Mailbag: How are NCAA general managers different from the CHL/NHL, and should the recruiting calendar change?
Plus: RPI adding an assistant coach, Lowell close to a hire, note on Michigan, age-based eligibility, and more
Before we get into today’s mailbag, top prospect for the 2027 NHL Draft, Landon DuPont, committed to Michigan today. We have some questions pertaining to DuPont that were submitted this afternoon. I just wanted to make sure readers had that context.
Opening Faceoff
Today’s issue of College Hockey Insider is a mailbag. The topics include:
Should college hockey push back its recruiting timeline?
Did Landon DuPont consider Harvard after Rob Rassey was hired?
Who will Rassey target for assistant coaches?
How are NCAA general managers different from NHL/CHL general managers? Do they have hiring/firing power?
When will my preseason previews begin?
Who are the next big prospects that could commit now that Landon DuPont has chosen Michigan.
Other topics in today’s issue include:
RPI is hiring a new assistant coach to replace the spot that opened when Karlis Zirnis departed last summer.
Notes on the assistant opening at UMass Lowell, and speculation on where Brandon Naurato might turn to fill the vacancy on his staff.
The Division I Cabinet officially approved age-based eligibility this week.
Plus, more notes on a GM title at Denver and a new AD for Alaska Anchorage.
Mailbag: How are NCAA general managers different from the CHL/NHL, and should the recruiting calendar change?
Q. The teams that have named general managers, do they operate the same as NHL general managers? Or CHL general managers? Are they responsible for signing players? Obviously, there are no trades. But do they have hiring and firing power over the coaching staff?
No.
College GMs are essentially assistant coaches who are responsible for the construction of the roster. Fifteen years ago, there were some teams who designated one of their assistant coaches the “recruiting coordinator” as a way to give them a more meaningful title. It’s the same principle.
It’s different than the juniors and the pros, and I can understand the confusion (especially if you are more familiar with the NHL or CHL). But college GMs actually report to the head coach, not the other way around.
At the NCAA level, the head coach is ultimately responsible for everything operationally within the program.
