Paul Maurice is Loved in Florida. It Took a Minute

It can be argued there is not a more popular coach in South Florida right now than Paul Maurice.

Yes, Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat may have a say in this argument.

If the Dolphins and Hurricanes get going, the popularity of Mike McDaniel and Mario Cristobal will soar.

And what a job Marlins manager Clayton McCullough is doing, eh?

That said, Paul Maurice can do no wrong in South Florida right now.

Of course, he is up in the hinterlands at his summer place on Lake of the Woods in northern Ontario fishing like summer is rapidly coming to a close.

So, he literally can do no wrong in South Florida right now.

Winning, and winning big, has led to Maurice’s standing among coaches not only in his market but throughout sports.

Fans love his personality, his candor, his stories, how he can make even a very complex part of the game easy to digest.

They also love his profound way of bringing levity to situations with a dollop of profanity.

But winning trumps all — and no one has won like Maurice has over the past few years.

Only there was a time, and it was not all that long ago, that many fans of the Florida Panthers would have chipped in to send Maurice fishing as long as that meant he was not coaching their team any more.