Whitehead settling in as Bears’ coach

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Tim Whitehead is in his third season as the University of Maine men’s hockey program’s head coach.

After taking over for the late Shawn Walsh in 2001, he led Maine to a berth in the national championship game that season and was chosen national coach of the year. Maine returned to the NCAA Tournament last season, losing 2-1 to Michigan.

The Bears are currently off to the best start in the 27-year history of the program at 7-0, giving him a 57-21-12 record.

The 42-year-old Whitehead, who is married and the father of two, had been an assistant at Maine and was the head coach at UMass-Lowell for five seasons before returning to Maine.

Q: Your first two seasons, your teams were primarily comprised of players recruited by Shawn Walsh and [assistant and recruiting coordinator] Grant Standbrook. Do you now feel that this current team is more of your team than a Shawn Walsh team?

A: “I never thought of it as Shawn’s team or my team. It’s Maine’s team. That’s the way it should be regardless of who recruits the players. What I’m most excited about is in what should have been a rebuilding year, we’re reloading. That’s a credit to the players and the focus they’ve had. Again it’s early. We don’t want to get too high right now. But we’d rather get off to a strong start than a poor start. I’ve been very encouraged by the consistency our team has shown so far this season.”

Q: How have you developed as a coach? What are some of the things you have learned in your eight years as a head coach?

A: I’ve learned to be a lot more patient. I’m less consumed with every aspect of the program, focusing more on the most important things now. To really be successful, I’ve got to be myself and coach to my personality and the personality of my players. Each year is a different experience. Every year you have to coach differently. You have to approach things differently. Team building is a process every year. The culture is very strong right now. The upperclassmen have done an excellent job reinforcing values. As a result, it’s a very tight-knit group. It’s a very focused group. Shawn and I are very different coaches, but we both believed in constant improvement, the drive to improve and to be innovative. It’s something we really focus on as a staff and I know we’ll continue to do that. I’m proud we’ve been able to carry on Shawn’s legacy by building a team that strives to excel and improve.

Q: What is the most challenging aspect of being the head coach at the University of Maine? What is the most enjoyable aspect of it?

A: The most challenging part is juggling all the responsibilities outside of hockey. It’s also one of the most enjoyable parts for me. Being in control of those responsibilities allows me to be a better coach. The most enjoyable part is working with the players, of course. Going through the team-building process each year. Seeing players emerge, elevate their games, and become stronger people. I enjoy working with my fellow coaches toward that common goal of helping the players improve and help the team improve. If we stick together, we have a legitimate shot to compete for a Hockey East and national championship. Every year, I enjoy that ride. It’s fantastic.

Q: The hockey program is a perennial national championship contender. It is the school’s flagship program. How do you handle the pressure that goes with it?

A: I’m very comfortable with that. It’s fun to be a part of it. I honestly don’t mind it at all. I enjoy that type of challenge and I know my fellow coaches and players do.

Q: How do you unwind away from the rink?

A: I enjoy spending time with my family, first and foremost. It’s always the best part of my day.

Q: What would be a perfect 24 hours for you? Money is no object.

A: A family trip. A day with the family. That’s heaven. Being with my family, doing next-to-nothing and hanging out together. Sunday is my favorite day of the week.

Q: If you could go to one concert, living or dead, who would it be?

A: Probably either [Bruce] Springsteen or the three tenors [Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, and Jose Carreras].

Q: If you weren’t coaching hockey, what other profession would you like to do?

A: Teaching. I taught at John Bapst and I also taught junior high school. I love that age. Now that I have two children, I would also be comfortable teaching little kids.

Q: Tell me something about Tim Whitehead people would be surprised to know.

A: I won a dance contest once in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, during spring break. The song was by Kool and the Gang.

Q: What is the formula for success? What do you look for in a player?

A: You need to establish a strong culture, which we have done, and re-establish it every year. You need to establish what you stand for as a team, as people, and what you believe in. What type of behavior is acceptable and what isn’t. You need to create an environment of respect for one another. You need to recruit players who excel on the ice. They have to be good athletes and quality people. That’s important. You need to recruit players who compete and have hockey sense. You need players who can skate and make plays under fire. The three intangibles you need as a team are: play hard, play smart, and play as a team. If you do those things consistently, you can be very successful.

I really enjoy the comments made by people from Minnesota and Wisconsin earlier this year who said you couldn’t tell one line apart from another. We looked the same in a good way. We were all on the same page.

2003-04 UMaine

Men’s Hockey Schedule

October

(Nebraska-Omaha Tournament)

10 ? Maine 4, Minnesota 0

11 ? Maine 6, Wisconsin 2

(Black Bear Classic)

17 ? Maine 9, U.S. Under-18 Team 2 (exhib.)

18 ? Maine 7, Holy Cross 0

24 ? Maine 3, St. Lawrence 2

25 ? Maine 7, St. Lawrence 2

30 ? Maine 6, Merrimack 2

November

1 ? Maine 2, Boston Univ. 1

7 ? at Boston College, 7 p.m.

8 ? at New Hampshire, 7 p.m.

14 ? Northeastern, 7 p.m.

16 ? UMass-Lowell, 2:30 p.m.

21 ? at Massachusetts, 7 p.m.

22 ? at Providence, 7 p.m.

December

5 ? at Merrimack, 7 p.m.

6 ? at Merrimack, 7 p.m.

13 ? Dartmouth, 7 p.m.

(Everblades Classic)

27 ? vs. Ohio State, 4 p.m.

28 ? vs. Cornell/Notre Dame, 1 or 4:30 p.m

January

4 ? Vermont, at Portland, 2 p.m.

10 ? Sacred Heart, 7 p.m.

16 ? Massachusetts, 7 p.m.

17 ? Massachusetts, 7 p.m.

23 ? at Boston University, 7 p.m.

24 ? at Boston University, 7 p.m.

30 ? New Hampshire, 7 p.m.

31 ? New Hampshire, 7 p.m.

February

6 ? Alabama-Huntsville, 7 p.m.

7 ? Alabama-Huntsville, 7 p.m.

13 ? at Northeastern, 7 p.m.

14 ? at Northeastern, 7 p.m.

20 ? Providence, 7 p.m.

21 ? Providence, 7 p.m.

27 ? at UMass-Lowell, 7 p.m.

28 ? at UMass-Lowell, 7 p.m.

March

5 ? Boston College, 7 p.m.

6 ? Boston College, 7 p.m.

11-14 ? Hockey East Quarterfinals

19-20 ? Hockey East Semis and Finals

26-28 ? NCAA Regionals

April

8-10 ? Frozen Four