BLOG: Five Thoughts on Scott Bell's late departure

Minnesota will make one more change to its coaching staff before the 2018-19 season begins.

Assistant coach Scott Bell, the lone holdover on the bench from Don Lucia's staff to new head coach Bob Motzko, officially left his position yesterday to take a scouting job with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Bell previously scouted amateur talent for the Pittsburgh Penguins for five seasons, helping the Penguins uncover Midwest talents such as Jake Guentzel and Teddy Blueger, among others. He departs after one season.

With one month until school begins and two months until opening night, it's a late departure although not entirely unique. Several other colleges currently are filling assistant openings.

Here are five quick thoughts on the subject.

1) Job security matters 

One of the rationales Bell, who interviewed for the head coaching job that went to Bob Motzko, gave to Randy Johnson of the Minneapolis Star Tribune for leaving a job at his alma mater to go to the Leafs organization was getting job security with a multi-year deal. That's something Bell didn't have at Minnesota where his contract went through April 30, 2019. Combined with working for a coach who didn't hire him, it creates a situation where he would be spending the season auditioning for his job.

2) What happens to Minnesota's recruiting?

Bell's lone season on the bench didn't go the way the Gophers would have liked offensively. Minnesota averaged over a goal less (2.68) per game in 2017-18 than 2016-17 (3.71). An exciting and entertaining 2016-17 power play was for much of 2017-18's second half among the worst in the country despite several top returning players and the addition of top-10 NHL pick Casey Mittelstadt. (It should be noted Lucia did take some offense and power play responsibilities during the year to ease in Bell.) When Minnesota was successful, it was through the defense and goaltending operating as a well-oiled machine.

While it would have been great to see what Bell could do to help turn around the offense with another season under Motzko, the bigger question is with recruiting. Bell will be missed.

Minnesota had some major recruiting success during his tenure, which should be no surprise given the scouting background. Bell had a big connection with several young verbal commits. His guys remain a couple years away from stepping on campus (the nature of college hockey recruiting), but several seem to be developing well. I'll be curious to see if any change their mind now that Bell is no longer there.

3) If it wasn't before, Minnesota is Bob Motzko's team now

Maybe that won't matter. Motzko will need to bring in a replacement coach who can recruit to Minnesota's high standards, however, he'll be able to put his stamp on the job. The new head coach can make wholesale changes with no ties to the previous regime. He's already made some to his own, getting several former St. Cloud State commits and assistant Garrett Raboin to follow him down Interstate 94.

(That said, the vast majority of this year's freshman class and 2019-2020 were recruited by Lucia and/or a former assistant besides Bell in either Mike Guentzel or Grant Potulny, who has yet to get a Gopher commit follow him to Northern Michigan.)

New coaches like to put their own touches on their team early in their tenure. Motzko is no different.

4) How far does that go with the alums?

Regardless of Motzko earning the head coaching job over several alums (including Bell, who played from 1991-1995), there is an expectation from the alumni base to push for an alum to replace Bell. It'd happen no matter what because that's the country club Gopher hockey resides, but with Bell departing there isn't a Gopher hockey alum on the bench.

Hiring one as Bell's replacement would give the Gopher head coach more goodwill. Someone like former Chicago Steel associate coach Ben Gordon, who seeved as Minnesota's Director of Operations dueing2016-17, fits the bill as a Minnesota alum who works with the offense, however, does Motzko want to have two young assistants? If the right candidate isn't an alum, will they be okay with it? Given the outrage among some alums about Lucia not being a member of the country club (two national championships doesn't wash it away), it might be hard to see Motzko (whose years playing JV hockey at Minnesota and being an assistant for Lucia all of a sudden count more now that he's head coach) getting a pass.

5) Some candidates to replace Bell

Besides Gordon or an alum like Corey Millen or Trent Klatt (both of whom recently got their degrees to be able to coach in college), a name to watch could be Los Angeles Kings scout Tony Gasparini.

Extra Thought: Steve Miller

I can't help but go back to last year when top NCAA assistant Steve Miller (not an alum or space cowboy) nearly came in before Bell got the job. Instead, Miller went to Ohio State, which made the 2018 Frozen Four and became the latest team to flourish with him.

It really makes me think how different last year could have been and even more so with Bell now leaving after a year. I don't blame Bell. It's not his fault when wholesale changes at the top are made and his efforts would/will be shown in later years. I just wonder whether the people who wished for an alum and/or changes at the top really got what they wanted or if it's some kind of monkey's paw wish.