Scherr tabbed to head new hockey conference
January 5, 2012
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP)—Though his travel schedule figures to be muchless glamorous, Jim Scherr should be able to go to work each day without havingto watch his back.
The former leader of the U.S. Olympic Committee was introduced ascommissioner of the new National Collegiate Hockey Conference on Wednesday, ajob sure to be filled with its share of threats and challenges, though almostcertainly not so many from within his own office.
“One of the nice things about this position is that everyone’s on the samepage about where they want to take the conference,” Scherr said. “From thatperspective, it’s a nice feeling.”
Scherr was guiding the USOC through a period of success after years ofturmoil when he was unexpectedly pushed out in 2009—a move engineered by theboard of directors, one of whom, Stephanie Streeter, ended up getting his job.The CEO position has since been filled by Scott Blackmun and things have calmeddown at the USOC. But at the time of Scherr’s departure, critics said it was aninside job that sullied the reputation of the USOC, which had tried numerousreform attempts over the years.
Scherr started his own marketing company, which had some success, but he’llstep down as CEO there to concentrate on the hockey job.
Not that the new position doesn’t have its own share of potential traps.
In moves that mirrored the seismic shifts in college football, but on asmaller level, college hockey has been realigning. Last year, the Big Tendecided to start a hockey conference and poached Minnesota and Wisconsin out ofthe 60-year-old WCHA. That left teams such as Colorado College and Denver—small schools that support large hockey programs—scrambling as they decidedwhether to salvage the WCHA, find a new home in an existing conference or createsomething completely new.
Their choice: the new NCHC, which also includes Miami (Ohio),Minnesota-Duluth, Nebraska-Omaha, North Dakota, St. Cloud State and WesternMichigan. The conference begins play in the 2013-14 season.
The 50-year-old Scherr conceded everyone in the new conference must payattention to the changing landscape in college sports.
“Given the fact that nobody knows where the world of collegiate sports willgo three to five years from now, you always have to be cognizant of the factthat there could be potential additions or realignment,” he said. “I thinkwe’re pretty satisfied with where we are today.”
Of course, if there’s any intrigue or maneuvering to be done—well, Scherris well-versed in that. A former Olympic wrestler, who served as executivedirector of USA Wrestling before coming to the USOC, he has spent most of hisadult life in Olympic circles. As leader of the USOC, he had to deal with theintricate politics of the international Olympic movement, to say nothing of themachinations in his own office.
“He’s been in real important sports positions for 20 years where you’ve gotto herd cats, got to organize volunteers, got to get people to follow in thedirection you want them to go,” said Dave Ogrean, executive director of USAHockey who serves on the USOC board. “He’s done that, especially in the last 10years, at the national and international level. He comes with a hell of aRolodex, a hell of a network of friends.”
