The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Wednesday, April 12, 2017— 7A

Wolverines search for next hockey coach

At the end of the past few 

seasons, Red Berenson’s status as 
the coach of the Michigan hockey 
team was in question. It was 
thought that he would retire after 
the 2015-16 season, but athletic 
director Warde Manuel convinced 
him to stay for another year.

Monday, Berenson finally put 

an end to all the questions, as he 
officially stepped down from his 
position with the team.

Now, for the first time in 33 

seasons, the Wolverines are in 
search of a new coach.

With Berenson’s status as coach 

being uncertain over the past few 
years, there has been plenty of 
time to speculate on who would 
take his position when he did 
retire. The Daily breaks down 
some of the possible candidates for 
his replacement at Michigan.

Mel Pearson:
Pearson is currently the head 

coach at Michigan Tech, where 
he has led the Huskies to NCAA 
Tournament 
appearances 
in 

two of the last three seasons as 
well as a Western Conference 
Hockey Association Tournament 
championship last season.

Pearson was an assistant under 

Berenson with the Wolverines 
from 1988-2011, and was long 
believed to be the coach-in-waiting 
for when Berenson retired. But 
after joining — and finding success 
with — Michigan Tech, it’s unclear 
if Pearson would be willing to 
come back to Ann Arbor.

Pearson may be the most 

qualified candidate for Michigan. 
One of the areas that has plagued 
the Wolverines in recent seasons 
is 
their 
ineptitude 
in 
Corsi 

percentage — just last season 
they were the third-worst team 
nationally in the category, which 
measures all shot attempts taken at 
even strength. On the other hand, 
Pearson’s Huskies have ranked in 
the top-five in Corsi percentage in 
each of the last three seasons.

All in all, if Pearson would be 

willing to return to Michigan, it 

seems as though the two would 
make a good fit.

Brian Wiseman:
Wiseman 
played 
for 
the 

Wolverines from 1991-94 and 
accrued 164 assists in his career, 
the most in program history. He 
has served as an assistant coach 
under Berenson since 2011. As a 
result, he is intimately familiar 
with the current team, so the 
transition from Berenson to him 
would presumably be smooth.

Additionally, 
Wiseman 
has 

taken a lead role in recruiting 
efforts over the last few seasons. 
He has traveled around the 
country, and in some cases, was 
the main contact between recruits 
and Michigan.

On the downside, Wiseman’s 

tenure 
coincides 
with 
the 

Wolverines’ struggles in recent 
years. This is not to say that 
Wiseman is responsible, but if 
Michigan wants to change its 
program’s 
momentum, 
hiring 

someone who is currently in the 
program may be counterintuitive. 

Billy Powers:
Powers’ situation is somewhat 

similar to that of Wiseman. After 
beginning his playing career at 
Division II St. Anselm, Powers 
transferred to Michigan as a part 
of Berenson’s first recruiting class 
in 1985. He played the next three 
years with the Wolverines, and 
after his college career was over, 
he immediately transitioned into 
being a graduate assistant with 
Michigan.

Powers has been with the 

Wolverines ever since, and after 
Pearson left, he was promoted to 
the associate head coach position 
that he holds today.

Like 
Wiseman, 
Powers 
is 

extremely close to the program. 
He was a part of the NCAA 
Championships in 1996 and 1998, 
and he’s also been a part of the 
recent decline.

So, again, if Michigan is looking 

to change directions with its 
program, Powers doesn’t seem to fit 
the bill. Unlike Wiseman, though, 
Powers has more experience in a 
coaching capacity, so hiring him 

now may be a safer bet.

Bill Muckalt:
Muckalt is a bit more of an 

outside candidate than the other 
three because he hasn’t coached 
under Berenson. He does have 
substantial 
and 
successful 

coaching experience, though.

Muckalt played his college 

career at Michigan from 1994-
1998 and was a part of both NCAA 
Championship teams. From there, 
he experienced a short, six-year 
professional career.

Muckalt moved on to become 

an assistant coach at Eastern 
Michigan 
before 
bouncing 

around as an assistant on a few 
junior hockey teams. He then 
reconnected with Pearson, his 
former associate head coach with 
the Wolverines at Michigan Tech.

In 2015, Muckalt got his shot 

as a head coach with the United 
States Hockey League’s Tri-City 
Storm, where he led the Storm to 
its first ever USHL championship 

in his first season at the helm.

Muckalt appears to be a good 

option for Michigan in today’s 
world of hockey, as he is only 42 
and would be able to relate to 
recruits more easily.

***
At Berenson’s retirement press 

conference, he was asked what he 
wanted from his successor.

“I hope there’s some Michigan 

awareness 
or 
Michigan 

connection for a coach that will 
feel the right way about what a 
Michigan man should be like and 
what a Michigan team should be 
like,” Berenson said.

Pearson, 
Wiseman, 
Powers 

and Muckalt certainly fit that bill 
with their coaching and playing 
experience with the Wolverines.

And even if Michigan decides 

to hire somebody other than those 
four, one thing is for certain: after 
33 years under Berenson, the next 
head coach will have enormous 
shoes to fill. 

Hill learning intricacies of fullback position

Can a fullback be the face of a 

modern college football team’s 
offense?

That may be the question 

surrounding 
the 
Michigan 

football team this year.

The Wolverines lost the bulk 

of last season’s playmakers to 
graduation. They did, however, 
receive some good news when 
Khalid 
Hill, 
their 
resident 

touchdown vulture also known 
as the ‘Hammering Panda,’ 
decided to return for one final 
year.

Hill admitted it would be nice 

to be considered the face of the 
offense. Since Jim Harbaugh’s 
arrival, the fullback has been 
integral to Michigan’s scheme. 
But Hill reserved that term 
for Wilton Speight, the team’s 
returning starting quarterback.

He 
may 
be 
underselling 

himself. Hill scored 13 times 
last season, by far the most of 
any returning skill position 
player and more than a third 
of the team’s total rushing and 

receiving 
touchdowns 
from 

returning players.

So that mantle — of being 

the focal point of the offense — 
may have to be shared between 
Hill and Speight, regardless of 
whether Hill denies it while 
saying he’s “just” a fullback.

Because if you believe what 

he has said about his offseason, 
it certainly seems like the fifth-
year senior is gearing up for 
what may be a larger role, even 
after his breakout season last 
year.

After all, he feels like he 

could be even better at what 
may 
be 
Harbaugh’s 
most 

beloved position.

“I feel more comfortable 

with the fullback position,” Hill 
said Tuesday night. “… Last year 
was like, ‘Do the best you can.’ 
This year I’m kinda focusing on 
those small things and getting 
better at those.”

That attention to the small 

things is a lesson he learned 
from his first season as a starter, 
after switching positions from 
tight end to fullback.

It’s also a lesson he saw in 

action while observing the 
NFL coaches and scouts in 
attendance at Michigan’s Pro 
Day.

In past years, Hill only 

watched the 40-yard dashes. 
But this year, he stayed for the 
rest of the drills, and quickly 
noticed 
the 

NFL personnel 
were 
looking 

for the details 
from each drill 
— how a player 
flipped his hips, 
or whether he 
could 
catch 
a 

ball 
without 

slowing down.

That 
new 

approach 
has 

found its way into his own game, 
from the little things like losing 
weight (still a work in progress, 
he readily admitted) to having 
a 
better 
understanding 
of 

opposing defenses.

“At tight end, you didn’t 

really 
have 
to 
understand 

what defensive fronts there 
are, safety rotations, reading 
defensive linemen stunts, you 

didn’t have to worry about that,” 
Hill said. “Coach Harbaugh 
does a great job of helping us 
see all those things. It’s cool to 
go through that and learn those 
things because it’ll help me in 
the future.”

Hill still enjoys running the 

routes that he 
used to as a tight 
end and claims 
he has the best 
hands 
on 
the 

team. He even 
jokingly lobbied 
passing 
game 

coordinator 
Pep 
Hamilton 

to split him and 
fellow 
fullback 

Henry Poggi out 

wide.

He once wanted to be like 

Delanie Walker, the standout 
tight end whom Jim Harbaugh 
once coached and compared Hill 
to. And while he still watches 
film of Walker, Hill now aspires 
to be more like Kyle Juszczyk 
of the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens 
— coached by John Harbaugh 
— after spending much of the 
offseason watching Juszczyk’s 
tape and marveling at his pass-
blocking ability.

When 
Hill 
does 
watch 

his own film, it isn’t of his 
numerous touchdowns. Rather, 
he focuses on his mistakes, 
such as a sack given up against 
Colorado that resulted in a 
defensive touchdown, a fumble 
against Iowa and a missed 
protection against Maryland.

Scoring, Hill said, is difficult. 

But he knows how to do it. 
Now, it’s about learning the 
intricacies 
of 
the 
fullback 

position.

“Actually, two scouts asked 

me why did I stay,” Hill said. 
“I just told them I wanted to 
graduate. … I kinda thought I 
wasn’t at a mature enough stage 
to understand (that) I have to 
take this stuff more seriously.

“Last year was a blessing in 

disguise. I wasn’t expecting to 
have that many touchdowns 
or do what I did. Now that 
I’m doing that, I’ve got to 
understand that I have to take it 
more seriously.”

AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily

Fifth-year senior fullback Khalid Hill came back to Michigan to refine his craft in preparation for an NFL career.

ORION SANG

Daily Sports Editor

“This year I’m 
kinda focusing 
on those small 

things”

McDoom boasts 
strong potential

The question was simple. 

Eddie McDoom was asked if 
there was anything he can’t 
do.

The answer came without 

hesitation.

“No, I’m gonna do it all,” 

he said, with a smile cracking 
over his face.

Realistically, it’s not all that 

surprising. McDoom has never 
been short of confidence.

Last November, the then-

freshman wide receiver stood 
in front of the media, and it 
took just over two minutes for 
him to declare that he was the 
fastest player on the Michigan 
football team’s roster. But 
what really stood out was 
the next assertion — that his 
sophomore season would be 
his breakout year.

Now, four months later, 

that 
sophomore 
season 
is 

approaching, 
and 
the 

Wolverines 
need McDoom’s 
prediction 
to 
come 
to 

fruition. 

As 
is 
the 

storyline 
in 

virtually every 
phase of this 
Michigan team, 
the Wolverines 
are dealing with a close-to-
bare cupboard that features 
a collection of talented — but 
young and inexperienced — 
players.

In McDoom’s case, he’s 

being looked to as one player 
among a group of receivers 
tasked 
with 
replacing 
the 

loss of Amara Darboh, Jehu 
Chesson and Jake Butt. That 
trio accounted for 138 of 
Michigan’s 228 receptions, 13 
of the Wolverines’ 20 receiving 
touchdowns and 1,908 of the 
team’s 2,756 receiving yards in 
2016.

McDoom, in his own right, 

enjoyed a successful season 
during his freshman campaign, 
albeit in a specialized role. 
In 
the 
jet 

sweep package, 
McDoom 
amassed 
160 

yards on just 
16 
attempts 

— 
good 
for 

exactly 10 yards 
per carry.

If there was a 

way to quantify 
McDoom’s 
speed, 
that 

may be it. And it’s that same 
speed 
that 
warranted 
the 

proliferation of the booming 
‘Doom’ chant across Michigan 
Stadium 
last 
season 
— 

something he still cracks a 
smile at when remembering 
how he thought he was being 
booed the first time he heard 
it.

Now, though, the jet sweep 

package may not be enough for 
the Wolverines, and McDoom 
will need to be characterized 
for more than raw speed. Last 
year, McDoom notched just 
five catches on the receiving 
end. As the upcoming season 

grows closer, the sophomore 
wide receiver is out to change 
that.

“I feel like I can do way 

more than just be handed jet 
sweeps,” McDoom said. “I can 
go downfield, I can make the 
routes, I can make the catches, 
I can make the big plays that 
they’re asking for, and I’m 
trying to show it.”

Already, McDoom is taking 

the steps toward doing so. He 
indicated that he’s been taking 
reps receiving punts while also 
working in the slot and on the 
outside. But arguably the most 
important thing for McDoom, 
especially in a Jim Harbaugh-
orchestrated offense, is the 
ability to block. In that regard, 
as in nearly every regard, 
McDoom has no doubt he can 
do it.

“Oh, I can block,” McDoom 

said. “It’s not an issue. If I 
need to go out there and hit 
somebody, I’m gonna go out 

there and hit 
somebody.”

And if there’s 

anything 
that 

could serve as 
validation 
of 

the 
progress 

McDoom 
has 

made, it would 
be praise from 
senior receiver 
Maurice 
Ways 
— 
one 

of a limited group of veteran 
receivers expected to see an 
increased role this season. 
Ways even went as far as to 
say he finds himself learning 
things from McDoom, such as 
how to get a good release off 
the line.

“He’s doing really well,” 

Ways said. “He’s playing fast, 
making plays and having fun 
doing it. He’s probably one of 
the most vibrant guys in the 
locker room.

“He just comes to work 

every day with a smile on his 
face, loving football, and he’ll 
be out in practice having a 
good time. I appreciate his 
enthusiasm he brings to the 
game, brings to practice, and it 

kind of rubs off 
on the rest of 
us.”

For 

McDoom, that 
enthusiasm 
is 

just one aspect 
of a personality 
more confident 
than 
a 
king 

at 
his 
own 

coronation. 
And 
as 
is 

quickly becoming the norm for 
him, Tuesday was a day void 
of hesitation. He said he can 
block. He said he can run the 
routes, make the catches and 
flash the big-play ability. He 
said he can do it all.

So 
the 
time 
is 
coming 

for everyone to find out, is 
this really Eddie McDoom’s 
breakout year?

“Hey, I think so,” Ways said. 

“Eddie has all the tools to be a 
great receiver. Like I said, the 
sky is the limit for him. He can 
be as good as he wants to be, as 
great as he wants to be. I’ve got 
all the confidence in him.”

FILE PHOTO/Daily

The Michigan hockey team will have to replace legendary coach Red Berenson. 

MIKE PERSAK
Daily Sports Editor

ZOEY HOLMSTROM/Daily

Sophomore running back Eddie McDoom seems poised for a breakout season.

“I can do way 
more than just 
be handed jet 

sweeps”

KEVIN SANTO

Managing Sports Editor

“He can be as 
good ... as great 
as he wants to 

be”

