More Jutting reaction

During today's media session at the Frozen Four, Gophers coach Don Lucia was asked about Troy Jutting's reassignment. Here's what he said (from the press conference transcript):

Q. Have you spoken to Troy Jutting at all and any reaction to his being removed in his coaching duties at Minnesota State?

COACH LUCIA: Actually, when I found out, I think Paul texted me Sunday night. I texted him right away that night. And he appreciated that. And he said: You got more important things to worry about than me.

And I said I texted him back, I said: Nothing's more important than friends and family.

And I've always liked Troy and gotten along very well with him. I feel bad for him because they had a year where they got devastated by injuries the first half of the season.

They have a lot of good young players, and I think their top scorers are all freshmen and things are set up to have a pretty darned good year. And I think you'll see them have a bounceback year similar to what they had at Tech because they had the same thing happen with the injuries and a lot of good freshmen that were going to become sophomores.

So it's part of what we do. I think we all understand that, that you coach long enough, very few get to leave on their own terms in not just hockey, but any sport, pro, college, whatever, it's just the nature of what we do.

Also, St. Cloud Times hockey writer Mick Hatten asked St. Cloud State coach Bob Motzko about it. Here's what he said:

"He's a good friend of all of ours. I've known Troy for many, many years and we're good friends," Motzko said. "The truth is that Mankato's had a couple tough years, but they were  also hit by the injury bug. This (Mavericks) team has got a chance to be very, very strong next year. That's a team on the upswing. Doug Woog's theory was that at any given moment you're either a program that's going up or down. There's a program that's going to go up fast."

MSU attendance figures

Here are Minnesota State's home attendance figures since moving into the Verizon Wireless Center, according to MSU's season-ending wrap-up press release. By the way, the Mavericks are 153-106-41 all-time at their home rink. ...

Notes:
1996-97 was Minnesota State's first year of Division I hockey;
1999-2000 was MSU's first year in the WCHA;
2000-01 was Troy Jutting's first season as head coach;
MSU hosted WCHA playoff series in '99-00, '02-03, '07-08

It's worth noting that the Mavericks did not host big draws Minnesota or North Dakota in 2011-12. They also had three home series in a row during a time when the students were away from campus for either Thanksgiving break or semester break. However, the figure of 3,228 represents tickets sold for games and didn't account for no-shows among season-ticket holders.

Jutting stories

Former MSU coach Troy Jutting listens to President Richard Davenport discuss Jutting's reassignment  during a press conference on Monday morning in the Johnson Alumni Room in Taylor Center. Next to Jutting is Mavericks assistant coach Todd Knott. Seated is player Tyler Elbrecht. (John Cross/The Free Press)

Here's what went down in today's Free Press: Three stories on the Troy Jutting reassignment at Minnesota State:

Both MSU President Richard Davenport and athletic director Kevin Buisman heaped praise upon Jutting during the press conference. So much so that the question had to be repeated: Why make the change? All of the speakers, including Jutting, came back to one real theme, and that was economics. Specifically, they're hoping a new coach will pump some life into a dwindling fan base, boost walk-up ticket sales, season-ticket sales and Blue Line Club memberships. Said Buisman: "We hope the investment we make in a new coach will help us revive interest in the program and bring fans back into the stands. All those factors will help turn it financially.

Jutting addressed his team, as did Buisman, on Sunday night, and they were pretty shocked by the move, according to the players present at the press conference. They didn't seem angry. Eriah Hayes said he had mixed feelings about it but owed a lot to Jutting. Tyler Elbrecht said he hopes this will bring the team closer together. Former MSU coach Don Brose also attended the event and said he was "saddened" about the decision.

Finally, we look to the the future a bit. Buisman said he has a short list of candidates that he'd like to recruit, and Davenport said the university has already received calls about the head coaching job. When will they get a person in place? Quickly, they said but did not mention a timeline. Davenport said by the end of summer, but he may have misspoke. Buisman said there's a 5-6 week window between now and the end of the school year. The players both said they'd like to know who will be leading them before the semester ends.

A couple of other nuggets worth noting: 

• Associate coach Darren Blue's contract with MSU runs through June 30, 2013, the same time Jutting's deal ends. Assistant coach Todd Knott has a contract through June 30 of this year. Buisman said he would encourage whomever is hired to consider both coaches.

• According to MSU VP of finance and administration Rick Straka, the fact that Jutting is due to make about $200,000 over the remaining 15 months of his contract will not be a detriment to the search for a new coach. Straka called it a "university cost," not a cost specific to the budgets of the hockey team or the athletic department. He also doesn't believe it will be a "sunk cost," considering Jutting's new position at the university and if attendance/support increase with the presence of  new coach.

• Both Davenport and Buisman said that outside pressure did not factor into the coaching change. Said the president: "There are always a lot of rumors in regard to the hockey program. I didn't personally feel any pressure to make the change." 

Newsy day

I just finished my third and final (at least for today) story on the Troy Jutting situation for The Free Press. Look for those on the Freep website later tonight or in Tuesday's paper.

More to come on the blog later ...

'Time for something new'

Troy Jutting speaks during Monday's press conference about his dismissal as  MSU men's hockey coach. Jutting will take on an administrative role at the university through the remainder of his contract. (John Cross/The Free Press)

Minnesota State officials said that Troy Jutting left the university’s hockey program in good shape. But the time was right to make a coaching change, they said during a press conference on Monday morning.

“Troy has served us very well, but like in anything, it’s time for a change and time for something new,” university president Richard Davenport said. 

Jutting was reassigned to an administrative position in which he will assist Davenport, who has taken on a leadership position in the realigned Western Collegiate Hockey Association. Jutting has 15 months remaining on his contract and is due to make approximately $200,000 over that span. 

Davenport said he likely would have hired such an adviser anyway in preparation for the conference shakeup coming in 2013-14. 

However, dwindling attendance at MSU home games and the financial impact of that caused the university to look at how to reinvigorate the fan base, according to athletic director Kevin Buisman and vice president of finance and administration Rick Straka. 

“That’s where you can make an argument for change before the contract expired,” Buisman said. 

A national search for a new coach is underway. Buisman said he has a short list but has not contacted anyone yet. Davenport said the school has already heard from coaches interested in the job. 

“We’d like to go as quickly as efficiently as the process will allow,” Buisman said. 

Jutting spoke at the press conference and said he understands the nature of coaching means the possibility of losing your job. Besides the attendance woes, the Mavericks finished 11th in the 12-team WCHA the last two seasons and hasn’t had a winning since since 2007-08. 

“I understand,” he said. “I’m a big boy.”

More to come ...

Early reaction to Jutting firing

It's three days before the Frozen Four, but a lot of college-hockey followers are looking toward Mankato right now after the news that Troy Jutting is out as Minnesota State's coach. 

I'll get more reaction today, starting with an MSU press conference at 10:30 a.m., but here are some of the things being said about Jutting and the decision this morning ...

Former assistant coach and current MSU women's coach Eric Means: (from The Free Press' story): "I guess I'm kind of shocked. ... Looking at the writing on the wall, they're set up for a good year. If you really break it down, there may not be a David Backes, tub there are a lot of good hockey players there. They're set up to be a really good hockey team."

Former MSU defenseman Channing Boe tweeted: "Jutts was a great coach and mentor in my 4 years at MSU. Very classy and (professional) guy. Can't thank him enough for everything. Wish him the best."

Dan Myers of College Hockey News, who covered the Mavericks for the MSU Reporter and USCHO.com, wrote a column about Jutting being a class act.

Joe Schiller, who just finished his Maverick career, responded to Myers' column via Twitter: "Great job capturing Jutts the man. I thank for every opportunity."

Jess Myers of Inside College Hockey tweeted: "Sadded to hear about Troy Jutting. Always a class act, and good to deal with. Hoping he lands on his feet."

Bruce Ciskie, radio guy in Duluth, tweeted: "Jutting leaves some solid pieces in place with guys like Leitner, Lafontaine, Gaede, etc., ready to make a leap."

Eric Stromgren, former Bemidji State beat writer, tweeted: "Troy Jutting is out as coach at Mankato. He was a colorful interview and one of a kind in the WCHA. Bold move by MSU."

Chris Dilks, who writes the Western College Hockey blog, has a post about the move and also tweeted: "As much as a move had to be made, college hockey is definitely losing one of its most colorful characters."

Also, the Twitter is blowing up with thoughts of Jutting's successor. The usual suspects have been mentioned, including Minnesota assistant Mike Guentzel and North Dakota assistant Carey Eades. Other names that have popped up include Ohio State assistant and former Duluth assistant Steve Rohlik and Nebraska-Omaha assistant Mike Hastings, among others.

Stay tuned for more throughout the day.

Jutting out as Mavs coach

Minnesota State made the move on Sunday, relieving Troy Jutting of his coaching duties and reassigning him to another position at the university.

Jutting, a two-time WCHA coach of the year, had been the coach for 12 seasons and part of MSU hockey for 26, including four as a player and 10 as an assistant. His teams had a record of 184-224-55 (.463), including a 12-24-2 mark this past season.

Read my Free Press story on the move here. Minnesota State's official press release can be found here.

Surprising move? Yes and no.

It's a bit surprising in that Jutting has a season (15 months total) remaining on a contract that pays him more than $150,000/year (that's a bold move for the school, although the press release does say an agreement has been reached between MSU and Jutting), and his team improved through an injury-riddled season and looks like it has some pieces in place for next year and certainly the first few years of the new WCHA.

However, two 11th-place finishes in the WCHA, dwindling attendance at the Verizon Wireless Center (WCHA-era low 3,228 average) and going nine years without getting to the Final Five probably caused the powers that be at MSU to make a change now.

Minnesota State will begin a national search for Jutting's replacement immediately. I'm guessing MSU would like to move fairly quickly on this, and there should be some good candidates. I'll explore more on that tomorrow, but whoever inherits the program will get one that seems to be in pretty good shape to start (not unlike and perhaps better than what Mel Pearson got at Michigan Tech this year).

As for Jutting, he sounded disappointed, naturally, when I talked to him but was gracious in both his comments to me and those on the press release.

Minnesota State has scheduled a press conference for 10:30 a.m. Monday with President Richard Davenport, athletic director Kevin Buisman and some players.