By Meredith Perri/DFP Staff
After 15 seasons on the coaching staff of the Boston University men’s hockey team, associate head coach Mike Bavis has resigned, according to U.S. Hockey Report.
Bavis’ resignation comes approximately two months after Jack Parker announced his retirement and BU named David Quinn as the new head coach of the Terriers.
Following Parker’s announcement on March 11, Bavis said he felt he was very qualified for the head coaching position.
“Over the years I’ve had to handle the team on Coach’s behalf [while Parker was out for medical reasons],” Bavis said. “I feel pretty confident the players have responded to me. In some ways I think I’m a little more uniquely positioned to deal with this. As the last couple of years have shown, this is more than just a hockey job.”
When BU announced Quinn as the new head coach on March 26, Quinn was asked if he was concerned about how Bavis’ would react to not getting the job.
“I don’t think there will be anything to smooth over,” Quinn said. “Mike and I have been in a long, long relationship before either one of us got into coaching, so it’s something that Mike and I will certainly handle in the way we normally handle all of our life situations, and I’m looking forward to talking with him.”
Bavis became the associate head coach four seasons ago. Prior to that, he worked as an assistant coach for a decade and played for the Terriers from 1989-93. During his time playing, BU won three Beanpots, won one Hockey East title and participated in four NCAA tournaments.
In the beginning of the 2012-13 season, Bavis filled in as head coach during a home-and-home sweep of the University of Massachusetts while Parker dealt with a sore back.
Loved the guy as a player. As a coach/ recruiter? Not so much. I know Parker had to push him to go out and find talent and that talent resulted in too many Hohman like hockey types.Why did BC get so far ahead of us in talent? Bavis was responsible for this downturn to a large extent. Hope Quinn gets a great recruiter and we can move on.
This comment isn’t just ignorant, it’s Bachmann-Gohmert ignorant.
Truth hurts-doesn’t it-Bavis was in charge of bringing in the Top talent since Quinn left in 09′-he just didn’t do it!!-look at the talent Quinn brought in from 04′-09′, huge -immense difference….fact- not fiction…I think he WILL do it again.
So sad that DQ tossed aside Bavis like an injured player just because he was afraid of an ambitious assistant.
I don’t know how you think you know so much. Things may be a lot different than you assume.
To me, the Obvious choice both in terms of knowing his Xs & Os, his love for being a Terrier, and his ability to talk the talk about being a late round pick – arriving at BU without even a full scholarship coming his way until Christmas break of his Freshman season – and turning a reputation for being a “Tight End on Skates” into a thousand game NHL career would be Michael Grier. Chris Connolly meets Chris Drury would be the best way to describe Grier in that he has the internal character barometer that I have ONLY seen Connolly come anywhere near Grier in terms of doing the right thing not because an important scout or columnist it might have been pointed out prior to the drop of the Puck and yet Grier does not change his demeanor one iota to try to impress a scout or a reporter. He is Mike Grier through and through.
Grier is BY FAR the most eloquent speaker of any of the former Terriers (granted, a relatively low bar but I could just as easily have said he is BY FAR the most eloquent speaker of any current or former Division 1 NCAA hockey or Any Current or former NHL Hockey Player – a substantially larger pool and when you incorporate the ECAC/ Ivy League players you have Medical Doctors and Rhodes Scholars among those Grier is still without a second thought a more eloquent speaker than!” In short, Grier epitomizes what it is to maximize being a student-athlete, he can recruit a city kid from Charleston or Southie just as easily as he can land a young man from the suburbs, and his fourteen years in the NHL including four in Buffalo, Two with Quebec, and Six at the onset with Edmonton and he can “Parlez Vous Francais” with the best of ‘em if needed for a kid like Alex Chiasson.) Grier is very much his father’s son – a man with moral conviction that truly makes sense why he would sit at a Lunch Counter Peacefully and believe that MLK’s civil rights solution of non-violence was the best way to achieve equality.
I think that Bavis became Toxic once Jack Parker had to resign his associate AD slot after the all-night party with players having sex in the Penalty Box following the 2009 NCAA title. If that was an isolated incident, Bavis could have survived. Combine that with the multiple infractions of the Saponari bros including the night when about a third of the team got arrested off the MBTA and thrown into the drunk tank, the sexual entitlement attitude that private reports said were pervasive within certain cliques on the hockey team and that led to arrests of Corey Trivino (a recidivist offender) and Max MiCastro – NOT one you would have expected to fall into the Misconduct group – and it was clear that WHOEVER replaced Parker had to have been elsewhere at least for part of that time. I frankly was surprised that Quinn being an assistant on that Title Winning team that mysteriously wound up with the Agganis keys was not a disqualifier, but somehow there was just enough distance between Quinn and the string of incidents.
The Coaches who just finished 3rd at the IIHF worlds are the Coaches with whom he was most recently working for the Avalanche including Joe Sacco – a former Terrier – whose stock had plummeted after three straight subpar seasons with Colorado, ONLY to be the surprise team of The World Championships as Head Coach leading his Team USA to a HUGE upset quarter-final over Russia at John Gibson stoned Ovechkin on a split in the first minute and USA went on to beat Russia 8 to 3. So Sacco is certainly a hot commodity and would likely be able to help BU start to win recruiting wars for the top locals again over BC & Northeastern, and Phil Housley although Minnesota based MIGHT actually have that as s plus as the only two players of substance we have gotten from MN in the last decade were Jack Connolly – who was a great character guy and unlike half his teammates our Coaches need not worry that his name would be on the front of the Globe’s police beat come Monday Morning. Such a character guy was Chris Connolly – the “less talented” of the two Connolly brothers with his brother Jack two years younger DESPITE both being in the same year of college as Chris needed two years in the USHL to get an NCAA offer, whereas Jack was the “can’t miss” brother who skated first line at Minnesota-Duluth as an 18 year old. Jack lived up to the hype winning the family his expected Hobey Baker, whereas Chris was the only 2 year Captain in the history of BU other than “O.C” which is ironic because everything that made Chris Connolly a deserving two year Captain was markedly absent from Jack O’Callahan’s game – but what BU needed as a Captain in 2010 & 2011 was a calming, steadying influence — not the fiery, drop the gloves first, find out the details later loyalty to his teammates that made the emotional O.C. the quintessential two year Captain for B.U. at the end of the 1970s.
So if he wants to go with those he has gotten help from or worked well with lately, Quinn’s obvious choices would be Sacco or maybe Housley, with former PC star & Head Coach Tim Army also having a shot with his knowledge of East Coast recruiting mitigated by the fact that his son Derek having one more season to star for The Friars.
Sacco does not have a degree, have to have a degree to coach at BU….
I read these blogs because I always get a good laugh out of reading SOME of them, like this guy going on & on about what an eloquent speaker Grier is-Does THIS make him a good hockey coach? I THINK NOT…
Maaahty, you must not have EVER played competetive serious hockey, I played at a little school in RI,-MT.SAINT CHARLES,&was a walk on at PC, QUINN will bring BU back to the top-no doubt. He is a no non-sense type of Coach,& he beat out PC coach Nate Leahman for the job-so obviously, they had some excellent coaches to choose from, &I think they got the right man.I heard Quinn was offered the University of Denver job before his interview with BU, So OBVIOUSLY other D-1powers were very interested in him.
DQ and BU fans blaming Bavis for the BU fail is like idiot Obama blaming everyone in sight for his incompetence.
Are you comparing DQ to Obama? Obama is way more incompetent than DQ.
I’m ashamed at how poorly DQ and BU are treating alum Mark Bavis.
and yet you don’t even know his real name..
If anyone wants to point fingers, point it at the higher ups in charge of search process for how Bavis was treated. Don’t blame DQ b/c Bavis was given chance to stay. But the way the University treated Bavis once they decided on DQ left much to be desired.
If Bavis was so great a coach why had he not been offered a job in these past years when there have been a number of changes in HE coaches? Has anyone noticed the problems we have had with recruits in the past four years? Also, I have sat behind the bench twice and watched him . He has no energy and that translates to the players. Parker was too old to have this energy and it was us to Bavis to provide it. He did not. End of story.
Based on the results of the four seasons he served as associate head coach, there was not much to recommend Bavo as the next head coach. The recruiting and results were spotty, at best. If he continues in coaching, I think it will be good for him to get a fresh start under another coach. Coaches in all sports will tell you they’ve learned from everyone they played or coached with, and their style is a reflection of that. Bavo has only played and coached under one guy, and while that guy had a great career, it didn’t give Bavo exposure to different approaches to coaching. I don’t know if he has it in him to be a good head coach, but I wish him well in his future endeavors whatever he decided to do.
I’d love to see Mike Grier get some consideration to come on the staff.
And best wishes to Coach Bavis, a Terrier through-and-through, on landing position that can forward his coaching career.
I heard Quinn and Bavis had serious philosophical differences when they coached under Parker
I also heard Scott Young might be the replacement for Bavis
I just want to know why Buddy Powers is not gone too. Talk about a limp suit
Bavis and Quinn had BIG philosophical coaching differences, I know both of them very well,&played with Bavo.Bavis had every chance to stay on board, he felt he deserved the head coaching job and said his ‘heart was not into staying at his current position’-his exact words..
You CLAIM you played with Bavis. Yeah, we believe you…NOT!
Lol, could care less what you believe-!!!!
I thought this was about Bavis leaving BU, who really cares if that guy played with Bavis or not??? Point is-I am a BU graduate-92′,& a season ticket holder to the Hockey program, I heard from many different people that Bavis could have kept his position-HE CHOSE TO LEAVE!!!!
I am a long ago grad with season tickets.
I’ve been in business for many years to know….:
a. If you think you are ready, and they don’t pick you…get up and go..it’s time to leave with your head and reputation high.
I respect Bavis and I wish him success. He needs to test his wings now or he’ll forever be haunted by… “the saddest of phrases…it might have been”.
Go and find out if you can be the Head Coach you believe you can be. I truly wish you the best for you and your future teams.
Why are people bashing Mark Bavis just to support DQ? It’s sad how BU alums treat their fellow alums. Good luck to Mark and I hope he’s gets to a better place.
Hey NITWIT, his name is MIKE Bavis….Mark was his brother!! DUH~
Better place-?? Where?-HEAVEN??? Associate Head Coach at BU…& HE LEAVES….
Coach Quinn has not had a single practice, never mind a game. He has one of the most demanding jobs in D-1 hockey,also replacing a LEGEND like Parker will be NO easy task.I think all BU HOCKEY fans should give the guy a chance at coaching HIS team, & go from there. I think he will do a great job-after all, it was Quinn who recruited the last NATIONAL TITLE, &like Coach Quinn said-assistant coaches make suggestions-Head Coaches make decisions. (I.e.-the sex scandal)
Replacing the Parker of the last 15 years will be easy. Parker has done jack with a ton of talent.
BU already blew it by hiring DQ, who got fired from his last job. I hope the people in charge down compound the problem by digging in the bottom of the barrel and hiring Steve Greely to replace Bavis.
REALLY?? Quinn got fired?? Man are you ignorant….get your facts straight before you post! Shame on the blog for letting you post inaccurate information!
Agree 100%-Quinn WAS NOT FIRED-these morons have to get thier information correct or don’t post…
It is sad to think that SOME of he idiots posting on this blog are associated with BU.
Agree 110%. Over the past few years it’s become increasingly evident whom I feel the true, loyal BU hockey fans are (and knowledgeable hockey fans as a whole), and who are “bandwagon” fans who are quick to throw the program under the bus at the 1st sign of discontent.
There are many BU fans whom I feel place all the blame on Parker for the program’s relative lack of success in this millennium (especially compared to BC). These are fans whom, IMO, will either never be satisfied, or will think BU hockey is the greatest thing since sliced bread if they’re doing well, or think the coach should be fired any time there’s a prolonged period of struggles.
I know of plenty of fans who thought 2009 was the greatest thing that ever happened to the program, yet less than a year later they wanted Parker out of there and were even more willing to bash him, the assistant coaches and the players at every sign of difficulty. These are the same fans that won’t be satisfied regardless of who was hired to replace Parker b/c they’ll do the same thing now w/ Quinn.
Greely -WILL be named the associate head coach at BU men’s hockey program.Replacing Mike Bavis.
Another sign of our demise. So deserve so much better than this…