MN Daily Column: Don't blame Lucia for woes

per the Daily:

It’s easy to look at Lucia’s tenure and think maybe the Gophers’ skipper has simply lost a step.

That’s not the case.

Lucia’s simply been a cog in one of the more disappointing hockey seasons in recent memory, but he’s not the issue.

As the old saying goes, sometimes the stars simply fall in line for one team, and the program elevates itself to a whole new level.

Unfortunately for the Gophers, the stars didn’t align, and they’re posting a rather frustrating season.

So to all hockey fans who are calling for Lucia’s termination, just remember: He’s not the one putting on the maroon and gold jersey.

http://www.mndaily.com/sports/mens-hockey/2015/02/08/column-dont-blame-lucia-woes

Go Gophers!!

BleedGopher said:

per the Daily:

It’s easy to look at Lucia’s tenure and think maybe the Gophers’ skipper has simply lost a step.

That’s not the case.

Lucia’s simply been a cog in one of the more disappointing hockey seasons in recent memory, but he’s not the issue.

As the old saying goes, sometimes the stars simply fall in line for one team, and the program elevates itself to a whole new level.

Unfortunately for the Gophers, the stars didn’t align, and they’re posting a rather frustrating season.

So to all hockey fans who are calling for Lucia’s termination, just remember: He’s not the one putting on the maroon and gold jersey.

http://www.mndaily.com/sports/mens-hockey/2015/02/08/column-dont-blame-lucia-woes

Go Gophers!!

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No, he is not. He is the one who decides who puts on the maroon and gold jersey, both in terms of who is on the team, who dresses for any given game, and who gets how much ice time. He also is in charge of who plays on what line. Furthermore, he coaches the team in game situations and in practices. In college sports, good or bad, the coach is responsible for the product on the ice/court/field.

bleedsmaroonandgold said:

No, he is not. He is the one who decides who puts on the maroon and gold jersey, both in terms of who is on the team, who dresses for any given game, and who gets how much ice time. He also is in charge of who plays on what line. Furthermore, he coaches the team in game situations and in practices. In college sports, good or bad, the coach is responsible for the product on the ice/court/field.

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Exactly. It's not like this is the first time one of his highly regarded teams has sucked royally for the majority of a season. It's not all Lucia's fault, but the fact that it's happened multiple times on his watch indicates he's far from blameless.