04/19/24
November 14, 2008
Tampa Bay no longer Melrose's place.: The Tampa Bay Lightning fire first-year head coach Barry Melrose after just a month and a half. The Lightning take a gamble on Rick Tocchet for the interim.
Melrose's hair, however, has taken a position in the front office.
posted by The_Black_Hand at 06:17 PM on November 14, 2008
Nice one tt. And with that, I'll put my money on April 3rd 2009.
posted by Miles1996 at 06:19 PM on November 14, 2008
How could Melrose be so bad that he gets fired after 16 games? Doesn't this hurt his ability to go back to being a TV broadcaster, since he's demonstrated he knows so little about the game?
posted by rcade at 06:50 AM on November 15, 2008
I don't know that it was his knowledge of hockey, as much as it was his inability to get the players to buy into his philosophy. Some reports indicate he never really got the respect of his players.
Of course, the Lightning front office is full of dead-from-the-neck-up douchebags, so that could've played a role, too.
posted by The_Black_Hand at 01:08 PM on November 15, 2008
Tampa has looked like a poorly coached team all season. They're talented, they just don't seem to be on the same page at all. If, after 16 games, that's still happening, you need to cut the coach.
Their win/loss is bad, granted, but it's easy to see the team needs someone to put them all on the same page. Melrose wasn't the guy.
posted by dfleming at 01:19 PM on November 15, 2008
Some reports indicate he had no philosophy for the players to buy into.
posted by Mookieproof at 01:31 PM on November 15, 2008
How can you fire someone for "philosophical differences" when you knew what he was before you hired him? Nice observation about the TB front office, TBH.
posted by Howard_T at 04:00 PM on November 15, 2008
Well, Rick was the odd-on favourite to take over as head coach.
Anyone want to tak a bet on how successful he'll be?