EagleOutsider.com

University of Massachusetts Men's Ice Hockey Head Coach Don "Toot" Cahoon has stepped down from his position as announced by Director of Athletics John McCutcheon Tuesday.

"Through the course of our recent conversations, coach Cahoon and I mutually agreed that it would be in the program's best interest for him to take this action at this time," McCutcheon said. "I want to thank coach Cahoon for his many contributions to UMass and the community. He has positioned the program well for future success, both on and off the ice, and we are excited to continue to build on the foundation that he has put in place."

"It's been an honor to coach and work with so many fine student-athletes over the last 12 years here at UMass," Cahoon said. "Their efforts and the efforts of the faculty, staff and community members will be fond memories of my time here at Massachusetts. I look forward to the continued growth and development of this program so that it will sustain itself at the most elite level within Hockey East. The privilege has been all mine."

Cahoon recently completed his 12th season in Amherst with a 166-225-42 record. His 166 victories are the most in program history. He has compiled a 333-380-73 mark in 25 years as a head coach, which includes a stint at Princeton from 1991-2000, Norwich University from 1979-82 and Lehigh from 1973-74.

In 2011-12, he led the Minutemen to a 13-18-5 mark and a their tenth-consecutive berth in the Hockey East playoffs.

Cahoon took the program to new levels nationally and in Hockey East. In 2007-08, UMass earned its highest national ranking ever, No. 5, after early-season victories over Notre Dame and Colorado College in the Lightning College Hockey Classic Championship.

It was the second time under Cahoon that the Minutemen had been ranked among the top seven teams in the country (the previous high ranking was No. 7 in 2003). Along with that, the Marblehead, Mass., native took UMass to its first ever NCAA Tournament in 2006-07 where the Mass Attack defeated Clarkson in the first round.

Four of the seven All-Americans in program history have come during Cahoon's time in Amherst: Thomas Pock (2004), Jonathan Quick (2007), James Marcou (2009) and Justin Braun (2010).

A national search for the program's 13th head coach will begin immediately.

Cavanaugh To Interview At UMass
JUNE 23, 2012
Sources have indicated to FTT that Boston College Associated Head Coach Mike Cavanaugh has landed an interview for the UMass head coaching vacancy. It’s unknown when that interview will take place. Cavanaugh, Jerry York’s top assistant for years, of course has been rumored in nearly every coaching opening in the Northeast in recent years and was a finalist for both the Providence and Northeastern jobs last offseason. Prior to that he interviewed for the positions at both Ohio State and Brown. For whatever reason however Cavanaugh hasn’t been able to secure any of the positions he has pursued. We’ll see if his luck changes with UMass. Though Cavanaugh has been at the Heights for a long time, his early career there did not overlap with the time when UMass AD John McCutcheon was an assistant AD there.

DuchesneEast {l Wrote}:I wonder why Cavanaugh keeps getting passed up.

claver2010 {l Wrote}:

DuchesneEast {l Wrote}:I wonder why Cavanaugh keeps getting passed up.

I think it's a fair question.

The optimistic BC fan in me thinks that schools wonder how long York has left and know that Cav would be a serious candidate to replace him

claver2010 {l Wrote}:Quick update:

Dennehy (BC grad at Mack) is their #1. Whether they would be able to pry him away, I doubt it. Merrimack ponied up after NU tried to grab him last summer and I'd view NU as a more desirable job than Zoomas.

They interviewed former Lake Superior St coach Frank Anzalone (led them to a championship in 88) but he's a long shot. They also have interest in current Quinnipiac coach.

bignick33 {l Wrote}:UMass isn't paying well for this job. I'd be shocked if they got Dennehy.

claver2010 {l Wrote}:Holy cross coach turns down umass

This is going about as well as a gene search, onto plan J

At the salary theyre offering, it's simply not that attractive of a job

claver2010 {l Wrote}:I know this crowd will appreciate this, he turned it down for 'family reasons'

claver2010 {l Wrote}:According to ushr, cav has pulled his name out as he is, 'frustrated by the process thus far'

Report: Vermont assistant Micheletto taking UMass coaching post
USCHO Staff Report • July 15, 2012

It appears the search is over for Massachusetts.

According to the Daily Hampshire Gazette, Vermont associate head coach John Micheletto has accepted the Minutemen’s offer and could be introduced as the school’s new head coach as soon as Monday.

Micheletto attended high school in Massachusetts at Milton Academy and graduated in 1990 from Dartmouth.

Micheletto, who has been at UVM since the 2003-04 season, coached prep school hockey in Pennsylvania before breaking into college coaching with stints at Union, under current Vermont coach Kevin Sneddon, and Notre Dame under former coach Dave Poulin.

UMass has been looking for a head coach since Don “Toot” Cahoon stepped down in June and Quinnipiac’s Rand Pecknold, Holy Cross’ Paul Pearl and USHL coach Mark Carlson all reportedly turned down offers to take over behind the the Minutemen bench.

claver2010 {l Wrote}:UMass apparently has found their man, UVM asst John Micheletto

http://www.uscho.com/2012/07/15/report-vermont-assistant-micheletto-taking-umass-coaching-post/

Report: Vermont assistant Micheletto taking UMass coaching post
USCHO Staff Report • July 15, 2012

It appears the search is over for Massachusetts.

According to the Daily Hampshire Gazette, Vermont associate head coach John Micheletto has accepted the Minutemen’s offer and could be introduced as the school’s new head coach as soon as Monday.

Micheletto attended high school in Massachusetts at Milton Academy and graduated in 1990 from Dartmouth.

Micheletto, who has been at UVM since the 2003-04 season, coached prep school hockey in Pennsylvania before breaking into college coaching with stints at Union, under current Vermont coach Kevin Sneddon, and Notre Dame under former coach Dave Poulin.

UMass has been looking for a head coach since Don “Toot” Cahoon stepped down in June and Quinnipiac’s Rand Pecknold, Holy Cross’ Paul Pearl and USHL coach Mark Carlson all reportedly turned down offers to take over behind the the Minutemen bench.

AdamBC {l Wrote}:

claver2010 {l Wrote}:UMass apparently has found their man, UVM asst John Micheletto

http://www.uscho.com/2012/07/15/report-vermont-assistant-micheletto-taking-umass-coaching-post/

Report: Vermont assistant Micheletto taking UMass coaching post
USCHO Staff Report • July 15, 2012

It appears the search is over for Massachusetts.

According to the Daily Hampshire Gazette, Vermont associate head coach John Micheletto has accepted the Minutemen’s offer and could be introduced as the school’s new head coach as soon as Monday.

Micheletto attended high school in Massachusetts at Milton Academy and graduated in 1990 from Dartmouth.

Micheletto, who has been at UVM since the 2003-04 season, coached prep school hockey in Pennsylvania before breaking into college coaching with stints at Union, under current Vermont coach Kevin Sneddon, and Notre Dame under former coach Dave Poulin.

UMass has been looking for a head coach since Don “Toot” Cahoon stepped down in June and Quinnipiac’s Rand Pecknold, Holy Cross’ Paul Pearl and USHL coach Mark Carlson all reportedly turned down offers to take over behind the the Minutemen bench.

At the rate this is going, how long until this is announced to be inaccurate and the search will continue?