Some expanded quotes from Cole and Izzo about the fund-raising thing that was talked about earlier this week. You can read the last quote and wonder whether it means Izzo might become a candidate for an office job or THE office job (A.D.) at MSU some day.
Cole bullish about national title trek
Jim Comparoni • SpartanMag.com
@JimComparoni
EAST LANSING - Michigan State hockey will fall short of its goal to host a first-round playoff series but coach Danton Cole is as bullish as ever about the future.
The Spartans have made progress this year in skating with toughness and accountability for 60 minutes in most games, especially in the second half of the season. Michigan State hasn’t racked up as many wins as Cole was hoping for. The Spartans were a point away from second place in the Big Ten four weeks ago, but have slid back to seventh in the seven-team conference standings heading into the final weekend of the regular season.
Michigan State is 11-16-5 overall in Cole’s second season at the helm, and 7-11-4 in the Big Ten.
Michigan State will face first-place, No. 7-ranked Ohio State for a pair of games in Columbus, beginning tonight (6:30 p.m., BTN2GO) and finishing Saturday (5 p.m., BTN PLUS).
He feels the Spartans achieved his objective in being tough to play against, game-in and game-out -- something that could make Michigan State as dangerous as any team from second to seventh place in next week’s first round of the Big Ten Tournament.
But Cole wants more than just being a tough out.
“Being tough to play against, that’s not all you want to be, but I think that’s where you have to be able to start,” Cole said. “That’s kind of the ground floor and the process we want to go. We want to be a tough out every night and if we don’t come out and play with that attitude and mindset, we don’t win a game.
“But that’s not good enough. There’s not a place in the standings for moral victories.
“We’re playing the games to win. We want to have some momentum going forward. Our approach doesn’t change. We come out, and Friday is the game we’re worried about, and then it’s Saturday. That’ll be the same way in the playoffs, and after we win our fourth National Championship as a program, that’s the way we’re going to approach the next fall.”
After making that statement, a Lansing television reporter was surprised that Cole made the national championship prediction matter-of-factly.
“It’s when, not if,” Cole countered.
Why so confident?
“That’s the way I am,” Cole said. “I see what we have here. I think the commitment to the hockey program here, the history we have here, the players we are starting to attract, our staff - I think it’s here. We’re building toward that. It’s not a rebuild, it’s a build.
“We’ll keep moving in the right direction and if we get the right group of guys, and if they can have the right mindset and the battle that this group has, this is a championship mentality that this team has. It’s right to the end, whether we’re up, whether we’re down. I’ve been around enough winning teams. That’s what they have. If we can keep that as we keep improving things around here, we’ll be in good shape and we’ll have that kick at the can at some point.”
As for recruiting, Cole couldn’t talk about specific players but said:
“It’s been good. The way the recruiting cycle is with college hockey, the immediacy of it (is different).
“The long term issues in terms of the reception from advisors, the reception from NHL teams, the reception from players and coaches in the arenas has been outstanding. The more people see us play, they see the direction it’s going. The buzz and the interest has gotten better. It’s good.
“We are still trying to push it over the top. We want to be a destination school. Like Coach Mason said, you want to go out and elaluate and pick players as opposed to recruiting them. I don’t think we’re there yet but we are definitely moving in that direction. I think parents and student-athletes see the improvement that our players have made and if they want to move on it hockey, this is a great place to be.”
FUND RAISING & FACILITIES
Michigan State is expecting to break ground on renovations for Munn Ice Arena next fall, with donations still being pursued.
Cole said Michigan State has “about $10 million right now and we hope to have a couple of other large donations coming in so to get around the $12 million dollar range by June I don’t think will be an issue.
“Internally we know where the money is at. We will have some announcements coming in the near future. It’s moving in the right direction. We are finishing our fund-raising and we’re moving forward on the project.”
The renovation will include a Hall of History, similar to the one at Breslin Center, but most of the improvements will be geared toward the players - with recruiting and player development chief concerns.
Cole complimented Tom Izzo for helping encourage donations.
“Coach Izzo and Coach Dantonio are the front porch to our university,” Cole said. “They are influential people, nationally. Coach Izzo has been outstanding. He never hesitates to pick up a call in terms of fund-raising, and that includes hockey. When they were out in Arizona for the football game, there was a big group of people and he was out there working. He and Bill Beekman have met with people. He meets with people around here.
“It lends us a lot of credibility when he’s out there saying we’re doing the right things. He’s a big fan. He’s been a great mentor and supporter and invaluable for me in my first few years here.
“He talked a little bit about his vision at the A.D.’s luncheon (on Monday). He is all-hands-on-deck all the time for all sports."
Izzo was asked about his fund-raising work during MSU's press conference on Tuesday.
"I believe in Michigan State Univerisy and I believe in everything about it," Izzo said with a smile as he pounded a fist on the podium. "What’s not right, I hope I get a chance to help fix it. What is right, I hope I get a chance to help make better.
"I do think that hockey has needed an uplift. Some of our other sports have needed it and we have done some things; I see lights going in at baseball. Football needs some things and I’m going to try to help them on. I’m not going to help us (MSU basketball) on any of the facility things right now because somebody did a good job of helping us already and it’s my turn to help somebody else.
“I told you I’m on a new mission and that’s to win in basketball and to make this the greatest, safest, best university in the country and I’m going to do that until I’m done. And then I’ll probably do it after I’m done.”
WHAT’S NEXT
With two games remaining against Ohio State, the Spartans could finish anywhere from fifth to seventh in the Big Ten. If the season ended today, Michigan State would play a three-game series at Minnesota next week in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.
A first-round series for Michigan State at Notre Dame, Michigan or Penn State are also possibilities.
“The way we have approached everything all year is let’s just take care of everything we can for the next game and that plays into this weekend getting ready to play a tough Ohio State team,” Cole said. “We’ll show up Friday night and continue to get ourselves ready for the playoffs.”
Cole bullish about national title trek
Jim Comparoni • SpartanMag.com
@JimComparoni
EAST LANSING - Michigan State hockey will fall short of its goal to host a first-round playoff series but coach Danton Cole is as bullish as ever about the future.
The Spartans have made progress this year in skating with toughness and accountability for 60 minutes in most games, especially in the second half of the season. Michigan State hasn’t racked up as many wins as Cole was hoping for. The Spartans were a point away from second place in the Big Ten four weeks ago, but have slid back to seventh in the seven-team conference standings heading into the final weekend of the regular season.
Michigan State is 11-16-5 overall in Cole’s second season at the helm, and 7-11-4 in the Big Ten.
Michigan State will face first-place, No. 7-ranked Ohio State for a pair of games in Columbus, beginning tonight (6:30 p.m., BTN2GO) and finishing Saturday (5 p.m., BTN PLUS).
He feels the Spartans achieved his objective in being tough to play against, game-in and game-out -- something that could make Michigan State as dangerous as any team from second to seventh place in next week’s first round of the Big Ten Tournament.
But Cole wants more than just being a tough out.
“Being tough to play against, that’s not all you want to be, but I think that’s where you have to be able to start,” Cole said. “That’s kind of the ground floor and the process we want to go. We want to be a tough out every night and if we don’t come out and play with that attitude and mindset, we don’t win a game.
“But that’s not good enough. There’s not a place in the standings for moral victories.
“We’re playing the games to win. We want to have some momentum going forward. Our approach doesn’t change. We come out, and Friday is the game we’re worried about, and then it’s Saturday. That’ll be the same way in the playoffs, and after we win our fourth National Championship as a program, that’s the way we’re going to approach the next fall.”
After making that statement, a Lansing television reporter was surprised that Cole made the national championship prediction matter-of-factly.
“It’s when, not if,” Cole countered.
Why so confident?
“That’s the way I am,” Cole said. “I see what we have here. I think the commitment to the hockey program here, the history we have here, the players we are starting to attract, our staff - I think it’s here. We’re building toward that. It’s not a rebuild, it’s a build.
“We’ll keep moving in the right direction and if we get the right group of guys, and if they can have the right mindset and the battle that this group has, this is a championship mentality that this team has. It’s right to the end, whether we’re up, whether we’re down. I’ve been around enough winning teams. That’s what they have. If we can keep that as we keep improving things around here, we’ll be in good shape and we’ll have that kick at the can at some point.”
As for recruiting, Cole couldn’t talk about specific players but said:
“It’s been good. The way the recruiting cycle is with college hockey, the immediacy of it (is different).
“The long term issues in terms of the reception from advisors, the reception from NHL teams, the reception from players and coaches in the arenas has been outstanding. The more people see us play, they see the direction it’s going. The buzz and the interest has gotten better. It’s good.
“We are still trying to push it over the top. We want to be a destination school. Like Coach Mason said, you want to go out and elaluate and pick players as opposed to recruiting them. I don’t think we’re there yet but we are definitely moving in that direction. I think parents and student-athletes see the improvement that our players have made and if they want to move on it hockey, this is a great place to be.”
FUND RAISING & FACILITIES
Michigan State is expecting to break ground on renovations for Munn Ice Arena next fall, with donations still being pursued.
Cole said Michigan State has “about $10 million right now and we hope to have a couple of other large donations coming in so to get around the $12 million dollar range by June I don’t think will be an issue.
“Internally we know where the money is at. We will have some announcements coming in the near future. It’s moving in the right direction. We are finishing our fund-raising and we’re moving forward on the project.”
The renovation will include a Hall of History, similar to the one at Breslin Center, but most of the improvements will be geared toward the players - with recruiting and player development chief concerns.
Cole complimented Tom Izzo for helping encourage donations.
“Coach Izzo and Coach Dantonio are the front porch to our university,” Cole said. “They are influential people, nationally. Coach Izzo has been outstanding. He never hesitates to pick up a call in terms of fund-raising, and that includes hockey. When they were out in Arizona for the football game, there was a big group of people and he was out there working. He and Bill Beekman have met with people. He meets with people around here.
“It lends us a lot of credibility when he’s out there saying we’re doing the right things. He’s a big fan. He’s been a great mentor and supporter and invaluable for me in my first few years here.
“He talked a little bit about his vision at the A.D.’s luncheon (on Monday). He is all-hands-on-deck all the time for all sports."
Izzo was asked about his fund-raising work during MSU's press conference on Tuesday.
"I believe in Michigan State Univerisy and I believe in everything about it," Izzo said with a smile as he pounded a fist on the podium. "What’s not right, I hope I get a chance to help fix it. What is right, I hope I get a chance to help make better.
"I do think that hockey has needed an uplift. Some of our other sports have needed it and we have done some things; I see lights going in at baseball. Football needs some things and I’m going to try to help them on. I’m not going to help us (MSU basketball) on any of the facility things right now because somebody did a good job of helping us already and it’s my turn to help somebody else.
“I told you I’m on a new mission and that’s to win in basketball and to make this the greatest, safest, best university in the country and I’m going to do that until I’m done. And then I’ll probably do it after I’m done.”
WHAT’S NEXT
With two games remaining against Ohio State, the Spartans could finish anywhere from fifth to seventh in the Big Ten. If the season ended today, Michigan State would play a three-game series at Minnesota next week in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.
A first-round series for Michigan State at Notre Dame, Michigan or Penn State are also possibilities.
“The way we have approached everything all year is let’s just take care of everything we can for the next game and that plays into this weekend getting ready to play a tough Ohio State team,” Cole said. “We’ll show up Friday night and continue to get ourselves ready for the playoffs.”
