Hockey coach wants national championship

by Matt Bixenstine
Staff Writer

••Beginning his second season of coaching, Ohio hockey coach Dan Morris, the team’s all-time leading scorer and member of all three of the Bobcats’ American College Hockey Association National Championship teams, reflected on his playing days and talked about his desire to coach Ohio with The Post’s Matt Bixenstine.••

The Post: What was your most memorable moment playing hockey for Ohio?

Morris: Probably I’d say winning the 1996 (ACHA) National Championship at home. It was special being at home with our fans instead of on the road.

The Post: How beneficial do you think your playing in national championships will be in your pursuit of coaching a team to one?

Morris: I don’t know if it’s beneficial because it was my experience as a player. But I relay my feelings about playing in them and transfer those feelings to the players so they get an idea about what it takes to get there.

The Post: How does having a year under your belt make you more comfortable as a coach?

Morris: It makes a big difference because I got to see what our opponents are about. I think last year after our first go-around we were 9-8-2 and I was able to adjust some things once I knew the opponents, and we had a big turnaround in the winter.

The Post: Did you feel any pressure replacing coach Craig McCarthy, who experienced so much success at Ohio?

Morris: I didn’t feel any pressure. He had kind of picked me to follow him down the road and I thought of it as an honor. … We’re great friends and I felt it was a natural order of progression.

The Post: What do you think of the renovations made to Bird Arena?

Morris: All the new additions have been fantastic over the course of the last three years, from the new bleachers to the new locker rooms to the new glass. It makes the whole experience a lot better. Our locker room used to be in Grover Center, so we had to walk to the rink.

The Post: Do you have any particular career ambitions once your coaching days at Ohio end?

Morris: I guess you always keep your options open. I mean coaching here at OU is great, but it’s still a club-level team. You look forward to someday coaching at a higher level. Not that this is a steppingstone, but it’s definitely a path in the right direction.

The Post: What are the team’s strengths this year?

Morris: Right now it’s probably our depth and the fact that we have so many returning players. We still only have three seniors, so we’re a young team. Our work ethic is another strength of our team. It’s amazing what these guys do. All the guys do what I ask with no complaints. They understand the end justifies the means.

The Post: What are the 2002-2003 Ohio hockey team’s goals?

Morris: Every goal of every team is to win a national championship. That’s first and foremost. We have a lot of other goals in order to get there. But our players know that anything less would be failure.