Who should be the next head coach?

[Sdrawkcab321]

I mean it isn't the time to rush. The pre-season is sill 2 months away and the Jackets are the only team without a coach, so they are bidding against themselves. After the Babcock debacle, it is more important than normal to get this right. As long as it is done by the end of July, there will be plenty of time for the coach to get ready for the preseason.

We’re way behind everyone else right now. This delay tells me they don’t like any of the coaches that are available.

 

[Doggy]

I mean it isn't the time to rush. The pre-season is sill 2 months away and the Jackets are the only team without a coach, so they are bidding against themselves. After the Babcock debacle, it is more important than normal to get this right. As long as it is done by the end of July, there will be plenty of time for the coach to get ready for the preseason.

While this might be true regarding the head coach, the longer this goes the harder it’s going to be for the new hire to find his own assistants.

 

[majormajor]

I’m of the belief that since Babcock willingly resigned, an agreement between him and the team, he was given a one time payment to go away. It wasn’t a termination/relieving of duties where he gets paid throughout the tenure of the contract like Larsen was. It was a one time payment, probably a substantial one at that.

But yeah, I’m of the belief that just Vincent is on payroll for former coaches right now.

What was Babcock's contract? Something in the $10m-$20m range?

He maybe got half of it for going away. Otherwise he could have just said go ahead and fire me and received the whole thing. I don't think there were grounds to terminate the contract.

 

[Sdrawkcab321]

What was Babcock's contract? Something in the $10m-$20m range?

He maybe got half of it for going away. Otherwise he could have just said go ahead and fire me and received the whole thing. I don't think there were grounds to terminate the contract.

It was like 2 years 3M per

 

[CBJWerenski8]

What was Babcock's contract? Something in the $10m-$20m range?

He maybe got half of it for going away. Otherwise he could have just said go ahead and fire me and received the whole thing. I don't think there were grounds to terminate the contract.

Two years, 4 million per season according to the dispatch. So 8M total.

My guess is he probably got at least half to walk away.

 

[koteka]

Otherwise he could have just said go ahead and fire me and received the whole thing. I don't think there were grounds to terminate the contract.

I think they could have fired him with cause if he was asking to see phones. It just would have taken forever and involved lawyers and brought more attention to the situation. I agree they probably paid him 50-60% to go away and he probably accepted because he didn’t want any more information to come out about him.

 

[KJ Dangler]

We’re way behind everyone else right now. This delay tells me they don’t like any of the coaches that are available.

What delay ? Waddell has flat out said it will be a deliberate process , and there is no rush , as we are the only team hiring a head coach right now .

 

[KJ Dangler]

Two years, 4 million per season according to the dispatch. So 8M total.

My guess is he probably got at least half to walk away.

Not a chance they paid that amount .. he was on the job 2 mos … any substantial payment he would have demanded they would have fought and won in court , as well as public opinion …which seems to be everything these days . The league was going to take action , with his history , you can guarantee there were clauses he had to live up to in that contract , which it appears he broke right away , and resigned . We will probably never know the full details , regardless they are paying 1 coach , which is Pascal … and I can’t imagine Waddell taking this job without assurances they pay what is necessary to win .

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Not a chance they paid that amount .. he was on the job 2 mos … any substantial payment amount and they would have fought and won in court , as well as public opinion …which seems to be everything these days . The league was going to take action , with his history , you can guarantee there were clauses he had to live up to in that contract , which it appears he broke right away , and resigned .

If public opinion truly mattered, Babcock wouldn’t have gotten hired in the first place.

I have no idea about what was paid out or what, but I do remember from last year that Babcock was emphatic that he did nothing wrong. And if thats how he felt, then stepping down was probably not something he wanted to do unless incentivized. If he felt it was a wrongful termination, that’s a dragged out process through courts. The jackets wanted to cut the cord and quickly. They probably paid more than you think, but maybe not as much as I think. We’ll never know.

 

[majormajor]

I think they could have fired him with cause if he was asking to see phones. It just would have taken forever and involved lawyers and brought more attention to the situation. I agree they probably paid him 50-60% to go away and he probably accepted because he didn’t want any more information to come out about him.

I can't think of what sort of rule would cover asking to see phones, especially as Babcock can credibly describe it as a way of getting to know each other.

 

[koteka]

I can't think of what sort of rule would cover asking to see phones, especially as Babcock can credibly describe it as a way of getting to know each other.

We Americans value our privacy and there are all sorts of federal and state laws (which employers frequently violate) protecting workers. This would get tied up in courts, and would not be quickly solved. (Now who would bring it to courts? The players have standing. The team might have standing, but Babcock’s attorneys would argue he did nothing wrong if the players didn’t file a lawsuit against the team which would then determine if he did something wrong.) There would be all sorts of fun sidebars (did this happen at NWA, which is publicly or quasi-publicly owned so does that bring the 4th Amendment in, etc.) But generally in America your employer cannot demand to see your personal phone messages. Now the question is did the new coach (a person in authority) asking a player (employee) to see the phone constitute demanding to see the phone? Most Americans would say yes. Anywho, neither the Jackets and Babcock would want this to go to trial.

 

[Jovavic]

It must really be summer if we're relitigating the Babcock bullshit

 

[GoJackets1]

It would be genuinely hilarious if tomorrow the team announces they have hired Blashill. But seriously, it's nice our beat writer has caught up with everyone else, including my grandmother who does watch hockey.

You have a weird idea of what is hilarious

 

[CBJWerenski8]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1811079025256772052

 

[Sdrawkcab321]

Cheap bastards

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

It must really be summer if we're relitigating the Babcock bullshit

But it wasn't litigated. That's the point.

 

[CannonFire1]

If public opinion truly mattered, Babcock wouldn’t have gotten hired in the first place.

I have no idea about what was paid out or what, but I do remember from last year that Babcock was emphatic that he did nothing wrong. And if thats how he felt, then stepping down was probably not something he wanted to do unless incentivized. If he felt it was a wrongful termination, that’s a dragged out process through courts. The jackets wanted to cut the cord and quickly. They probably paid more than you think, but maybe not as much as I think. We’ll never know.

There is no way Babcock wanted that kind of media circus, especially when it became clear many across the hockey world (and not just in Columbus) wanted to see him gone. Even if he won in court he would still lose in the court of public opinion. Why wouldn't he just pocket $500k or $1,000,000 and go sit in his tree stand or take his wife on a nice trip?

 

[MissADD]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1811079025256772052

So I think McLellan was the 1st choice.

 

[GoJackets1]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1811079025256772052

Knew it

 

[Indy18]

So I think McLellan was the 1st choice.

Oh at this point looks to be so and why there hasn't been an announcement. The contract negotiations fell apart and unless ownership ponies up for more money then back to square one.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1811083532602655131

 

[Cowumbus]

We are poor

 

[Sdrawkcab321]

If you have to pass on a coach because of money issues you shouldn’t own a team

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

The “couple of these guys are technically still under contract” thing really just came out in the last couple days. Surely there must be other explanations why this could be complicated and held up other than “cheap ownership.” Right?

 

[Crede777]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1811083532602655131

So either it's that Todd McLellan wants more than his current salary with LA of $5.5 million / year. In which case what a greedy bastard.

Or it's that the CBJ are unwilling to pay his current salary with LA of $5.5 million/year for next year and the years beyond. In which case what cheap bastards.