For all of the Gopher fans calling for Don Lucia head, it doesn't appear that it's going to happen this season. I don't know how the University of Minnesota could pay for another coach’s contract buy out? The UMN is already paying for an ex-football coach and ex-basketball coaches’ buyouts. The only way I could see a Donny Lucia firing happening is if a big time Alumni with pockets full of money came up with said big money to buy out that huge contract that Donny Lucia has floating on the books. I have to give kudos to Jess Meyers for a asking the Minnesota athletic director the question though.
While admitting that the Golden Gopher men’s hockey results have been less than expected, University of Minnesota athletic director Joel Maturi gave his coach a vote of confidence on Monday.
“I can tell you that Don Lucia will be coaching Gopher hockey next year unless he chooses not to,” Maturi told InsideCollegeHockey.com.
The Gophers currently stand in seventh place in the 10-team WCHA and are looking likely to miss the NCAA playoffs for the second consecutive year. The non-typical on-ice results, coupled with health problems that led to Lucia missing a few games last season, have led to many questions raised by fans and others in college hockey media circles regarding Lucia’s future. Some have gone as far as to speculate that Nebraska-Omaha coach Dean Blais, a Minnesota alum, would coach the Gophers next season. Maturi acknowledged disappointment with the on-ice results, but said that Lucia has the athletic director’s full confidence.
“I think we’ve got to just take a deep breath and stay the course,” Maturi said. “Nobody’s happy that we’re not winning more. I’m concerned and we’re all concerned. But I’m not concerned about the competencies and talents of Don Lucia.” [INCH]
