Jones: Don't Expect Claude Julien To Change Much
BOSTON (CBS) - On Wednesday afternoon, Claude Julien spoke to the media for the first time since Bruins general manager Don Sweeney announced he would return as head coach.
98.5 The Sports Hub's Adam Jones reacted to the press conference on Wednesday night, and two comments from Julien in particular stood out to him and have him worried.
"Nothing is changing for Claude Julien. He is not going to adapt or change his coaching philosophy," Jones said to start the segment.
Here's the first troubling sign for Jones:
"It just means I'm probably the next one to fall off the totem pole, right?" Julien answered when asked about being the NHL's longest-tenured head coach. "I'm going to try to make it last as long as I can."
That does not sound like a man who is confident in his job status.
"'I'm going to try to make it last as long as I can?' I know that first part about the totem pole is tongue and cheek, but when he says he wants to make it last as long as he can, how long do you think you're going to be here for?" Jones wondered.
He continued, "Do you think by November you're going to get the axe? If that's the attitude and the mindset of the head coach going into next year, what do you think the players have for a mindset? Why would any of these players go out there and go to the wall for Claude Julien if Claude himself [is unsure]?"
GM Don Sweeney, who has been campaigning for a philosophy and personnel shift, may be faced with some opposition from Julien, who didn't sound like he was all too interested in changing his ways.
The second soundbite from the press conference that Jones played illustrates that notion:
"For people that think we're going to play a run-and-gun game, that's not happening. We can talk about all kinds of things. The teams that are in the finals right now, one of them had an even better goals against average than we did," Julien answered when asked about the Bruins' style of play. "This game hasn't changed. You need good defense. You need good offense. You need both. We've been able to do that for a lot of years."
Adam Jones takes issue with the fact that Julien is comparing his team to the two that are playing for the Cup, because he believes there's a wide gap in talent there.
Add it all up and you're going to get the same Claude Julien, according to Jones.
"Claude is going to be the same guy, and he's not even sure how long he's going to be here for. Just ask him. The writers did today and he said we'll see how long it lasts," Jones said.
Listen below: