuss.

Didn't the team welcome the proposed coach of the year back with a 5-0 pasting?

Al DeFlorio
Didn't the team welcome the proposed coach of the year back with a 5-0 pasting?

Shhh, that doesn't fit the agenda...

Maybe the numbers don't show it and maybe it's not fair under the circumstances, but I never thought they played very well when Syer had to take over during some of Schafer's medical absences. Off of that sample size I didn't think he should have been the successor.

VIEWfromK
Maybe the numbers don't show it and maybe it's not fair under the circumstances, but I never thought they played very well when Syer had to take over during some of Schafer's medical absences. Off of that sample size I didn't think he should have been the successor.

On the contrary, I seem to recall some extended winning streaks under Syer in recent seasons when Schafer was out. This pregame write-up from January 2019 cites Syer having (at the time) a 7-0-4 all-time record when filling in as head coach: [cornellbigred.com]

sah67

VIEWfromK
Maybe the numbers don't show it and maybe it's not fair under the circumstances, but I never thought they played very well when Syer had to take over during some of Schafer's medical absences. Off of that sample size I didn't think he should have been the successor.

On the contrary, I seem to recall some extended winning streaks under Syer in recent seasons when Schafer was out. This pregame write-up from January 2019 cites Syer having (at the time) a 7-0-4 all-time record when filling in as head coach: [cornellbigred.com]

Syer was undefeated as a substitute coach for a long while, but that didn't last through his more extended terms (terms? Term?) when Schafer was out with health issues.

Dafatone

sah67

VIEWfromK
Maybe the numbers don't show it and maybe it's not fair under the circumstances, but I never thought they played very well when Syer had to take over during some of Schafer's medical absences. Off of that sample size I didn't think he should have been the successor.

On the contrary, I seem to recall some extended winning streaks under Syer in recent seasons when Schafer was out. This pregame write-up from January 2019 cites Syer having (at the time) a 7-0-4 all-time record when filling in as head coach: [cornellbigred.com]

Syer was undefeated as a substitute coach for a long while, but that didn't last through his more extended terms (terms? Term?) when Schafer was out with health issues.

I thought so but I couldn’t find any stats from the more recent seasons.

I thought he finally lost after 12 or 13 games. IIRC he finished with an extremely good winning percentage, though officially all those decisions are credited to Mike.

During every short sample of not great play in the last 30 years casual fans have beaten their chests and bemoaned the drop from the level of play they think we simply are entitled to, ignoring the fact that the only reason the standard is that high is Schafer. If you remember McCutcheon and Reycroft and TBH even Bertrand, you aren't fantasizing about getting rid of Schafer as an impediment to what Cornell hockey "ought" to be. There is no ought. There is only is, and the is of the last 30 years has been a fucking miracle.

Trotsky
During every short sample of not great play in the last 30 years casual fans have beaten their chests and bemoaned the drop from the level of play they think we simply are entitled to, ignoring the fact that the only reason the standard is that high is Schafer. If you remember McCutcheon and Reycroft and TBH even Bertrand, you aren't fantasizing about getting rid of Schafer as an impediment to what Cornell hockey "ought" to be. There is no ought. There is only is, and the is of the last 30 years has been a fucking miracle.

"McCutcheon must go! McCutcheon must go!"

Just not right for the college game.

I'm glad we weren't so tough on him as to sour him on the institution and turn away Mark, who was a fine player.

I can't even with this nonsense - so - not gonna feed the troll.

VIEWfromK
Maybe the numbers don't show it and maybe it's not fair under the circumstances, but I never thought they played very well when Syer had to take over during some of Schafer's medical absences. Off of that sample size I didn't think he should have been the successor.

This is true.

arugula

VIEWfromK
Maybe the numbers don't show it and maybe it's not fair under the circumstances, but I never thought they played very well when Syer had to take over during some of Schafer's medical absences. Off of that sample size I didn't think he should have been the successor.

This is true.

At least in the last few years after Mike had his health issues.

Others have mentioned this already but Syer had a great record taking over for Mike in his absences, until he took over for an extended period when Mike was out with a health issue in 2021-22. During this period the team struggled. I do wonder if that’s when Mike made the determination that Syer wasn’t ready.

BearLover
Others have mentioned this already but Syer had a great record taking over for Mike in his absences, until he took over for an extended period when Mike was out with a health issue in 2021-22. During this period the team struggled. I do wonder if that’s when Mike made the determination that Syer wasn’t ready.

How did Casey do during this stretch?

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.

Mike should also be honored as the Jay R. Bloom ‘77 Head Coach, Emeritus, upon his retirement.
.

Maybe a bronze bust at the entrance of rink for players to touch prior to getting on the ice.

Or give him a statue outside (that should be for harkness or Dryden in my mind however)

toddlose
Maybe a bronze bust at the entrance of rink for players to touch prior to getting on the ice.

Or give him a statue outside (that should be for harkness or Dryden in my mind however)

Ring (or Wall, given the building geometry) of Honor isn’t a difficult concept, folks.

RichH

toddlose
Maybe a bronze bust at the entrance of rink for players to touch prior to getting on the ice.

Or give him a statue outside (that should be for harkness or Dryden in my mind however)

Ring (or Wall, given the building geometry) of Honor isn’t a difficult concept, folks.

Given the amount of displays in the hallways, I think adding one for Schafer should be a piece of cake.

How about The Mike Schafer Ice Surface at Lynah Rink?

Jeff Hopkins '82

RichH

toddlose
Maybe a bronze bust at the entrance of rink for players to touch prior to getting on the ice.

Or give him a statue outside (that should be for harkness or Dryden in my mind however)

Ring (or Wall, given the building geometry) of Honor isn’t a difficult concept, folks.

Given the amount of displays in the hallways, I think adding one for Schafer should be a piece of cake.

Maybe Schafer has gained a few pounds, but I don't think the display should be a piece of cake
Rather it should be a statue of him breaking a stick over his head. Or if it is just a bust then perhaps and interactive one where players can break things over the head for luck.

Roy 82

Jeff Hopkins '82

RichH

toddlose
Maybe a bronze bust at the entrance of rink for players to touch prior to getting on the ice.

Or give him a statue outside (that should be for harkness or Dryden in my mind however)

Ring (or Wall, given the building geometry) of Honor isn’t a difficult concept, folks.

Given the amount of displays in the hallways, I think adding one for Schafer should be a piece of cake.

Maybe Schafer has gained a few pounds, but I don't think the display should be a piece of cake
Rather it should be a statue of him breaking a stick over his head. Or if it is just a bust then perhaps and interactive one where players can break things over the head for luck.

I really like the last idea.

toddlose

Roy 82

Jeff Hopkins '82

RichH

toddlose
Maybe a bronze bust at the entrance of rink for players to touch prior to getting on the ice.

Or give him a statue outside (that should be for harkness or Dryden in my mind however)

Ring (or Wall, given the building geometry) of Honor isn’t a difficult concept, folks.

Given the amount of displays in the hallways, I think adding one for Schafer should be a piece of cake.

Maybe Schafer has gained a few pounds, but I don't think the display should be a piece of cake
Rather it should be a statue of him breaking a stick over his head. Or if it is just a bust then perhaps and interactive one where players can break things over the head for luck.

I really like the last idea.

I like the way you think, Roy.

And knowing you for as long as I do, that scares me.