Alaska Nanooks hockey coach steps down
Originally published Friday, April 11, 2008 at 12:32 a.m.
Updated Thursday, April 10, 2008 at 2:50 p.m.
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The Alaska Nanooks find themselves searching for a head hockey coach for the second straight year, as Doc DelCastillo resigned Thursday after just one season with the Central Collegiate Hockey Association program.
DelCastillo, in a telephone interview, declined to take any questions about his resignation and he read a prepared statement, a few times fighting back tears.
“The reasons I have done this are 100 percent family oriented,” DelCastillo said. “(I want) less travel, I want to be around my family more, with one on the way.”
DelCastillo’s wife Sue is expecting the couple’s sixth child in late August or early September. He said they want to be closer to relatives in the Midwest for family support.
DelCastillo, 39, is a native of St. Paul, Minn. He was an assistant coach for five seasons (2002-07) for Nebraska-Omaha before he was named last June to replace Tavis MacMillan, who had resigned last April after three seasons as the Nanooks head coach.
DelCastillo’s status was under review earlier this week, according to Jake Poole, UAF vice chancellor for university development. On Wednesday night, the Western College Hockey Web site reported in a blog that “the reason for the coaching change wasn’t hockey-related, but some sort of human resources issue.”
In response to hearing about the Web site’s report, UAF athletic director Forrest Karr said, “Doc’s resignation was a mutually-agreed upon decision by the university and Doc. An employee’s resignation is a personnel issue, and the university doesn’t discuss personnel issues.”
Following DelCastillo’s resignation, Karr named Dallas Ferguson, a former Nanooks defenseman and an Alaska assistant coach for the past four seasons, as the interim head coach until a permanent head coach is selected. A call to Ferguson was not returned.
Karr said he would like to have a permanent head coach in place by May 10, the end of the 2007-08 school year for UAF.
Karr said he has been receiving phone calls and e-mails from potential candidates from outside of Alaska.
“We’re going to move forward and make sure to find the right teacher and mentor that’s going to be here for a long time,” Karr said. “I’m evaluating our different options to find that right person.”
John Rose, whom DelCastillo brought in as an assistant coach after Rose spent three seasons in the same role with Mercyhurst (Pa.) College, remained on the Alaska staff, as did Lance West, the video coordinator and an Alaska volunteer assistant coach, who had come from a lengthy assistant coach career at Alabama-Huntsville.
DelCastillo requested Thursday that no questions be asked of his family and that their privacy be respected.
“My family is to not be blamed for this decision, something we’ve discussed since Easter,” he said.
He left later Thursday for the NCAA Division I Frozen Four in Denver, where he said he is scheduled to meet with some people about other opportunities.
DelCastillo thanked several people, including fans, the Face-Off Club booster organization and the university’s athletic department, for their support during his brief tenure at the helm of one of UAF’s marquee athletic programs. He particularly thanked the other members of the Alaska hockey staff and Nanooks players.
“I want to thank them for their effort and commitment in dealing with the changes we went through this year,” he said. “I wish them the best of luck, and I want to say to the team that I’m sorry. The process was just beginning and I think great things are going to happen here.”
DelCastillo was the seventh head coach in Alaska’s 28-year history at the D-I level, but he had the second shortest tenure at the helm. Tim Waggoner coached only in Alaska’s first season of 1979-80.
Under DelCastillo, the Nanooks finished 9-21-5, including 8-16-4 in league play for ninth place in the 12-team conference. The season ended on March 9 with a 2-1 triple-overtime loss to Nebraska-Omaha in the deciding game of a best-of-three, first-round playoff series in Omaha.
This past season for the Nanooks had its ups and downs.
Among the ups was upsetting then No. 1-ranked Miami 3-0 last Dec. 7 in Oxford, Ohio; finishing the season with the fewest penalty minutes in the CCHA (12.3 per game) and junior defenseman Tyler Eckford receiving an All-CCHA First Team selection — the first such honor in Nanooks history — and the league’s 2007-08 Best Offensive Defenseman Award.
Eckford recently decided to forego his senior season and sign a contract with the National Hockey League’s New Jersey Devils, who selected him in the seventh round the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.
The downs for the Nanooks included the team averaging 2.18 goals per game, tying them with Ohio State for 10th in the CCHA, and five underclassmen leaving during and after the season.
Junior wing/center Justin Binab left early in the season for personal reasons, and sophomore left wing Jeff Lee wasn’t happy with playing time and departed in November to join the Edmonton (Alberta) Oil Kings of the major-junior level Western Hockey League.
Freshmen right wing Landon Novotney and defenseman Penner, both CCHA All-Rookie Team honorable-mention selections, left after the season. Novotney, who led the Nanooks with 16 goals, left school after the playoffs and had an amateur tryout with the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids (Mich.) Griffins. Penner signed an entry-level, two-way contract two weeks ago with the NHL’s Boston Bruins.
Contact staff writer Danny Martin at 459-7586.
Community Discussion
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UAF hockey just took a big blow. Whomever came up with the idea of questioning the extension should be called onto the carpet and can take the responsibility of taking the program out at the knees. Take a good long look in the mirror tonight and I hope you realize the injustice and disservice you just handed our University Hockey Program. Shame on you to allow a few whiners to become the voice you listened to when you really should have paid attention to the majority of people who actually knew what they were talking about.
The Newsminer's coverage of Nanook hockey is so frustrating. Three stories now about Doc's future with the program, and not one mention as to why he's even in this position. It would be nice, if for once, the Newsminer would do something other than cut and paste a University press release, and give us the real story.
This is a huge blow to the UAF Hockey program! Until this University gets serious about wanting a legitimate Division I Hockey Program we'll continue to have a swinging door at the helm. The good coaches will come, see what the administration does and how it treats the program, and then leave. The coaches that aren't going to make it anywhere else will come and find this a happy haven. WAKE UP UAF!
I respect Doc's wishes to leave to spend more time with the family but...
He knew what he was getting into coming up here! It wasn't like the travel and being away from his family should have been a shock. And now because Doc wasn't ready for the commitment of being the Head Coach the program takes a step back. On top of that they are losing 3 key underclassmen, next year is definately a rebuilding one.
I do not fault the administration on this. It is hard to compete with the facilities at other Div 1 programs. Selling the elite athletes to enroll at UAF is problematic. First it is cold, and dark, and small, and BFnowhere. But the atmosphere and community here is great. The Carlson can be an amazing place to play. Hopefully whoever they chose to lead the program is someone committed to Fairbanks, and will do what is needed to recreate the success that was had not too long ago.
Woo!
Oscar_Whiteridge
From what I have been told, Doc did not resign because he wanted to leave. Remember Frank Ostanik, he resigned as well.
I think not a single person here should contribute to the speculation over why the head coach of the Nanooks resigned. Your responses simply make poor assumptions as to the nature of the athletic department's situation. I would bet that the reasons were not as trivial as a marginal regular season or the lack of the coach's commitment to the team and/or Fairbanks. Clearly, UAF wants Nanook Hockey to be a "legitimate DI program" and I think that the current resignation is toward reaching that goal - what ever the reason.
PS, I for one enjoy the news miner's coverage of the local events and appreciate their ability to remove gossip and speculation from their articles, which Eamus_Catuli clearly feels is 'noteworthy' news.
Mr. Bojangles must work for the news minus. They can't cover a story with a blanket. But I digress,
I wish Doc had not left. He seemd to be a good addition to our community. One season, with students he did not recruit, is no test for a coach. Many coaches will think twice before applying here. What message did we send....loose and we will pressure you to leave? Seems to me like there is a problem with the upper echelon at UAF. Coaches leaving left and right...who could be to blame? Hmmmmmmmm.
I think the biggest problem with UAF is the attitude of the team. This where the coach comes in. There are not enough words to say how sick and tired I am of the Michigans, Notre Dame etc. coming into to the Carlson and laying the smack down on the Nooks. Will beats skill anyday. They need a coach who will teach and preach about getting into the other teams face. People outside of Alaska do not respect the program or the state as a whole, and it is all about attitude. I thought Tavis was a horrible coach, obviously Doc couldn't hang in Fairbanks, they need a coach that will preach attitude and toughness. On another note, I wish the "U" would build an on campus arena. The Carlson is awesome when it is packed and loud, but to be truthful the place is a dump. Since I have been here, ( 6yrs roughly) with the exception of the scoreboard, there has been no improvements on the place. It is hard to sell a program to a young player when the Carlson is where you play your home games. The athletic department needs to put a little bit of time and money into the facilities. I see better days ahead, but not for awhile.
Why is it always about politics? Fairbanks, in general, is a very hard place to live. When you have a young family and your husband is traveling all the time, and no other family around it is more than hard. NO ONE knows what they are getting into when they move to Fairbanks. NO ONE can prepare you for the LONG, dark, cold winters. Good Luck to Doc and the family. Thank you for the spot light on womens hockey.
GOOD LUCK to Dallas(I'm with Valari on that one)! and LETS get the Governers Cup Back!!!
Leaving for "family reasons" Nice Spin Doc, but come on people! This is a shame! I am flat embarrassed for UAF and this community by the way Doc has been treated. I hope the administration has someone in their back pocket because its not going to be easy to fill a head coaching postion in a hockey program that is apparently being run by the sniveling, whining players than by the administration. This is supose to be a D1 program. Players should know that! Players are here to put their head down and bust their rear in hopes of getting to the next level. I regretfully agree with blogger Inspiron, that this D1 program is at the bottom of the CCHA barrel. Don't be fooled, players and coaches alike know that. So when there is a staff turn over within a program, there is obviously giong to be restructuring. Sorry, to the upperclassmen who had to take the bench and the underclassmen afraid of losing their postion to incoming recruits, but that is the nature of the game when a new coach comes in and wants to win. The administration should have given DelCastillo a chance to build a winning team.
UAF is the laughing stock of division 1 hockey. I blame it on the administration. The entire athletic dept. is crooked and needs a swift boot and makeover. Nanook hockey is pretty boring to begin with, and the attitude of the players and staff is poisoned with inflated egos and off- ice drama. I'll stick to the DOGS and the GRIZZLIES for my local sports entertainment.
I read that there are 3 or more reasons why some people think the coach is leaving: 1.) legitimate family reasons; 2.) issues with the players, or player disgruntlement; and 3.) issues that the UAF administrators have with him (something about an extension??), plus 4.) other. Though I realize this may be all speculative, would someone clearly detail #2.) #3.) and #4.) so I might better understand what could be happening. People are commenting like everyone knows the basis of their comments, but I'm not sure I do. Thanks very much.
Just because he did not draft all these guys a pretty good coach should be able to work with them and gel as a team i would imagine. Coachs in semi pro and pro do it all the time. 9-21-5 overall and 8-16-4 in league does not sound all that great to me. I could be wrong.
Fairbanks, wake up! We can only pray we get a GREAT coach to walk in the door and be willing to fight the good fight for his program. Because that's what its going to take. Our coaches are expected to do far more than just Coach. We're not going to find many that are going to be willing to come in and do everything that is asked of them by this administration with an underfunded program and an underpaid Coach. It's only been since Gadz was here that they Fairbanks coach was paid the same as the Anchorage coach....yeah in the same UA system! How insane is that?? Don't think for a minute that those that sign the checks for this program feel that Hockey is an important aspect to education. It's clear they don't in their expectations of whats appropriate funding levels for a Division I program. In other schools across the country you will find the "premier sport" and all other sports fall in line behind it. At our school its more about equality and making sure that everyone gets treated fairly. No disrespect to those other sports....but why should a DII Basketball program or a rifle program that maybe has 20 fans at a match be treated equally with a hockey program that averages 3,000 fans?
Hockey should be our "premier sport". It's a sad day for UAF Hockey. We're going to find very few people that are willing to step up and endure the headache to get this program back on track. I suspect we'll have plenty of coaches that can't cut it elsewhere stepping up....and it probably looks pretty good right now.
My take is this: A DI Hockey Program brings in a tough nosed coach, expects immediate results, parts ways after one season. Underfunded, understaffed, underpaid....tell me who do you know wants that job???
While I understand the frustration with what is percieved to have happened with the UAF Hockey program, but let's not belitle the other programs UAF have. Let me start by saying the Rifle team is a 10 time national championship team (the only national championship team in Alaska's history I might add). Now I know some of you do not care about that, but it is something to be proud about. We should have parades for them and have banner all over town for them. I know hockey is the end all be all in this town, but rememebr we are in the top league in the country and you can not expect Michigan years every year. Let me point out recently the men's bb team have been to the big dance four times and had two sweet 16 and an elite 8 under their belt. The woman's team made the dance in 2000 and made the final 32. We have a national champion skiier this year and multiple All americans in all of our sports. In short be happy with what we have in our programs and do not cry whoa is us since we live in Fairanks. UAF athletics have made this community proud and it is time for all of us to recognize and show it!
Has anyone ever stopped to think that it might be our spoiled little brats that we call hockey players? I am not talking about all of them, but there are more than a handful who care nothing for the team or the coach. They have the worst reputation and there is a reason for it. They are like little children. Try getting 5-10, 200lb+ guys to listen to you when don't care.
The reality of it is this, the Nanooks are not an elite Division I program! Never have been, never will be! Can't win when the team has only second tier players. It'll be a cold day in hell when the 'Nooks play in the Frozen Four! As for Doc, family is really important, so go home to them and thanks for nothing! Let's get over this and start fresh, yet again!
When are we going to start replacing the athletic adminstration at UAF? With all the coaching changes in recent years, I think we need to start with the AD and his assistant. I think they are just to young and don't have the experience to be running the athletic department. On the hockey program, I hope Dallas will start looking at the Ice dogs as Division I hockey players, beacause other programs around the country are. Why is the university spending a ton of money on recruiting trips when you have players in your own back yard.
UA_Student....most of those "spoiled brats" have already left the team, they are the ones who chose to leave a free ride of college for the pro's. I understand making the pro's is what a hockey player always dreams for, but if you get hurt in the NHL or AHL, you need an education for a back up plan.
For those of you who keep saying UAF hockey is boring and these students are whiney...don't go to the games, you aren't the kind of people that need to be at the Carlson Center. In order to win you also need a good fan base regardless of win or lose. Why comment on the article if you aren't wanting the best for this team?
Those "spoiled brats" were actually out at the bars last weekend making fools of themselves, yet again. It's more than just drunken college fun. It's idiotic. They have a terrible reputation. They are cocky, mean and vindictive(not all of them). If you don't pay attention to them prepare for a screaming match.
UA_student, who are you to judge people about what they do in their spare time? You must be an ideal student who does not drink? I don't think so. These players do not deserve the bashing they are getting from people writing in who have no idea what they are talking about. Let's just leave the player alone, it is not fair to them.
UA_student, the only reason you even notice hockey players out at the bar is because they are student athletes. I would venture a guess that there were numerous young men and women out at that very same bar. Many of them drinking. Many of them yelling, screaming, dancing, fighting, making out, and a whole passel of other things. You notice hockey players because they are well known at the school. I doubt you would have a problem if the reporters of the Sun Star were out at the bar.
As for those that knock the UAF athletic department, you have not the slightest idea what goes on there. Placing judgment on a situation that you have no knowledge about is ridiculous. AD Karr was handed a mess when Cory Schwartz left the University, he has done incredibly well, surrounding himself with some very intelligent people--Pamm Hubbard for instance. In just a few short years she has helped that department develop in leaps and bounds. Don't bad-mouth a situation you know nothing about.
I don't pretend to be better than anyone. They are Student athletes. They should not make us ashamed. Have you ever actually been around them? I definitely did not mean to call them all spoiled brats. Just a select few who have no respect for their school, their team or their coach. If you only knew how they talk about this community I doubt you would be sticking up for them.
They need to hire Guy back, he might have been the best thing to ever happen to the UAF hockey program. I realize that Princeton is probably paying him quite a bit more than we did, but the University needs to invest. The Carlson Center has never been as packed as it was while he was here, and our program has clearly never been as successful. I used to go to every game back when he was here, but after the school let him go, and then raised ticket prices, I stopped going. UAF was willing to invest millions into a new (ugly) museum, why couldn't they have kept a winning coach insted, and at the fraction of the price? The school clearly isn't all that concerned about the reputation of their sports program, and it's too bad because it would only help the school if it did.
UA_student, why dont you ask yourself the same question, have you actually been around any of the players outside of the bar? you are talking about behavior that almost every college kid exhibits at some point during thier college years. I dont think that you can base an opinion of these young men on what you see at a bar. I have personally hung around this team throughout my college years, and while they can all have thier wilder sides, they are decent, hard working young men. why dont you actually take the time to get to know them before bad mouthing them.
I, again, would like to thank the administration at the UAF Athletic Department. They have suffered more than one huge blow in the last couple of weeks and are handling it with the best interest of the athletes. I say this with extensive knowledge of the program and the situations at hand. I would also like to state that bashing and complaining doesn't do a thing to the start of success, but hinders it. Obviously everyone in this blog has some interest level invested in our local college sports...so use it and channel it towards creating success.
Thank them? They're the ones behind the demise of the athletic programs!
sniperak11 is obviously on UAF's rifle team, or a fan of it!
UA_Student, get over it. They are young guys! I support the troops but go out on the town to the bars and watch the soldiers who drink, they are wild too. They are all young men having a good time, all who are in a different place other than home. The only reason you notice them is cause they go out, and if you really do go to school there, have you ever been to one of the dances? The basketball players can be just as dumb when they are drunk.
And who cares if they bad talk the town? Everyone I went to highschool and college with who were born in this town talk bad about this town. It's not just the athletes who hate it here, many, many other young people do too. You know that these guys can really leave at ANY time they want so obviously they don't hate it too much of they would all leave. I know that alot of these guys love it here for the summers and being able to fish, hunt, camp and all those outdoorsy things.
I will stick up for this team, even though I know what they say about this town and not all of them have been nice to me, since I have been a student living around them and not just a fan, they aren't obliged to have their community personality on, so I know that some of them can be rude, but they are playing a sport I love to watch and I respect their talent and will continue to go to the games regardless of who I do and don't like on the team.
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