Minnesota Duluth men’s hockey coach Scott Sandelin said Monday he’s been contacted about the coaching position for Penn State’s new varsity team and may interview for the job sometime this month.
Sandelin, 46, has one year remaining on a two-year UMD contract. He finished the 2010-11 season 26-10-6 in winning the Division I title April 9. He’s 192-200-52 in 11 seasons at UMD.
He talked about a UMD contract extension last Friday with athletic director Bob Nielson, and is to meet again Tuesday.
“We’ll continue to talk and see where that goes,†Sandelin said of discussions with Nielson.
Penn State associate athletic director for Ice Arena Operations and Hockey Development, Joe Battista, contacted Sandelin last week after receiving permission from UMD.
“Our desire is for Scott to be our hockey coach for a long time,” said Nielson. “He’s done a great job and we are working toward a new contract, but I also know that successful coaches have opportunities to talk to other schools and explore other possibilities. I’ve never faulted a coach for doing that.”
Other coaches Penn State is rumored to have interest in include Western Michigan’s Jeff Blashill, Union College’s Nate Leaman. Miami of Ohio’s Enrico Blasi, Princeton’s Guy Gadowsky and Wisconsin women’s coach Mark Johnson, and Notre Dame assistant Paul Pooley.
Penn State will begin men’s and women’s varsity hockey in 2012-13 and the Penn State men will join the Big Ten Conference for hockey when the league begins in 2013-14.
Sandelin’s wife, Wendy, earned a nursing degree from Penn State in 1988.
UMD’s coaching staff will attend annual American Hockey Coaches Association Convention meetings April 28-May 1 in Naples, Fla.
College Hockey News had a recent Penn State job speculation story here.
If UMD wants to extend Sandelin’s contract with a respectable raise, or bring in a high caliber replacement for him if he leaves, don’t they also have to give Shannon Miller the same amount???
I thought the former Chancellor insisted that be in her contract?
Hasn’t that been hanging over the head of the Athletic department for several years now?
Alumni: There is no such rule or policy, but it may have been the last chancellor’s unwritten doctrine…
This is all very interesting, and maybe, if he doesn’t want to be here any more, if he thinks he’s done all he can at UM, maybe Sandelin should leave.
It would seem Penn State could attract a much bigger name than Sandelin, and someone who has a better overall record than 8 games below .500 after 11 years. But maybe not. We’ll see who is on their short list.
Why did he accept the offer to apply? Maybe he is doing this to get more money from UMD? On the other hand, maybe the current assistants could handle the job just fine here. Larson is a great recruiter and a strong presence on the bench. Plante is a great guy.
Word is Miller wants the woman’s job at Penn State as well, so maybe we’ll need two new coaches!
If it doesn’t work out at Penn State maybe he can get the Gophers job next year!
I don’t want to say I told you so but I called this 4 weeks ago. Sandelin and staff has won over 70 games the past 3 seasons and now has UMD’s 1st national championship!!! Bob Nielson better open up the check book and give a long term contract or this will all be for not!!! Back to square 1!!! Wake up UMD! And no Beer Between Periods I am not his relative, I just no a hell of a coach when I see one!!
Anybody hear about N.D. and Denver looking to leave the WCHA and start another league?
This was going around the Excel at the Frozen Four.
This is interesting stuff and yes pc you made this call a couple of weeks ago. There has not been many comments on your site Kevin so far but I am curious if crown414, beer b/n periods and alumni are accuarate or if pc hold a more accurate view on the feelings of Bulldog nation. I am in pc’s corner!!!
Sandelin and his staff over the years have done incredible work. UMD proved to be a BIG DOG. Now is time for Neilson to run like a BIG DOG. What bigger feather than to pluck the top coach in America. Shouldn’t UMD play with the DOGS!!
Who else has won the NCAA’s in the WCHA since he has taken over Duluth? (gophers, Denver and?) He helped turn North Dakota (along with Blais) back into the powerhouse that it was/is on a regular basis. He has had a very strong run over the past 15 years. How many WCHA coaches have won the Spenser Penrose? Why the need to say good bye? Do you think that he wants to go? Maybe moe pressure needs to be applied to Neilson. Why is Neilson not stepping up and extending a contract to him that puts him in a successful position? He gives Sandlein 2 year extensions. This is pathetic!!! Tough to recruit when the players that you are recruiting do not know if the coach is going to be around or not. He has assembled a strong team (i.e., coaches and staff) why not support them. Now is the time that UMD needs to act like a winner. Neilson, you owe it the University and Bulldogs everywhere to extend Sandelin’s contract out 8 years and make a statement that the DOGS don’t intend to go any where!!!
I think there are people, who no matter how many games the Dogs have thrown away the past 11 years because of the programs chronic “We didn’t come to play” problem, they never hold Sandy responsible in anyway at all.
Then there are people who despite 2 Frozen Four appearances, a Final Five trophy and finally our first National Championship, they never give Sandy any credit at all.
MOST Bulldog fans are somewhere in between. Taking each season into account and making their observations in real time. Not hard core pro Sandelin or anti Sandelin.
I think, overall, that coaches get too much credit when a team wins and too much blame when they loose. But they are a factor.
UMD’s athletic department has been running on fumes for years now. Where will the money come from for coaching salary’s and a possible new league??? Think of how expensive it would cost to start a new league. According to the scuttlebutt at the Excel, this is a real possibility and UMD may not have deep enough pockets to go along.
With a National Championship, and new state-of-the-art arena, this should be the “Best of Times” in the program’s history. Right now we’re all still waking on air from our victory. With the Big 10 League screwing things up, we could have a real mess on our hands this year! We Bulldog fans could come crashing down to earth with a thud.
First, I’m really sick of hearing the argument that Sandelin is 8 games below .500 after 11 years. This below .500 talk will end next year. Apparently some people don’t remember how bad this program was when he took it over. Most people would agree that at the college level when a new coach takes over a program the first 2 years will be rough. Not his recruits, not much talent. Having said that UMD went 20-52-7 (yes I checked) during his first 2 season. So the last 9 years he has been 172-148-45. The last 3 seasons 70-40-15, a final 5 championship, 2 NCAA appearances (5-1 record in these games), …and oh yeah…the school’s first NATIONAL TITLE. I live in the Twin Cities and I can’t count the number of people that have said they wish that UMTC had Sandelin. Let hope that UMD does the right thing and makes a long term offer and ends any talk of him leaving. With the coaching staff that they have in place, beautiful AMSOIL ARENA and the current and future players that the Bulldogs have I would advised all of us Bulldog Fans to buckle up because the next 10 years is going to be an awesome ride. And no I’m not a relative of Sandelin. I’m just a fan that LOVES BULLDOG HOCKEY!!
If he leaves, who is out there with a better resume? Or better yet, who will take a low ball offer that the football coach offers?
You have to give Sandelin credit in the respectful manner in which he is handling this situation. He has taken the high road. None of us can blame Penn State for being aggressive, and pursuing proven coaching like they are. Sandelin is putting the ball in Nielson’s hands, and giving him the opportunity to address all the above well stated concerns. The best solution would be to show him the money, and address how UMD can, and will respond to the dynamic road ahead, resulting from the new Big Ten Conference.
What better position to find yourself in confronting this challenge by: being the defending NCAA Div I Champions; having existing roster depth; possessing strong recruiting classes; having a fabulous new facility, and; being in the “State of Hockey” with it’s unmatched passionate fan base? Some things just make too much sense, and although I’m possibly trying too hard to believe, I see this one as fitting in that category.
Penn State’s entrance into D1 hockey has changed the game, and they will come out of the gate strong. A lot rides on future of college hockey in MN from how Nielson handles this situation. If they get Sandelin, they’ll inject serious juice into launching their program….and then the next question emerges….how many of UMD’s prized recruits decide to go with him? The NCAA will let them go too.
PAY THE MAN!
No way PSU gets Rico Blasi. He has built a strong program at his alma mater and he is pretty well compensated. He is not going to leave for a new program that will need to be built from the ground up. Blashill would be a great hire, but I am not sure he would leave. I would love to see him coach Penn State!
Interesting comments…… What’s interesting is that some of the folks believe that only Sandelin’s relatives make favorable comments. Geez, if one is able to get their relatives to say good things they must be doing something right. There are a lot of broken families in this world and if a relative likes/loves you then you must be doing well. BTW I am not a relative of Sandelin’s.
I do think that what the DOGS have done over the years under his leadership has been terrific. They are always a very competative team in the most competitive conference in the college hockey (look at the previous post on his record). To make the comment that “we didn’t come to play tonight” is a typcial comment made by many coaches. If I am not mistaken, I believe that the michigan coach recently said that his team didn’t have their A game.
I threw Neilson under the bus in an earlier post (not sure that this is totally justified) but I do think that he must sign Sandelin and staff to a long-term deal. I would like someone in the know (this could be you Kevin) to ask Neilson why he signs his most important coach (from a revenue perspective) to 2 year extensions. Also, ask the Administration (if Neilson says it’s not me… it’s those people) why they do not support Neilson is giving his number 1 asset a long-term deal. The Administration needs to look in the mirror and ask themselves if they see UMD as a first class instituion or an also-ran.
Look at the names that were mentioned as possible coaching candidates. They have all been interivewed and offered nothing. If Sandelin gets on the airplane with no commitment from UMD he is likely gone. If Penn State liked any of the previous candidates they would have hired them. They want a winner and Sandelin affords them this opportunity. Again, he has a very strong track record at North Dakota (2 National Championships) and now at UMD (1 National Championship). Again, please help me identify a coach who has been a major part of 3, count them 3 National Championships in the past 14 years. Please start naming them….. If you let them, they will reload!!!!
No chance that UMD can compete with the deep pockets at Penn State. They could offer him double what he makes at UMD. No way will UMD administration give him a ton more money than what he already gets. He’d get a bump in pay for this year but not to the level that we see the top paid guys get. At Penn State, he’ll get that kind of money.
Everyone has made a great point or two but I think we are overlooking the common factor in all of these posts. The AD, or lack there of. The men’s hockey program will never get the credit and support it deserves with a football coach calling the shots. You can’t keep adding football staff and not take care of the program that funds all others.
Enrico Blasi is locked up through 2017. Miami doubled his pay last year and signed him to a long term extension. But hey, Penn State is pathetically throwing money around so maybe they would buy him out just to… I don’t know, show off? That’s what they seem to be doing.
At the time, 2 year deals seemed right for the program. We were all wondering what the direction of the program would be after missing the NCAAs last year. In hindsight we can all wish he’d been signed for a dozen years last year, but how did we know our team would bring home a national championship this year?
This is seriously harshing on the buzz of winning a national championship. I feel sick about what could happen to this program without more stability. The school doesn’t have the luxury of a big name that brings in the kids no matter what the state of the program. There’s no way in heck kids like Kyle Rau would have committed to UMTC in the state its program is in if they weren’t the precious Gophers.
I like what Coach Sandelin has done. I like his strategies, I like the players he’s brought in, I like that he hasn’t flipped the bird to the refs on television, I like that he knows what it takes to win in the post season. I hate that some wanna-be, glorified club team with some senile rich old sugar daddy could derail what this team has accomplished. They’re going to overpay for whoever they get. Maybe they think they can actually buy wins.
I’ve already written to the Chancellor and to Nielson to let them know how I feel on the subject. If Sandelin really wants to move on, then that’s fine, but if he’s lost because tUMD can’t tender even a worthy offer, then I’m not donating any money this year.
Wow, I guess I’m totally in the minority here but I sure would like to see a more consistent program at UMD. On par with small schools like Denver or CC. (And the program was just as bad from 2005- much of 2009 as it was in the Sertich days, maybe worse considering they had better recruits.) The team rose up for a few games at the end of 2009, then back in the inconsistency wagon for 2009-2010.
No doubt, this was a great ending to a season. But I pay for every weekend at Amsoil and many nights I didn’t get my money’s worth. Ask anyone around sports what causes that inconsistency and they point to the coach. Great recruiting, often less than great performances.
Yes, stability would be great. Let’s keep coach Sandelin here for a couple or few more years (if he wants to stay, remember he considered the Nodak job in 2004 when he hadn’t won squat yet.) But don’t Knight him just yet. He isn’t to .500 yet, never won a conference season. Has almost no presence in his community. This program can succeed with or without Sandelin. Hopefully he gets a chance to prove this year wasn’t a fluke an sticks around. But if he drops back into the lower half of the league for the next 3–4 years, I don’t want him locked up until 2020!
Go Dogs. No one person is as big as the team.
B b/n P – I am not entirely clear how you think. Sandelin has been part of 3 National Championships in the past 14 years. No one can put this on their resume. He is proven to be a winner.
If you thought about human dynamics you would realize that when the AD (or the Administration) offers one paltry 2 year deals this creates an atmosphere of hesitancy for recruits to want to sign. Human nature is not interested in seeking out opportunities to interact with hospice patients (thank God for those who do). Who wants to play for a coach on his way out? What has the AD and Adminstration done on other facets of the program to demonstrate support? It is a challenge to compete when legs and hands are tied.
I too have been to a number of games over the past 11 years and Sandelin’s team compete. They seldom get blown off the rink (maybe you are still pouting about the 8 – 2 loss to SCCU… get over it!!). You appear to be the type that is seldom satisfied (I suspect that your wife has reminded of this over the years). What happens when his teams do not win by “enough” goals? Then what? Where does your logic take you? I am really surprised that you make the arguement comparing Sandelin and Sertich. If you attend games on a regular basis (as you claim) you would see that the league is so much more competitve top to bottom than it was even 10 years ago. There are no lay ups in this league anymore. His players graduate and they stay out of trouble. In fact, he and his staff recruit solid young men. Paltry contracts and fans similar to you create a self-fulfilling prophesy (read about this stuff).
How do you think that the gophers are going to do this year? You may not care nor do I. However, Lucia is going to experience this self fulfilling prophesy big time (if he has won 2 National Championships; how has he become an idiot over the past few years). It’s negative energy. All the bystanders are watching and waiting for the shoe to drop. This does no good for a coach or his recruiting process. Just think how Sandelin and his staff would do if he had an AD and Administration that was supportive.
Those that continue to dwell on the fact that Sandelin’s UMD teams have not played .500 hockey are correct. In his defense, they were 32 games under .500 during his first two years, and since the beginning of year three they have been 24 games over. Even Sertie’s staunchest supporters will admit that there was some rebuilding necessary in 2000. Comparing notes, Sandelin’s Dogs are 26 games over .500 during the past four seasons while UMTC is 7 over. Yes there has been some inconsistency during Sandelin’s tenure, but few are the programs that you cannot say that about. The program has been built to the point where it seems as if there will be able replacements for the graduation losses and early departures that are part of today’s hockey landscape. Should he look into the Penn State opportunity? Absolutely. The grass may not always be greener, but looking at options when they are presented is smart business no matter what field one works in. UMD should take this very seriously, and I am sure that the administration is doing all of its due diligence. Bob Nielson has a track record of sound decision making and leadership. Let him do his thing.
Anything about UND and Denver leaving to make a new conference is just ridiculous. This rumor was made up by UND fans that are mad about Minnesota leaving the WCHA, so they talked about a bunch of hoopla about what could happen with small schools and stuff and started saying UND and Denver should go off and start their own conference with only powerhouse programs outside of the Big Ten. I live in Grand Forks, that’s why I know this is made up.
One thing I have heard around Grand Forks though is that Penn State has actually been talking about buying out Dave Hakstols contract and bringing him to there. Nothing has been confirmed for this yet, though.
The reason Neilson wasn’t giving Sandy longer contract extensions isn’t as complicated as some people in Duluth are making it.
Consistency.
Sandy in my opinion and the opinion of many, including his detractors, is an outstanding recruiter.
Problem being since he puts such good/great teams together, after the early years he took to rebuild what was a program that was dead in the water, they were falling short of expectations to often. That really is the reason behind the school’s contract thinking. The program has thrown away too many games that in the end came back to bite them in the ass. Last year coming close but not making the NCAA’s is an example. Getting swept at home by Alaska losing home ice another example. Then, out of the blue, they play like giant killers and make a huge run. UMD doesn’t know what to expect from weekend to weekend. As a “Coach” Neilson watches that very closely.
Bob Neilson may not be a “Hockey” A.D. but he also isn’t the big dope some people are making him out to be.
The only other factor, and it isn’t that big of one, is for years Sandelin had a Chancellor above him that not only did NOT support the Men’s Hockey program but went out of her way to privately and publicly ridicule it. At least that has changed. Len Black loves this team!
I’m sorry, but I forgot to add that no matter what has transpired in the past, inconsistency or whatever, the National Championship has pretty much cancelled that all out and Sandy is firmly in the driver seat now.