McCutcheon quits as National Team Coach!

[mplssetter]

Feb 20, 2011 2:35:54 GMT -5 @bunnywailer said:

All-Rec League #11 doesn't know what the heck he's talking about. He went to one USA exhibition match and saw Logan Tom roll her eyes at something, and from that was able to determine everything he knows about her not being able to fit into Hugh's system.

lol

[dcoach]

No matter how good this is for Hugh and his family, it is bad for USA volleyball. Why doesn't the job come with a quadrennial commitment and a non-compete clause, if we want the coach to stick around. No spin is going to convince me that the program will be stronger because of this.

[sevb]

GoBOB... well said!! But the sarcastic side of me likes it way better when you respond "shut your ignorant mouth-you ignorant moron!!". Those always make me snicker

[siddhartha]

Time out. I haven't seen any official statements. Why is it assumed the he made the decision to quit? Isn't entirely plausible that the NT did want a coach with divided allegiance? The initial coaching announcement said there would be an interim coach, so it sounds like he had every intention of fulfilling his obligation. Maybe they drove this decision rather than him.

[vbfamily]

I've heard many referenced to "buying into Hugh's system". Can anyone do kind of a Cliff Notes version of what this is? Is it like the GMS thing or something?

[sevb]

Feb 20, 2011 10:23:43 GMT -5 vbfamily said:

I've heard many referenced to "buying into Hugh's system". Can anyone do kind of a Cliff Notes version of what this is? Is it like the GMS thing or something?

Please dont mention the system known as... well... I cant mention it... but you did... Once you drink the kool-aid its all over... Good Luck...

[Not Me]

It's a tough situation for all involved.

I'm sure it was a tough decision for Hugh. Family vs career is always a tough balance.

USAV doesn't really have a coach in waiting at a time when the wnt needs someone to be able to step in right away. I think that team was poised to do very well in 2012 and now they have so many questions to answer quickly.

Too bad for Laura. She was HC of Min for what, a week?

[sevb]

That would make for an interesting read on her next job application!
Reason for leaving last job: I got replaced by Hugh after a week... wtf!

[azvb]

You know what I've learned this morning? I really don't care that much how about National Team, or International volleyball in general. I mean, I watch every 4 years, I want the USA to win, but that's about as far as it goes. I don't like the International sub rule, the libero no serve rule, the "you gotta wear a skimpy bikini rule" (do they still have the bun hugger rule?), the ugly referee uniforms, etc.

My husband owns a CPA firm. He hired "John" 5 years ago. John was single He spent a lot of money sending to training the last 2 years to be an auditor. Part of John's job was to do out-of-town audits. John gets married 2 years ago, and his wife had a baby around Halloween, his father died last year and his mother is quite ill. Guess what? John found a job with a little less pay, but no travel. He gave 2 weeks notice, just as tax season is starting. Puts my husband in a bind, puts the whole office in a bind. But my husband told him, "Your kids grow up so fast - I don't blame you. Husband and father is the most important job you will ever have" Yes, it would have been nice if he could have stuck it out through tax season, but the job was available now, so he jumped.

The women on the NT are making good money. If they don't medal, they will still make good money and have all the swag that goes with being on the NT. Hugh gave a lot of good years, he probably made a decent living, he owes them nothing, they owe him nothing. Now, if he starts the "Larry Brown" team switch-er-roo thing, I'll think he's a jerk. But IMHO, he's on Santa's good list.

[nine4life]

Feb 19, 2011 23:00:06 GMT -5 @khitt said:

Disgusted?

Let me preface this by stating that my opinion has nothing to do with USA volleyball:

Hugh McCutcheon may be one of the finest human beings I have come across. He cares about his family, his friends, and his career. it is my opinion that Hugh wanted to be with his family and his newborn son rather than travel the world and not be there for the first two years of that little boy's life. Have any of you considered that? I find it crude and obscene that anybody would denounce Hugh for leaving the WNT for a job that will allow him to raise his son and be with his family.

Why not just wish him luck and applaud the man for wanting to be with his family?

thank you, the man deserve to make his own life decisions

[vbc1]

As I read this thread last night, I, along with just about everyone else, was surprised to hear his decision. HOWEVER, there is not ONE part of me that is mad at Hugh. GoBB put it best when he mentioned about the years he has spent with USAV, and his dedication to the program as a whole. For all of you posters out there that are butt-hurt over this, you are just ignorant. Yes, we all would like him to finish out the quad, cause you never know what could have happened. But, jeezus people, get a grip! You act like Hugh leaving is similar to a boy going home and taking his ball with him. Some of you think that Hugh leaving will make the team better, and although I say different, you are free to have your opinion. Besides, you never know who is going to be there next. However, I am going to guess that it will be someone that has the same philosophy and coaching style. USAV will not just bring in some random coach during this time. And NO, JLP is NOT the answer, and hopefully she will not be asked back.
And, GoBB is right again, the Olympics is NOT the best tournament. Its only the best marketed tournament for America. If we took volleyball half as seriously as the rest of the world, we would totally get behind the World League matches and fill up 10K seat arenas like everyone else does. But hey, most of America thinks 'why go to a volley game when you can watch jersey shore?' but I digress....
Minnesota hired the right coach, USAV is bummed they lost a great ambassador and coach, and the team will inevitably adjust. Build a bridge, get over it, and move on with your life. Seriously

[808]

Feb 20, 2011 10:50:09 GMT -5 azvb said:

You know what I've learned this morning? I really don't care that much how about National Team, or International volleyball in general. I mean, I watch every 4 years, I want the USA to win, but that's about as far as it goes. I don't like the International sub rule, the libero no serve rule, the "you gotta wear a skimpy bikini rule" (do they still have the bun hugger rule?), the ugly referee uniforms, etc.

My husband owns a CPA firm. He hired "John" 5 years ago. John was single He spent a lot of money sending to training the last 2 years to be an auditor. Part of John's job was to do out-of-town audits. John gets married 2 years ago, and his wife had a baby around Halloween, his father died last year and his mother is quite ill. Guess what? John found a job with a little less pay, but no travel. He gave 2 weeks notice, just as tax season is starting. Puts my husband in a bind, puts the whole office in a bind. But my husband told him, "Your kids grow up so fast - I don't blame you. Husband and father is the most important job you will ever have" Yes, it would have been nice if he could have stuck it out through tax season, but the job was available now, so he jumped.

The women on the NT are making good money. If they don't medal, they will still make good money and have all the swag that goes with being on the NT. Hugh gave a lot of good years, he probably made a decent living, he owes them nothing, they owe him nothing. Now, if he starts the "Jerry Brown*" team switch-er-roo thing, I'll think he's a jerk. But IMHO, he's on Santa's good list.

*That's the guy who switches NBA/College/NBA/College, right?

I think you meant Larry Brown.

[volleyinsiders]

Here is my take on this whole thing.

The original press release says the following, "McCutcheon will continue to fulfill his current obligations with USA Volleyball and join the Gophers as their full-time head coach at a mutually agreed upon date in the future."

Even on the USAV press release this is what Doug said, "We always want the best for our employees and we are trying to develop a win-win situation that works for USA Volleyball, Hugh and his family and the University of Minnesota,” USA Volleyball Chief Executive Officer Doug Beal said. “We value very much Hugh as a coach of our U.S. Women’s National Team and want what is best for him in the long-term. Hugh has been remarkably successful and we hope that success can continue. But ultimately, we want what is best for Hugh.”

To me both of those statements were signals that this was in the works. The first said nothing about Hugh staying with the team through 2012. The second to me even sounded like Doug saying thanks Hugh, best of luck in the future. Does anyone else think this way?

Hugh is a great coach. Coaching the USA women is a completely different ball game than coaching the men. I wonder if Hugh frankly got tired of dealing with all these different personalities and attitudes? Or if it really was a family issue? Either way, it really doesn't matter anyways. Hugh is going to do what is best for him, Wiz, and their family. Any negative talk posted on here about him or his decision by anyone is just dumb. GrandBOB is 100% right in that regard. Hugh is a great person, after all the years invested in coaching in the NCAA and for Team USA, Hugh deserves all the respect in the world.

USAV now needs to focus on the transition of hiring the next coach. I think first in line are Karch and Weishoff. I would say Weishoff before Karch and Karch stays on as the assistant. Her job at UCI would probably wait for her and it really is just a year and a half commitment. But that being said I wouldn't be surprised to see Karch hired and to see him do a good job. I guess time will tell...

[volleyguy]

1. Hugh is a good coach, a very good person.

2. He got a bit too much credit for the gold medal. In the run up to the Olympics, USA was not favored to medal. He missed the pool play, but the players, especially the vets like Tom Hoff, rallied the team to win it for him and USA.

3. Everyone knew that the reason he was given the Women's job was to transition to college. No one should be surprised that he is leaving, at whatever juncture. Besides, his contract was reported to be a 7 year deal at $150,000.

4. Players have to adjust to different systems at whatever professional team they play. Hugh's passing technique is the most problematic aspect of his system.

5. Neither Karch, Weishoff nor Morrisson are good choices. Karch is Karch, but he lacks the patience (although not the discipline). Have you ever had a long conversation with Paula Weishoff? It's like a day yelling into the Grand Canyon. Jamie Morrison is a statistician.

6. The next coach will need to worry less about teaching a particular system they favor, and instead figure out a system that gets the most out of the current players.

[paloalto]

Feb 20, 2011 2:07:38 GMT -5 @bunnywailer said:

You know, it's threads like this one and the ignorant posters posting their opinions and passing them off as "truth" that initially makes me respond the way I do sometimes.

So, this time I will respond like a "normal" poster and show all of you how wrong you are.

First of all, many of you are ONLY posting about Hugh's involvement with the USA Women's NT, and questioning his "commitment" or "inability to get along with USAV" and dogging him for it. All of you have very short memories. Hugh has been involved with the National Teams for over 10 years and 3 quadrennials. If that's not commitment then I don't know what is.

Many of you forget that his father-in-law was murdered a few days after the Beijing Olympics started. He missed all of pool-play because of this terrible tragedy. The fact that he was able to return at all and help coach his team to a Gold Medal is still one of the most amazing stories to come out of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Who can forget the image of Hugh, overcome with emotion, running into the tunnel after the last point of the Gold Medal match was over and the USA had won, trying to compose himself through an entire spectrum of emotions.

Hugh McCutcheon has given so much to USA Volleyball. That anyone would even question his integrity is beyond me.

Secondly, all of you that are posting negative comments about Hugh have probably never even met him or talked with him AT ALL. Those of us who have know that he is truly one of the most genuine and grounded people in the volleyball world. After giving so many years of his life to this sport at its highest level, is it wrong for him to now to start thinking more about himself and his family first? Absolutely not.

Finally, unless your Hugh himself posting here anonymously, or Doug Beal doing the same, then you absolutely don't know the whole story. So don't pretend to know. For whatever the reason he is leaving in the middle of this quad, I am sure it is important enough that both Hugh and the "USAV Staff" are willing to allow him to opt out of whatever contract he signed to serve as Women's NT through this quadrennial.

Is it less than optimum that he is leaving mid-quadrennial? Yes. Is it something that can be overcome? Absolutely. I am sure that whoever takes the reins of the Women's NT will be a good choice and will do their best job to get the team prepared.

Finally, all of you fairly ignorant posters seem to think that all the National Teams do is spend 4 years getting ready for the next Olympics. That is absolutely not true. In fact, the Olympics is not even the best international tournament, competition-wise, that the FIVB can hold. Only 12 teams play in the Olympics, and because of zonal qualifications and the host nation receiving an automatic bid, it's not even the 12 best teams in the world. The World Cup and World Grand Prix and World Championships are much more prestigious and competitive FIVB tournaments. The USA Women have alot more competition to worry about between now and 2012 than just the London Olympics.

The current state of the USA Women is one of transition, anyway. You have a team that has lost many of their most senior players from the last quadrennial - players who had been with the team for over 10 years, and in the case of Dani Scott, 4 Olympics. Even if McCutcheon had stayed through the entire quadrennial, there was no guarantee of success. You don't just slap together a team of collegiate superstars and then go POOF! Gold Medal.

One of Hugh's biggest strengths is his ability to get the best out of his athletes, and effect a culture change where the athletes who play for him are able to maintain their individuality, while still understanding the framework of what the team is trying to accomplish and what their stake is in this process. He is a player's coach. He has already done alot to improve the women's team even in relatively short time he has been the head coach. The program is in solid shape right now. He is not leaving the cupboard bare - he has assembled a good core group of athletes in the pipeline, done a great job giving everybody a look, and has also assembled into place a very solid coaching staff that will hopefully stay on even through this transition. Hopefully, whoever steps in to take his place can continue that philosophy and complete the work that he started.

I wish Hugh the best at Minnesota. He is a great coach and even better person. Anyone who posts negative stuff on this thread needs to get over it. He deserves to do what is best for himself and his family at this point in his life. He owes nobody an explanation. He is a gold-medal winning Olympic Coach. How many of those do we have in this country? Exactly three.

I think everyone remembers the tragedy at the last Olympics. I admired Hugh’s commitment to the men’s team. I am sure everyone admired Hugh’s commitment to the team.

However, the fact remains in 2011 Hugh broke his commitment to coach the WNT through the 2012 Olympics. Hugh broke his commitment to the women players and he broke his commitment to USAV. The only scenario in which this wouldn’t hold true is if USAV got fed up with Hugh’s wavering and asked him to leave.

Who knows what Hugh’s reasons were? If Minnesota decided to increase their offer and Hugh chased after the big bucks, I am fine with that. Whatever Hugh’s motivation, a commitment was broken and at least for the moment it has negative consequences on the WNT program.