Walsh ends yearlong silence> UMaine hockey coach returns from one-year suspension today

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BANGOR – The one-year suspension of University of Maine hockey coach Shawn Walsh came to an end at midnight.

Walsh, who had coached the Black Bears since 1984 before being suspended for his part in the school’s NCAA rules violations, had maintained his silence during his absence.

On Monday, he ended that self-imposed silence by talking to various media representatives around the country in one-on-one phone and in-person interviews at his office at Alternative Energy Inc., where he has worked since his suspension.

For the NEWS, he participated in a question-and-answer format covering several aspects of his suspension, his future, and how he will work with the team and the university.

On Tuesday, he returns to work, and Wednesday night he will hold his first practice with the team in more than a year.

How has the past year been for you?

It’s been enlightening. It has certainly been grueling. I think you have a whole different set of emotions at different times during the year and certainly now I’m more excited than anything. I can’t wait to get back and get things started.

What would you say to the people who feel you should have be What would you say to the people who feel you should have been fired?

I think everybody is entitled to their opinion. Those people weren’t in the board room when I met with the NCAA. Sue Tyler was there, Fred Hutchinson was there, I was there, and anybody that was in that room knows what happened and why it happened. And I think it’s time to move forward. People in the community and people on the streets are sick and tired of the whole escapade and I think it’s time to put it behind us and really move forward.

How do you plan to repair your image?

I’m just going to continue to work to be the best I can, to just work on having a first-class program like we had in the late ’80s and early ’90s and do a lot of the same things. Certainly make sure that I work with our compliance office much more in unision than I did in the past. I think you learn from your mistakes. I’m really encouraged by our new administration. I’ve met with Dino , I’ve met with Craig , and I’ve certainly met with Sue , and I’m excited about their system of checks and balances and what they have planned for the department and the direction we’re going in. this question is messed up

What was your biggest mistake and what are you really going to take steps to avoid in the future? Where do you feel the biggest mistake was made?

I would say the biggest thing was thinking that I knew the rule book as well as I thought I did. Once mistakes were pointed out, it was embarrassing. It was humbling. I think that when you look at that and you look back at it now, you realize that the mistakes we made were not mistakes that gave us an advantage. That’s the hard part. To have gone through this and they were mistakes that were innocent, they were mistakes that various people made and I had such a big part in it. That’s the most embarrassing part of the whole situation.

Did you have any tempting offers in pro hockey?

I had one right away. That was very tempting.

Was that overseas or here?

No, that was here. It was exciting at that point. But I would have had to sever my ties with NCAA athletics for at least a five-year period if I took it. And I decided I didn’t want to, and, at that point, I made the decision that I was going to come back and see this right through.

When did you firmly make up your mind to return and why?

I think that once the suspension happened, I sounded off some people I really respected in the sports world and talked to them and analyzed this first offer that came through. And I decided what I wanted to do was see it through. I knew there was no unethical conduct and I had faith the NCAA would see that. And I decided to kind of see it through. The hardest part of the whole ordeal has been not speaking out and just taking the hits from certain individuals in the print media. I think that the first time an individual slams you, I think you take it personally. But after it happens five or 10 times from the same reporter, you begin to wonder if it’s the reporter and maybe it’s not as much you.

You said you sought advice from people in the sports world. Were they at the college ranks or pro ranks?

Both. Both. And it was pretty consistent, the advice I got from those people. To just work through it and just go forward after it and take the hit. I think if a coach is going to get credit for winning a national championship, then a coach has to get blamed for having his team be part of an investigation. I think I’ve taken that blame and it’s time to put it behind us and move forward.

Do you feel your reputation and that of the institution have been irreparably damaged?

No, I think that reputations change as times change. I think it certainly depends who you talk to. People have hidden agendas that make opinions. One thing this has done for me is made me somewhat numb to some of the opinions voiced. Sports is littered with opinionated people, so I just appreciate the supporters. When you go through ordeals like this, you find out who your friends are and you watch other people step up and make statements. And then when the real story comes out, I think sometimes they have to take a step back. But that’s called being human and that’s OK.

How do you expect to be received?

I’m sure it’ll be no different than it was the year before I left in that in the sense that when you’re in a visiting rink, people love to hate you, you know. When you’re in the home rink, they like you. That’s all part of being in a rivalry. That’s all part of being a high-profile coach, and my focus is really going to be on doing the best I can to have us have a first-class program, just like we had in the past. And continue to do that, not get too caught up in one set of fans and whether they like you or don’t like you or things like that.

You said you have to be numb to opinions outside in the sports world. What do you say to people like Art Mayo ) who aren’t in the sports world, even when you go to other cities to away games? It’s something that’s going come up at least for a while.

It’ll come up for a while but I’m not coming back for a short-term period. If I was going to come back for only a short term, I would have left. I’m coming back to rebuild the program and hopefully put another one of those banners in the Alfond Arena that signifies a national championship. That would be the sweetest feeling in the world. I enjoy challenges and this is a challenge and I’m aware of that. I don’t know Art. I’ve never met the man as far as I know. But I’d love to talk to him. If he wants to call me, he can call me right at my office and I’d be glad to talk to him.

What would you say to him?

I would just let him talk. He’s the one that brought up the issue. I really don’t have anything to say about Art. I think what he said has been printed enough and it’s time to worry about this year’s team and the future and not worry about what he said and things like that.

You keep talking about putting it behind you but when you go to away games, it’s something reporters are going to bring up. (UMaine sports information director) Matt Bourque said it has been coming up over the last year because it’s so new when you go to away games. So will you say “No comment” to the people in other cities or will you explain it?

No, I think there’s been plenty said. People had access to the report. The only thing people did not have access to, the public didn’t have access to, was the rebuttal. [Ed. note: Members of the media were provided with copies of the rebuttal.]

And you know I think there has been plenty said about the investigation. I think people are sick of the investigation. It’s over and done with, and it’s time to talk about this year’s team. And that’s exactly how I’ll answer the questions.

How close were you able to monitor the team? What changes might you make? What thoughts do you have as you prepare to get back into the swing of things?

To protect the integrity of the suspension, I didn’t want to watch the team. I haven’t seen a game tape, I have not talked to any players. I talked to one player I ran into in a public place, just happenstance ran into him, I said, `Hello’ and that was it. I don’t know much about them and I think that’s healthy for the players, too. I think they kind of get a fresh start in the middle of the year and I really think that I’m excited about that newness. For me it’s like training camp. It’s like `Wow, how good is Cory Larose? Or how is Shermy playing? Can I get him playing better? And what about our goalies? But I’m not going to make any preconceived thoughts until I watch them and my feeling is to use the Denver tournament as kind of a way for me to get the feel of them before we get back into Hockey East.

To carry that a step further, are you glad that you come back quickly and play right away or would you rather have like a week or so to practice and get to know their strengths and weaknesses?

Anybody that’s been involved in sports at this level, the fun part is the games. That is the real joy and essence of your passion into an athletics endeavor. So to have games right away this weekend is exciting. I mean it’s gonna be bang. It also leaves me a little worried because I don’t have much time and we’ve got to prepared for a very high-quality opponent that was ranked as high as fifth in the country at the start of the year. So it’ll be fun to get back in the saddle and I think, you know, the more we play, the more the kind of questions you refer to will just evaporate and they’ll be over with. And we can get that behind us just like we’ve gotten the investigation, 99.5 percent behind us. We’ve got to wait for the appeal and then we move forward.

You’re allowed to come back, to get back in the saddle, at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday. What are what are you going to do? You’ll probably be awake at midnight.

I might be, I may not. I’ll just go in the office when I’m comfortable. You know, I’m going to go in, I think when…. Hey if I’m still awake and kind of got high energy, I’ll probably go in and get some administrative work done, go home and get some sleep. If not, I’ll go in at 6 or 7 in the morning. I’ve been used to coming in here typically around 7 a.m. So I’ll probably be in there by seven at the latest.

How do you feel about the appeal? Do you feel you have a shot or not?

You know, I’m not worried about it either way. I really don’t have a feel. I think it’s very difficult for a governing body to rule another governing body that they work alongside of has made an error. I’m hoping that they really analyze the rebuttal completely and I’m sure they will. But I really don’t have a feeling one way or the other. I think it’s just let’s move forward and the sooner we know one way or the other the better.

How do you feel the administration handled the case?

I’m very pleased with the support I received from Fred and Sue and the administration. I think he did what he thought was right. And I think that, uh, for me it was, uh, as they continued on with the investigation I deeply appreciate their support. And they knew what really occurred. They were in that room in Kansas City on June 3. I think their support was very helpful. And along those lines I’m very excited with working with Sue and working with Fred and working with Dino and working with Craig and working with that administration because I really feel they have a good checks and balances system put in. And there is a lot I see now that I didn’t see much of in the past.

Is that a question that comes up a lot in public? How you feel the administration handled it?

No. The only people that want to rehash this are the media. The public’s sick of it, they don’t want to talk about it. There’s not a public person I talk to on the street, and I get so much support from people on the street it’s been gratifying. And everywhere I go people say, “Hey coach, we can’t wait to see you back.” I get letters. I got a letter yesterday from a guy in Millinocket that had cancer in April, had been diagnosed with cancer and has had his own version of a tough year. He got it cured, he’s on his way, he has two boys and just wanted to send his best wishes. I mean, that means so much to me. But the media wants to continue to drag it out, the investigation end of it. But as far as I’m concerned, let’s end that and let’s just move forward.

You said earlier you were a different person than you were 13 years ago, and especially after this past year you said you want to try to get rid of some of the negative and focus on the positives in your character. What are some of the negatives you want to get rid of and shed?

I think I tend to do things and worry about what to do next. I need to completely focus on what we’re doing now is completely accurate. I sometimes am more rushed, I can be a hyper, rushed kind of person. And I think I’ve got to make sure that every little detail – I assume the details are taken care of sometimes and obviously they’re not – so I’ve got to make sure that we do that right. I think secondly I’ve got to make sure that if I have a certain read or impression on a rule that, hey, do our compliance officers have the same read or impression? That’s were I made some mistakes. It’s clear to me that certain things were, you could understand from a rule. And I told that to the Committee on Infractions and I think they understood where I was coming from. Because there are are a lot of gray areas in the NCAA rule book and what I’ve got to do is let somebody else make the black and white decisions. I can’t make the black and white decisions.

And how are you a changed person over the last year?

I just think when you go through the kind of hits and you take the kind of hits that I’ve taken it’s going to make you a little more sensitive to maybe ups and downs. I think that I said to someone if you’re going to be taken to the White House and honored as national champion and you accept that, you’ve got to also accept down times. I think that’s part of being a high-profile person. There is no one perfect person in society today, at least that’s living, and the only guy I think is perfect we’re celebrating his birthday in two days. So I think that we’ve got to try to understand where you’re imperfect and work on that.

Have you talked about future contracts with Sue Tyler yet?

Yeah, Sue has been very supportive of me even from the start. And she and I have talked about my coming back, that was one of the premises of my returning. It’s a two-way street. And I’m looking forward to returning for a long period of time.

Nothing’s been decided yet?

We haven’t finalized it. We’ve talked about it. We’ve agreed on certain aspects of it, and we’re finalizing others. We’re more concerned with getting through the year, and just getting this part of the return. And I need to finalize changes that her administration has invoked on the other coaches and how they’re running the department the last 12 months so I’m not walking in and doing something that’s not the same as what everybody else is doing.

How do you assess the job done by Greg in your absence, and were you surprised that he’s leaving?

The first part of the question absolutely terrific. He’s done a great job and an unselfish job. It could have been easy for him to put his trademark on the program and instead he put, you know, Greg kept things status quo which makes it easier for the players and also easier for me upon my return.

I’m not surprised he got the kind of job that he got. It was a fabulous opportunity. Many head coaches in the country would have wanted that opportunity and I don’t think it’s just coincidental that he recieved that offer. They finalized it right when his tenure here as interim was over. They obviously thought enough about Greg Cronin to keep that position open for a enough of a time period until he was ready to go into it. They probably would have wanted him in September, but they like him so much, which tells you what USA Hockey thinks of Greg.

The first order of business is basically administrative and then practice on, what, 7 o’clock on Christmas night?

Christmas night. Just administrative and, you know, find out, get prepared for Denver. And just, you know, all the little things you have to do. What’s your phone calling card? You’ve got to call recruits. And you want to, I would like to call all the players on the current team if I get enough time to do that. I can’t wait to talk to the guys. I mean that’s the other thing that was the hard part about this was not being able to talk to them. I miss them. They’re kind of, they’re like your family. I just can’t wait to talk to them.

Is that what bothers you most about the suspension?

No. It was one of the hardest things. You know, taking the constant hits from certain specific media members who were consistent in their hits was difficult at first. And then you kind of get used to it after the same guy writes the same type of story. But I think not being able to see the guys was tough, was real tough. But it makes the next 48 hours that much more exciting. It’s like under my Christams tree is going to be Dan Shermerhorn’s smiling face and Jason Mansoff’s smiling face, and all those guys.

What do you do in the next couple of years with 14 and 16 scholarships ?

We’re going to go through a serious rebuilding cycle. We can’t be blind to that. We’ve got, it’s going to be a long range cycle. We’ve got to be realistic. We’re an under .500 team, as we talk, against Division I opponents and, so we’ve got to put that in perspective. We’ve lost four potential All-Americans and they’ve been replaced by players who in quality are from 21-24 on your team. So you can’t replace four of your top five or six or seven players with players who go from 20 to 24 on your roster in terms of quality without having a major effect. And it has. We’re going to do our best. Were going to be competitve. I think we’re going to be exciting to watch. We’re going to try to stretch our scholarship dollars as best we can. I don’t think we’ve ever had the same kind of resources some of our opponents have had. So we’re kind of used to operating with an uneven playing field. But this is going to be a real difficult uneven playing field. But the bright side is that each year it’s going to be a little more level and that will help us, too. So we’re going to look for the kind of player who wants to be a turnaround player, a player who can bring us back. Just like an Eric Weinrich, Mike Golden, Bob Corkum, the Capuano brothers were turnaround players back in the late 80s. Now you’ve got to find some turnaround players who want to be part of that excitement.

Has this hurt recruiting?

No, I don’t think it has. I think recruiting has been much more difficult because so many players have been going major junior. The Paul Kariyas of the world aren’t out there anymore. I mean it’s created a level playing field in college hockey

Is there anything you’ve learned in this year from being in the business sector and dealing with a whole new realm that you will incorporate or that might be valuable?

I think you try to learn from anything you go to. I went to the seminar the Bangor Daily News put on in marketing and I thought that was intriguing. You learn so many different forms about, that have nothing to do with athletics but in some way are intertwined with athletics. It comes down to being a people person and handling people and being yourself and trying to be strong and I think handling adversity. And I think adversity is nothing more than part of life. You handle adversity with a positive attitude and you move forward in a positive way.

Are you disappointed by the sanctions? Do you think the university got hit harshly?

Uh, I really, there’s no need to comment on that.

Have you ever thought about that, though, how you might have approached different situations differently?

Sure, I think the mistakes that were made, and luckily we have found, to make sure we don’t make those mistakes again. And I’ve talked to Sue about it and I’ve talked to our new administration. And I like the direction they’re pointed in.