Dean Blais said that he "wasn't going to rush anything" with the search to replace Mike Hastings, and he's held true to that statement. Three weeks after Mike Hastings left UNO for Minnesota State-Mankato, the open spot still remains. Whether anybody really knows who Blais is looking at is up for debate, but two names in the rumor mill make the most sense at this point from my perspective.
The first is Fred Harbinson, head coach of the Penticton Vees of the British Columbia Hockey League. Where the heck is Penticton? About two-thirds of the way between Calgary and Vancouver. Why Harbinson? Well, his squad won 42 straight games in the regular season to set a BCHL record. They breezed through the playoffs and now are playing for the RBC Cup - essentially the Canadian junior national championship. Prior to Penticton, Harbinson spent five seasons at St. Cloud State. He's got a strong record of identifying and recruiting players...and the fact that the search is continuing while the Vees season continues leads me to think he's somebody that Blais is at least waiting to talk to.
The other name that's popped up in the last week is Cary Eades, who was dismissed as North Dakota's associate head coach last week. Blais and Eades were assistants at North Dakota from 1984 to 1989, so they've coached together. Eades dismissal shocked Sioux fans, as fans expected him to leave to be a head coach...not fired. Would he be interested in the UNO job? Depends on what kind of relationship he had with Blais, but he's obviously looking for a new job now.
If UNO is waiting to talk to Harbinson, this search will last for at least another week.
In other takes:
* Martie Cordaro, general manager of the former Omaha Royals, might be the only person in the area complaining about the weather. The winter was exceptionally mild, and it's continued into March and April. I've had tropical plants on the deck since mid-March, and only had to bring them in once due to the cold. Yeah, it hasn't been warm EVERY day, and the weather hasn't been fantastic every day (ask Husker fans who missed out on the Spring Game)...but it's Nebraska. You have to expect some cool weather this time of year, and for the most part, those days have been in short-supply.
* The idea that Ron Brown should be fired for expressing his religious views is just as offensive as Brown suggesting that homosexuals can be fired from their job. In their outrage over Brown's intolerance, they've proven themselves just as intolerant.
* Nebraska baseball lost two out of three games to Indiana this weekend. Remember when people thought that Nebraska was just going to walk in and dominate the Big Ten in baseball? Looks pretty stupid now.
* A lot of people still want the Big Ten to play football games at night in November. Makes sense for television, but it seems like nearly everybody making that call are people that, well, watch the games on TV. In their temperature-controlled house. For free. Frankly, their opinions are worth exactly what they pay to watch the games.
Regarding Ron Brown - calls for his dismissal really haven't been for him citing his religious views. They have centered more on the fact that his employer, a publicly funded institution, has a specific policy of inclusion that Mr. Brown is flouting. It's that insubordination that has some calling for his dismissal (and more, like Rick Reilly, calling on him to resign).
ReplyDeleteRon Brown was not insubordinate. He never refused to follow UNL's policy in his role as a coach. He expressed his disagreement with a similar policy being implemented by the city of Omaha. Disagreement by itself is not insubordination.
ReplyDeleteThere is a difference...