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The Badgers men's hockey team didn't go out meekly but finished 10-24-3, the second-worst season by record in 59 years of the program's modern era.
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Wisconsin can't recover from early deficit against Notre Dame, has season end in intense playoff series
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Since he got the top spot in 2002, Mike Eaves had a very clear four-year path that his teams followed.
Year one would be a down year, but years 2-3 the team trended up and in year four was pretty darn good.
2002-03: 13 wins
2003-05: 45 wins
05-06: 30 wins and National Championship
06-08: 35 wins (but a top 15 finish despite 16 wins in 07-08 and getting to NCAA 2nd round)
08-10: 48 wins and a runner-up appearance in the National Championship
10-12: 38 wins and bottom half conference finishes
12-14: 46 wins and back to back conference titles, bowed out of ncaa first round each year
15: 4 wins
16: 8 wins and Alvarez pretty much had to let him go w/ attendance declining (some said it was b/c Eaves coached a boring style of hockey - b/c even when the team was winning in '12-'14 the attendance wasn't great), despite 1 natty, another appearance, and a few conference titles sprinkled throughout. Eaves had also lost a few recruiting battles he shouldn't have.
Granato on the other hand essentially took over a roster entirely constructed by Mike Eaves and went 20-15-1 in 2016-17, which would have been a year 3 under Eaves which is when the bounceback usually became really noticeable.
Since then, Granato managed 14 wins three straight times despite '17-'18 being what would have been an "Eaves Year 4" which saw the roster pretty heavily deconstructed after that 20 win season in '16-'17.
Now covid probably hasn't helped much, but the Badgers certainly have played fewer games since leaving the WCHA, and the struggles with the new recruiting footprint are well documented. But even with once-in-a-lifetime-college-player Cole Caufield (while more common than even a decade ago, a kid that good usually won't spend 2 years in a college program), the team only won 20 games, won the regular season conference title, but choked in both the conference and national tournament.
It seems safe to say that Granato has recruited better than Eaves did, but in six years Tony has never figured out how to install a defensive system that works and the constant issues how the players look when out on the ice are also well vocalized. It seems like Granato is much more of a players-coach than Eaves was, and Tony's time with the national development team leaves him with great inroads to national recruits, I just don't seem to be able to shake the fact that Eaves recruited boys and demanded they play like men. Granato, from what I've seen and heard, doesn't demand the same from his guys, and very much acts like he is working with middle- and high-school aged kids.
Anyway, after this disastrous season, Granato's tenure at Wisconsin leaves him with a 92-106-16 record, with only one NCAA tournament appearance in 6 seasons (in which the team was humiliatingly bounced in the first round), one regular season conference title and no tournament titles. Indeed, of the four years of the B1G Conference tournament, he's only gotten past the first round one time.
This is the guy Barry hand-picked to restore the program to prominence.
I've seen lots of references to Nebraska football, but those don't land exactly right with me. There's only been 2-3 new programs added since 2010 (not sure on how many schools have dropped, but it might be more than additions) so the landscape of college hockey hasn't changed like it has in football. 2011, '13, '14, '15, and '21 saw programs win their first natty in team history (but the 2011 winner, MN-Duluth has won 2 more since (likely a benefit of MN and WI leaving the WCHA)), but the new winners have been longtime east coast teams in Yale, Union, Providence, and UMass.
Whatever the reasons, Granato has essentially finished last in the conference four out of six years. It's up to McIntosh to decide whether the school can tolerate more losing. Eaves got the axe six years after a national championship appearance, and two years after consecutive conference titles.
Granato has given us one regular season belt, and that was last year. Will it save him? At this point it shouldn't and the coaching search should commence.
Year one would be a down year, but years 2-3 the team trended up and in year four was pretty darn good.
2002-03: 13 wins
2003-05: 45 wins
05-06: 30 wins and National Championship
06-08: 35 wins (but a top 15 finish despite 16 wins in 07-08 and getting to NCAA 2nd round)
08-10: 48 wins and a runner-up appearance in the National Championship
10-12: 38 wins and bottom half conference finishes
12-14: 46 wins and back to back conference titles, bowed out of ncaa first round each year
15: 4 wins
16: 8 wins and Alvarez pretty much had to let him go w/ attendance declining (some said it was b/c Eaves coached a boring style of hockey - b/c even when the team was winning in '12-'14 the attendance wasn't great), despite 1 natty, another appearance, and a few conference titles sprinkled throughout. Eaves had also lost a few recruiting battles he shouldn't have.
Granato on the other hand essentially took over a roster entirely constructed by Mike Eaves and went 20-15-1 in 2016-17, which would have been a year 3 under Eaves which is when the bounceback usually became really noticeable.
Since then, Granato managed 14 wins three straight times despite '17-'18 being what would have been an "Eaves Year 4" which saw the roster pretty heavily deconstructed after that 20 win season in '16-'17.
Now covid probably hasn't helped much, but the Badgers certainly have played fewer games since leaving the WCHA, and the struggles with the new recruiting footprint are well documented. But even with once-in-a-lifetime-college-player Cole Caufield (while more common than even a decade ago, a kid that good usually won't spend 2 years in a college program), the team only won 20 games, won the regular season conference title, but choked in both the conference and national tournament.
It seems safe to say that Granato has recruited better than Eaves did, but in six years Tony has never figured out how to install a defensive system that works and the constant issues how the players look when out on the ice are also well vocalized. It seems like Granato is much more of a players-coach than Eaves was, and Tony's time with the national development team leaves him with great inroads to national recruits, I just don't seem to be able to shake the fact that Eaves recruited boys and demanded they play like men. Granato, from what I've seen and heard, doesn't demand the same from his guys, and very much acts like he is working with middle- and high-school aged kids.
Anyway, after this disastrous season, Granato's tenure at Wisconsin leaves him with a 92-106-16 record, with only one NCAA tournament appearance in 6 seasons (in which the team was humiliatingly bounced in the first round), one regular season conference title and no tournament titles. Indeed, of the four years of the B1G Conference tournament, he's only gotten past the first round one time.
This is the guy Barry hand-picked to restore the program to prominence.
I've seen lots of references to Nebraska football, but those don't land exactly right with me. There's only been 2-3 new programs added since 2010 (not sure on how many schools have dropped, but it might be more than additions) so the landscape of college hockey hasn't changed like it has in football. 2011, '13, '14, '15, and '21 saw programs win their first natty in team history (but the 2011 winner, MN-Duluth has won 2 more since (likely a benefit of MN and WI leaving the WCHA)), but the new winners have been longtime east coast teams in Yale, Union, Providence, and UMass.
Whatever the reasons, Granato has essentially finished last in the conference four out of six years. It's up to McIntosh to decide whether the school can tolerate more losing. Eaves got the axe six years after a national championship appearance, and two years after consecutive conference titles.
Granato has given us one regular season belt, and that was last year. Will it save him? At this point it shouldn't and the coaching search should commence.
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It's pretty much you and I on here about Badgers Hockey. I'll defer to you a lot because you get to see them more. But, when I have been able to see them, they do not look good. they've looked slower and looked like they wanted it a lot less.
I'll disagree with you about Nebraska Football comparisons. I think it's worse. We were a full-on blue blood every year. That's gone. I don't know whether it's skill or heart, but it seems like we aren't getting the top players. Caufield was a great scorer and good if you had a team around him that could do everything else. If you don't have that he flounders - I'm a Habs fan. So, when looking for a more well-rounded hockey player, I'm not sold on Caufield, it's mostly genetics for his size. Don't get me wrong as an undersized guy, I'm rooting for him.
Back to Bucky. Exciting hockey is the one that puts the W up. Eaves did seem to play more of that old Badger Bob offense working it for a better open shot - like he played at Wisconsin. Some people always had problems with it. You need special players to make it work. I don't think Eaves got them often enough. Eventually, it caused his firing.
But, it's hard being a Bucky Hockey fan. Arizona State University has a team that is surpassing Bucky in only a few years of existence. Penn State and Ohio State have pretty much surpassed Bucky. Lots of smaller schools out east have risen to prominence. University of Nebraska Omaha is nipping on Bucky's heals - if not moving on by.
It seems like after we lost the goalie coach that coached Elliot we've been a little lost between the posts.
Oh well, next year.
I'll disagree with you about Nebraska Football comparisons. I think it's worse. We were a full-on blue blood every year. That's gone. I don't know whether it's skill or heart, but it seems like we aren't getting the top players. Caufield was a great scorer and good if you had a team around him that could do everything else. If you don't have that he flounders - I'm a Habs fan. So, when looking for a more well-rounded hockey player, I'm not sold on Caufield, it's mostly genetics for his size. Don't get me wrong as an undersized guy, I'm rooting for him.
Back to Bucky. Exciting hockey is the one that puts the W up. Eaves did seem to play more of that old Badger Bob offense working it for a better open shot - like he played at Wisconsin. Some people always had problems with it. You need special players to make it work. I don't think Eaves got them often enough. Eventually, it caused his firing.
But, it's hard being a Bucky Hockey fan. Arizona State University has a team that is surpassing Bucky in only a few years of existence. Penn State and Ohio State have pretty much surpassed Bucky. Lots of smaller schools out east have risen to prominence. University of Nebraska Omaha is nipping on Bucky's heals - if not moving on by.
It seems like after we lost the goalie coach that coached Elliot we've been a little lost between the posts.
Oh well, next year.
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You just answered your own question. Penn State, OSU have more resources than UW and the entire landscape has become more competitive. Recruiting more competitive. This season was unacceptable on many levels but its a different landscape
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For having more resources, Ohio State hockey has essentially been an also-ran for the 50+ years of their continuous Division 1 existence. They were an afterthought in the CCHA and haven't been much better in the B1G.
I will give you Penn State, but it's telling that the only program in the B1G that they have a winning record against is Wisconsin. Check that, they also have a winning record against MSU, but the winning % against Bucky is better.
I will give you Penn State, but it's telling that the only program in the B1G that they have a winning record against is Wisconsin. Check that, they also have a winning record against MSU, but the winning % against Bucky is better.
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My point is because of how cash rich the athletic department is maybe the investment in hockey. Just speculating. Maybe not the best analogy but woman’s hoops has exploded over the last 5 years and UConn no longer is the dominant program they were. Popularity breeds competition and now that the B1G is a hockey conference it’s profile also raised
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I think Ohio State has been doing better than Bucky for quite a while - at least most of the time of the B1G.
Pack is probably correct that like other sports at Wisconsin, Wisconsin Men's Hockey just doesn't put the money into recruiting and athletics like other schools. But still, we should have had a head start that should have kept us competitive. And, how are we behind schools like MN State and some of the small Eastern Schools. So money and resources to the program hurts, but I think it's deeper.
There's a lot of Badgers in the NHL. Maybe we just aren't getting college hockey players to come to WI. It's a different game, and a 19 year old that is a good NHL prospect doesn't always make a college impact.
Pack is probably correct that like other sports at Wisconsin, Wisconsin Men's Hockey just doesn't put the money into recruiting and athletics like other schools. But still, we should have had a head start that should have kept us competitive. And, how are we behind schools like MN State and some of the small Eastern Schools. So money and resources to the program hurts, but I think it's deeper.
There's a lot of Badgers in the NHL. Maybe we just aren't getting college hockey players to come to WI. It's a different game, and a 19 year old that is a good NHL prospect doesn't always make a college impact.
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Blasphemy