Thommo Steps Down as GB Coach

Sounds to me like he's really trying to make sure everything is ok in Coventry and fair play to him - at the end of the day that's his money down the toilet if Coventry go bust.

So, who to replace him? Hand seems like the obvious choice but honestly speaking (and this is purely speculative on my part) Payette wouldn't be a bad person to ask when you look at how far the Steeldogs have come under his coaching. Keep him on the bench though!

Hand seems to be having a struggle on his hands with the Phoenix at the moment, but for me (much as I don't like his apparently rather brutal coaching style) he'd be first choice. I bet GB are on the phone to Rob Wilson as well, and in his defence with a good squad he'd probably do better than what he did for the Vipers in their later stages.

All good choices, however, what week to week experience do they have of the majority of the British players, who play in the EIHL.

What's the odds on Corey being asked to pick it up?

Hand and Payette both see the future of british hockey, week in week out. And both would probably be familiar with the majority of the current GB squad having either played with them, against them, or tried to sign them in the past 2 years, i'd bet.

I will be absolutely aghast if Neilson picks it up. Sorry, but no. His style of coaching I just don't think would do GB any favours.

Is Wilson still about?

Head Coach in Italy by the looks of it.

www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=22300

I think personally it'll end up being a Wilson/Neilson double act. There's no one single figure in British Hockey at the moment who would be able to fill Thommo's shoes, so it'll go to the guys who are already coaches and have lots to do with the GB system as well. Wilson, this and last season aside, has been in british hockey since the year dot, and is still involved enough with the GB side to know how to coach it. Neilson still sees the majority of its players week in week out, so would probably have more to do with the selection and less the coaching.

I would eventually like to see Payette and Hand get involved, I think both have something to offer and hopefully it would do something about the lack of EPL rep in the side that goes to worlds. Sadly though I think that problem is more to do with the fact hockey in this country isn't all under one umbrella organisation and reform is needed before it'd happen. But I digress...

Shaggy, I don't think Hand would be the right man for a GB junior team at all. Current setup seem to be doing a decent job anyways but given what some players who have played under his coaching have said, I wouldn't trust him not to massively dishearten a bunch of teens if the results didn't go their way or they made a mistake. Maybe that'll come with more coaching experience in the EPL where he's dealing with a younger team, but I think he'd be better suited to the seniors. Payette would be better for the juniors, weirdly ironic as that may seem. Plenty of experience working with kids given that he ran camps and summer hockey programmes for kids for years.

Rick Strachan to take interim charge until a long term solution is found? Just a thought......

I can't remember the circumstances of Rick Strachan's departure from the GB programme, to be honest... it may have been completely amicable, it may not. If the latter... well, would they approach him - and if they did, would he accept?

Hands off Strachs, he has a real job already, if he has time for GB he isn't working hard enough.
Same goes for Corey.

Hand has little or no experience at dealing with elite players in a short tournament format. As well he was not asked or chose not to assist in the past suggests he is only in it for himself. As the team is so poorly funded with little salary for coaches I suspect few will want to add it to their plate. I think Thommo's departure will set us back five years in terms of compete level both on and off the ice.

Depends how much cross-over there is and how many fixture clashes. There are advantages to coaching the GB side when it comes to recruiting Brits for the club.