COACHMOSIS

Question: Why don't more (or some) NHL assistant coaches spin off into head coaches with other organizations?

Answer: I haven't the foggiest, that's why I asked you. Did you think this was rhetorical?

OK, here's a little perspective.

As the DMN trumpeted recently, both head coaches in the SBowl in Arizona (Tom Coughlin of the Giants and Bill Belichik in New England) were disciples of Big Bill. Proving once again that success leaves clues. So with that fact as the impetus for today's question/puzzle I tackle (strong pun, eh) this oddity head-on.

First up, there actually are some in existence who have lept from assistant to headmaster. Joel Quenneville in Colorado was once Marc Crawford's right hand man, and Dave Tippett was working at the elbow of Andy Murray in L.A. when the Stars came calling. But currently, that's it. And both men had prior head coach experience in the minors.

Which brings me to my second discovery. Being a head coach at the Junior or Minor Pro level seems to be a prerequisite. The rule seems to be - To be hired as a head coach one has to have been a head coach.(Gretzky excluded)

In football, being an Offensive or Defensive Coordinator is akin to being "head coach" of that particular sub-team. (Brilliant stuff I know)

Who would be today's best mentors?

Probably Hitchcock, Murray, Lemaire, Quenneville, Ruff, maybe even a guy like Keenan. And down the road - the Babcocks, Carbonneaus, MacTavishes of the world, and a few others.

And what about assistants that should one day be head guys? To be honest most of the best prospects are running their own shows in the AHL right now, not working in a subordinate role on an NHL bench. They are names like Dineen, McGill, Buchberger, and Anderson. (And, having Bruce Boudreau do what he's doing in Washington serves them well)

Assistants that could jump to head coach elsewhere? Hmmmm.

Jim Playfair (But that's cheating - he's been a head coach in the NHL and AHL)

Ulf Samuelsson - Phoenix
Mark Hardy - Chicago
Brad McCrimmon - Atlanta
Brent Peterson - Nashville

Maybe Kirk Muller - Montreal, and John Mclean - New Jersey

I've excluded the Stars coaches in all of this - too blatant and homerish.

Bottom line, there are excellent hockey men currently serving as NHL assistants but without head coaching on the resume' they are destined to stand at the back of very long lines when head jobs open up.