Miami Ohio University Athletics
Photo by: Kaylee Carmack
Noreen Prepared to 'Set a Standard' for Miami Hockey
4/9/2024 7:22:00 PM | Hockey
OXFORD, Ohio— When Anthony Noreen was officially introduced this afternoon as the seventh head coach in Miami Hockey history, he wasted no time in explaining how he plans to approach his new role.
"It's ultimately my job and our job to set a standard," Noreen told the gathered crowd inside Goggin Ice Center's club lounge during today's press conference. "My standard is extremely high. And it's not for everybody.
"But we will live that standard. We will hold [players] accountable to that standard. It will be uncomfortable to get to that standard. And there will be nobody in the world that they will ever meet or ever be around that will support them and have their back in reaching that standard more than I am.
"It's going to be extremely clear what our standard is. We're going to get people here that we feel can meet that standard, and we're going to support the heck out of them until they do."
Noreen, who is finishing his seventh year as head coach of the USHL's Tri-City Storm and has helped each of his eligible players during that span move on to play Division I hockey, laid out his plan for attracting top talent to Oxford and also previewed how he and his staff will develop those student-athletes once they arrive.
"Our number one objective will be to develop them," Noreen explained. "Our job, and what I see a staff's job as, is to use everything within your power to develop your players as people, as leaders and as hockey players."
Director of Athletics David Sayler said Noreen's experience as not only a head coach, but also a general manager and then president of hockey operations, was part of what made him a great fit to lead the RedHawks into the program's next chapter.
"This was a time that I felt we needed to hire somebody that could manage a roster and really be a CEO of a program," Sayler said. "You're in charge of everything that happens…it's managing your roster every single year."
The goal, according to Sayler, is to reestablish Miami as a competitive program in the NCHC that will consistently be in the mix for a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
Although that climb won't be easy, Noreen is excited to begin a process that he referred to on multiple occasions as 'fun.'
"The hard is the fun," Noreen said, later becoming even more specific: "The build is the fun."
As he answered questions from the various media members today, Noreen also laid out the identity for how he wants his Miami teams to compete, emphasizing the idea of being hard to play against.
"Play the game fast, play the game hard, and [be] great teammates," Noreen said.
"When teams come in here, they should dread coming in this place on a Friday and a Saturday night. They should dread when the bus pulls up and this team's about to play them at their arena."
In order to make that happen, it will take day-to-day improvement as well as the discipline to maintain that approach, said Noreen.
"We need to get better today, just like we need to get better tomorrow, just like we need to get better next week. That's not going to change, if we want to do what I know the guys in that room want to do and the people sitting in this room want to see the program do.
"I feel like we have the facilities, the campus [and] the support to do that. Ultimately, we need the discipline to stick to it."
The desired end result, as Sayler alluded to in his opening remarks: Restoring Miami to a place of prominence in college hockey, both inside its conference and on the national stage. Noreen promised an 'unwavering' belief that the Red and White can accomplish exactly that, repeatedly referencing the program's proud Brotherhood tradition (and his own secondhand ties to Miami's history via mentor Wil Nichol, a former RedHawk graduate assistant).
"This place is the perfect blend in the college hockey world," Noreen said, calling leading the RedHawks his 'dream job.'
"There are some great academic universities, but maybe the hockey is just 'OK.' Then there are some hockey powerhouses, but maybe the academic piece is just 'OK.'
"This, to me, is the perfect blend of both worlds. You want to get a great education? Miami University. You want to develop to become a professional hockey player? Miami University.
"To me, I think we check all the boxes…this is the perfect time at the perfect place."
Season tickets for Noreen's debut season at Miami are available now; click here to place your deposit for the 2024-25 campaign at Steve "Coach" Cady Arena!
"It's ultimately my job and our job to set a standard," Noreen told the gathered crowd inside Goggin Ice Center's club lounge during today's press conference. "My standard is extremely high. And it's not for everybody.
"But we will live that standard. We will hold [players] accountable to that standard. It will be uncomfortable to get to that standard. And there will be nobody in the world that they will ever meet or ever be around that will support them and have their back in reaching that standard more than I am.
"It's going to be extremely clear what our standard is. We're going to get people here that we feel can meet that standard, and we're going to support the heck out of them until they do."
Noreen, who is finishing his seventh year as head coach of the USHL's Tri-City Storm and has helped each of his eligible players during that span move on to play Division I hockey, laid out his plan for attracting top talent to Oxford and also previewed how he and his staff will develop those student-athletes once they arrive.
"Our number one objective will be to develop them," Noreen explained. "Our job, and what I see a staff's job as, is to use everything within your power to develop your players as people, as leaders and as hockey players."
Director of Athletics David Sayler said Noreen's experience as not only a head coach, but also a general manager and then president of hockey operations, was part of what made him a great fit to lead the RedHawks into the program's next chapter.
"This was a time that I felt we needed to hire somebody that could manage a roster and really be a CEO of a program," Sayler said. "You're in charge of everything that happens…it's managing your roster every single year."
The goal, according to Sayler, is to reestablish Miami as a competitive program in the NCHC that will consistently be in the mix for a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
Although that climb won't be easy, Noreen is excited to begin a process that he referred to on multiple occasions as 'fun.'
"The hard is the fun," Noreen said, later becoming even more specific: "The build is the fun."
As he answered questions from the various media members today, Noreen also laid out the identity for how he wants his Miami teams to compete, emphasizing the idea of being hard to play against.
"Play the game fast, play the game hard, and [be] great teammates," Noreen said.
"When teams come in here, they should dread coming in this place on a Friday and a Saturday night. They should dread when the bus pulls up and this team's about to play them at their arena."
In order to make that happen, it will take day-to-day improvement as well as the discipline to maintain that approach, said Noreen.
"We need to get better today, just like we need to get better tomorrow, just like we need to get better next week. That's not going to change, if we want to do what I know the guys in that room want to do and the people sitting in this room want to see the program do.
"I feel like we have the facilities, the campus [and] the support to do that. Ultimately, we need the discipline to stick to it."
The desired end result, as Sayler alluded to in his opening remarks: Restoring Miami to a place of prominence in college hockey, both inside its conference and on the national stage. Noreen promised an 'unwavering' belief that the Red and White can accomplish exactly that, repeatedly referencing the program's proud Brotherhood tradition (and his own secondhand ties to Miami's history via mentor Wil Nichol, a former RedHawk graduate assistant).
"This place is the perfect blend in the college hockey world," Noreen said, calling leading the RedHawks his 'dream job.'
"There are some great academic universities, but maybe the hockey is just 'OK.' Then there are some hockey powerhouses, but maybe the academic piece is just 'OK.'
"This, to me, is the perfect blend of both worlds. You want to get a great education? Miami University. You want to develop to become a professional hockey player? Miami University.
"To me, I think we check all the boxes…this is the perfect time at the perfect place."
Season tickets for Noreen's debut season at Miami are available now; click here to place your deposit for the 2024-25 campaign at Steve "Coach" Cady Arena!
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