Shooter: Maturi searching for the 'right ingredients' to improve football

[BleedGopher]

Shooter Now: Gophers AD Joel Maturi searching for the 'right ingredients' to improve football program
By Charley Walters
Updated: 01/05/2010 10:58:33 AM CST

So how does a school such as Boise State from the Western Athletic Conference finish its football season 14-0 while the University of Minnesota from the Big Ten finishes 6-7?

"I think they've built themselves a niche, just like Gonzaga's been in basketball," Gophers athletics director Joel Maturi said this morning. "They've gotten name recognition, they've been successful, it's the only show in town. It's the focus, not only of their institution, but their state, and good for them."

Boise State will finish among the top handful of football teams in the nation in final rankings. Maturi said he's studied the program.

"You look at different aspects of it, and everybody wants to emulate it because we all want to emulate success," Maturi said. "But we also have to realize that there are many aspects that go into it. Do you know who the coach was before Chris Petersen who really developed the success at Boise State?"

That would be Dan Hawkins, who left for the University of Colorado four years ago and has had four losing seasons coaching the Buffaloes.

"And he's fighting for his life," Maturi said. "The point I'm trying to make is that there are no guarantees. Hawkins probably would like to be back at Boise State.

"You hire this guy and you hire that guy, and it all sounds good, but there just are no guarantees. And believe me, I'm aware of that."

Maturi is seeking answers for his Gophers football program.

"We have to look at what in the foundation that's been missing that has not allowed us to be a champion," he said. "Many good coaches and many athletic directors have tried to be successful, and we haven't done it yet. We have to find the right ingredients."

Maturi said he's working to find the right mix.

"I'm home every night with my chemistry set, putting everything in the pot," he said.

http://www.twincities.com/ci_14125696

Go Gophers!!

[froggopher]

For starters, compare our football personnel with the successful teams and figure out what is missing. Everything from play calling to offense/defense schemes. Hopefully next year will determine the entire outlook.

Go Gophers!!

[Think Harder]

Dance, Joey dance!

[Zeppelin Gopher]

"I'm home every night with my chemistry set, putting everything in the pot," he said.




http://unibomber.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/stupid01.gif

[Ole]

Here at Minnesota we have a chance to find a niche as well. Unfortunately it would require out of the box thinking, which hasn't been a strength of the Big Ten lately.
I'm a fervent Brewster supporter, at least for one more year, maybe two, but neither he nor Maturi are creating a niche here, and that's ok, I'm still skeptical whether Boise State and some of the MWC teams could perform as well as they do in a grinding major conference season.

Wisconsin has its niche, its a power running program, plain and simple, you stop their running game, you beat them. They recruit big powerful runningbacks, fullbacks, and linemen, and throw to their TE's. It's a simple formula, it can be beaten, but it works for them.

Northwestern is developing a niche as well, they have smart guys throughout their team, this has allowed a disciplined defense to grow and prosper, their guys simply know their assignments in and out.

It might be a fun exercise to get some out of the box formula ideas going here, at least it might help the mood. I'll try one.

-Emphasize a power spread/option hybrid, the "inside receivers" are big, fast, TE/FB/H-back types, they are the key to it all and are used to catch, run, and block in various formations and motions.
The midwest develops these type of athletes all the time, it wouldn't be as much of an issue to recruit depth in big, strong, tough TE types, speedier ones would be exceptional, but not necessary early in the building process.
-Emphasize the O line, that part of the formula is Big Ten classic, but it's necessary and everything starts up front. Recruiting good Oline prospects is very possible, it's been proven.
-Basically run a pounding run first spread which allows for one on one matchups on the outside with guys that will either be able to overpower a perimeter defender blocking or running through them. The outside guys would be speedier/classic receiver types. Steal a page from the beer soaked playbook of wisconsin and recruit big runningbacks, along with small, speedy guys. A true thunder/lightning concept. Pound them and then change it up and run away from them
-Mobile QB's would allow further schemes to be developed, rollouts, sprintouts and perimeter option plays would stretch out the plays and allow another concept to develop, the scramble routes. Make it an emphasis to teach receiver to find the zone and come back to the ball or go deep. Teach it as dogma. Make defenses prepare and fear the guys running around after a QB breaks contain or scrambles.

On defense, a 3-4. It's used often in the pros, there have to be alot of good 3-4 coaches around that could make Minnesota a 3-4 pipeline. Again, 3-4 DE's and space eaters can be found in the midwest, making recruiting easier, the speedy/big OLBs that make a 3-4 go can be found by looking for under recruited undersized but speedy DE's, think the Oneyali(sp?) kid from colorado, these kids get looks but are not as coveted as other prospects that also have size. Be a blitzing team, it can make for exciting defensive football and isn't something seen very often in the Big Ten.

As a program, its clear media will not cooperate, there are too many critics and cynics around town. Popularity wise Gopher football just isn't a priority for many TC natives, but the UofMN is a popular entity, look around a crowded place sometime, people wear UofMN colors and gear all the time, and when success does come, the fairweather folks show up. What to do?
-Go with the hometown one of us angle, it's an unstoppable force in Minnesota, create an identity of hometown and hometown spirit, that means a local guy would need to be the coach, which hasn't happened since when? He would need to be qualified, but there are enough coaches who have come through here to make a nice list from.
Local angles warm Minnesotan's hearts and would provide popular support, in the media, throw bones to the major radio and TV stations. Go with ad campaigns featuring Goldy and former local Gophers. Play the ignore card with Ruesse/Souhan/Doogie/Barrerio, laugh it off and be a bit self deprecating, eventually if popular support grows they'll find themselves pretending to have been behind the new coach all along, and patting themselves on the back for telling everyone first.

A little out the box thinking, I dunno, still shaking the Marroon and Gold hangover.

[froggopher]

Maturi did make a good comment regarding some of the schools are "the only show in town" which is true. Here in the Twin Cities there are all the major pro sports teams and god knows how many other sports. They are all fighting for the fan's sports dollars. Madison, Lincoln, Ann Arbor, Columbia, Missouri to name a few, have their own faithful following year in and year out. The Gopher's need a fantastic breakout year next year to gain their following back from long ago.

That's how I see it and it will not be easy, but other team's have done it before.

[Bayfieldgopher]

Nice analysis Ole. But we need to look at what the top programs do compared to what has been done at the UM.

First and foremost, the majority of the recruits are ****Star athletes and usually 2-4 *****Star's thrown in. The minority are ***Stars. There are a lot of coaches out there that can do well coaching that level of talent. (Rodriguez & Weiss???)

Getting that level of talent year after year and also receiving the huge financial support of the alumni and community is a very tough niche to crack. That problem hampers a lot of mid level or low level programs.

It will be interesting to watch what Fitzgerald at NU and Harbaugh at Stanford are able to do the next 2-3 years. Both have been able to build decent programs without the top talent and dollars and fanatic fan support.

Many universities have valued the importance of having a powerful football program and have been able to maintain that status. The UM has not made that committment and I doubt they will with the current financial issues facing many universities. What better example of a lack of committment than playing in the damn dome for over twenty years.

My hope for this program is to be able to rally around a Brewster type and see if he can put the pieces together in 5 or 6 years and make a run. And then see if it can be maintained. Both are extremely difficult tasks and hasn't been done in decades. If not, and Tubby succeeds, maybe the UM will realize it needs to spend the $$ to get a big name football coach.

I have very little confidence we will see the Gophers rise to prominence in my lifetime and I am 64.

[idagopher]

Living here in "Bronco Nation" all you hear about all year long is BSU football, even in the offseason. The dominate the front page of the papers, not just the Sports Page. They spend a lot of money on their facilities and teh Athletic Dept is funded by tax payer money as it does not generate enough revenue to even pay for football.

Fan support is phenomenal even though most never even went to the school or are graduates of it or any other University. UI alumni, the only real university in the state, hate BSU because they have become dominate in football yet remain third tier academically. The BSU BB team is luckt to draw 1500 to a home game and is barely reported on. As a university it offers two masters programs and no doctoral programs and grant research is comparatvely non-existant.

Chris Peterson was the success behind Dan Hawkins and decided not to accompany Dan to Colorado which became the root of Dan's failure there. Dan did come into a bad situation behind Gary Barnett.

Peterson recruits smart kids who fit his system and that is the sucess. He doesn't fit primadonnas who were high school all stars into it. BSU plays few road games and having a blue field with matching home uniforms and a very loud and rude crowd makes for a tremendous home advantage. Plus the comunity support pays off. For example, Jerrod Zabransky, their star quarterback in their previous Fiesta Bowl victory, was found passed out drunk behind the wheel of his car in front of his apartment. The Boise Police just helped him to his door. Not ticket, no dui, no University sanctions. That's 'cpmmunity support'. You or I go to jail. In another incident with a player from that team, a wide reciever was speeding (+100MPH) ona highway up north and caused a major traffic accident that killed an entire family. He was arrested and charged yet the media and fans continued to press for allowance to let him play until trial. Shameful that football is held above the law and public safety.

Yet success for BSU is treasured because there is little else here in an ultra-conservative area where wages are some of the lowest in the nation, women are frequently treated as second class citizens and the percentage of children going hungrey is sceond highest in the nation. Think Mississippi of the north. Rush Limbaugh is held god-like. When budget cuts hit the school system, books and classroom supplies and the arts suffered first while BSU athletics was only scratched a little, and much later.

So that football success comes at a price that will likely be paid for later when ignoring the price you paid comes due. They don't 'pay it forward' like UM does. UM flourishes in star professors, teaching facilities, grant research and oncampus hospitols and laboratories. Not so at BSU.

BSU plays in the WAC and are far superior to other WAC teams such that most of their season is like live field practice rather than fights for survival that pound you down. SO a weak NC schedule could be a plus for the Gophers for more non-threatening practice leading into the BT season. We'll see if a tougher NC schedule is really a good thing or not.

[Ole]

Very interesting info on BSU, kinda tarnishes their accomplishments as BCS busters in my mind.

That level of local support will never happen here. I think everyone is proud of our strong academics and would not sacrifice that for any sports success, but I do think my idea of playing up the hometown, one of us angle would work. It's a mysterious and strange obsession with Minnesotans(myself included I guess), but it cannot be denied, folks love native Minnesotans in the spotlight.

[Doogie]

Ole -- I think you have me mistaken ... When have I ever said or wrote that I am anti-Gophers football? My passion for the program is there, the passion is as strong as anyone on this board ... just not happy with the current state ... in your well laid-out post, a new coach is mentioned ... I could easily get behind that if the right guy is brought in.

[raindog]

Sounds like we need to move the team to St Cloud.:D

[Goldmember]

BSU plays in the WAC and are far superior to other WAC teams such that most of their season is like live field practice rather than fights for survival that pound you down. SO a weak NC schedule could be a plus for the Gophers for more non-threatening practice leading into the BT season. We'll see if a tougher NC schedule is really a good thing or not.

Most people fail to realize how bad the WAC really is nowadays. Minnesota did not play a single team that was as bad as Nevada, the WAC's runner-up to Boise State. And several of the WAC teams are not even meeting the NCAA's requirements to compete at the D1-FBS level; the NCAA just hasn't called them out on it and reassigned them as to FCS becuase they don't want a legal fight.

[josh087]

"They've gotten name recognition, they've been successful, it's the only show in town. It's the focus, not only of their institution, but their state, and good for them."


Maturi definitely knows the Vikings are a roadblock in the way of Gopher future success - and he all but says it in this quote. It's not the only one, but it is a roadblock, and with them gone it would be easier to build the kind of passionate following that it is behind teams like the Boise Sts. and Iowas without having to win 10+ games every single year.

[littlebigboy]

The problem has been Patience, and with the media and this board that is the problem now. Nobody has the patience to do it right, everybody wants results now, and that is why we don't get them. It takes time to build a program the right way, and Brewster is now trying to do that. He is getting good recruits and bringing them along slowly, so they don't get the crap kicked out of them as Fr. There are exceptions, but most teams in the BT and major conf. are made up of 3rd, 4th and 5th yr. players. If you keep throwing kids in that aren't ready you keep getting beat. Look at Collado. He was not ready to play as a fr. but was better than anything we had. But Mentally it hurt him, and it took until this yr, before he started feeling he belonged, instead of hoping " I don't screw up". 19 yr old kids at LB and O-Line are not ready to play 22-23 yr old men. If Brew gets his AT LEAST 5 yrs. I think we will see the advantages. We will be playing Wisc. OSU and penn State with kids the same age, experience and coaching. It will make a difference.

[Ole]

Ole -- I think you have me mistaken ... When have I ever said or wrote that I am anti-Gophers football? My passion for the program is there, the passion is as strong as anyone on this board ... just not happy with the current state ... in your well laid-out post, a new coach is mentioned ... I could easily get behind that if the right guy is brought in.

Doogie, I've always thought you get a raw deal here, and I stayed out of the thread about your last article, but the tone of many of your articles is not much different than the personalities I listed with your name.
I just think a spice of support for at least the players could be thrown in along with your obviously sarcastic writing style.
As for a new coach, yeah I'd be behind him too, and I'd want fans to give him 5 years of unbiased patience and allow his recruits to fill in. Brewster hasn't been great, he hasn't sucked either. What did emerge is a brand of fairly nondescript offensive football, which after 1998 Vikings and years of 500 yard rushing games by Mason teams is a mortal sin in this market of unbelievably fairweather and cynical fans. Nobody accepts that defense wins games, they either don't know enough football to understand, or they have short attention spans and don't care.

The right guy might not be Brewster, I accept that, as I now accept he must get it done next year instead of his 5th year like I would prefer. But who do we bring in if he goes next year?
Probably either a tired retread or a nobody. A local guy, as I said might have a chance to become a hometown hero type, which would play in this market. Reusse would still write crap about him, Barrerio and his hawkeye lover would still snicker at Gopher football, and Souhan would still write whatever shocking negative headline keeps him employed.
I'm not sure what you would write, especially if early success doesn't come.
Enlighten me, what is your idea on how Minnesota football could get a successful niche going?

[dpodoll68]

Most people fail to realize how bad the WAC really is nowadays. Minnesota did not play a single team that was as bad as Nevada, the WAC's runner-up to Boise State. And several of the WAC teams are not even meeting the NCAA's requirements to compete at the D1-FBS level; the NCAA just hasn't called them out on it and reassigned them as to FCS becuase they don't want a legal fight.

C'mon now.

You're honestly trying to say that Syracuse and SDSU are better than Nevada?

[dpodoll68]

Maturi definitely knows the Vikings are a roadblock in the way of Gopher future success - and he all but says it in this quote. It's not the only one, but it is a roadblock, and with them gone it would be easier to build the kind of passionate following that it is behind teams like the Boise Sts. and Iowas without having to win 10+ games every single year.

No.

[Doogie]

Doogie, I've always thought you get a raw deal here, and I stayed out of the thread about your last article, but the tone of many of your articles is not much different than the personalities I listed with your name.
I just think a spice of support for at least the players could be thrown in along with your obviously sarcastic writing style.
As for a new coach, yeah I'd be behind him too, and I'd want fans to give him 5 years of unbiased patience and allow his recruits to fill in. Brewster hasn't been great, he hasn't sucked either. What did emerge is a brand of fairly nondescript offensive football, which after 1998 Vikings and years of 500 yard rushing games by Mason teams is a mortal sin in this market of unbelievably fairweather and cynical fans. Nobody accepts that defense wins games, they either don't know enough football to understand, or they have short attention spans and don't care.

The right guy might not be Brewster, I accept that, as I now accept he must get it done next year instead of his 5th year like I would prefer. But who do we bring in if he goes next year?
Probably either a tired retread or a nobody. A local guy, as I said might have a chance to become a hometown hero type, which would play in this market. Reusse would still write crap about him, Barrerio and his hawkeye lover would still snicker at Gopher football, and Souhan would still write whatever shocking negative headline keeps him employed.
I'm not sure what you would write, especially if early success doesn't come.
Enlighten me, what is your idea on how Minnesota football could get a successful niche going?

It's a good question, one that I bet Maturi and others wrestle with regularly ... short answer = find a coach in a comparable situation to what Tubby had in Lexington and offer that coach 6-years, $18 mil. and hand him the keys to the program.
Who that guy is? Would take Leach, even with his baggage ... Richt (highly doubtful)?
Will think about more though ... that answer might be too simplistic.

[Ole]

It's a good question, one that I bet Maturi and others wrestle with regularly ... short answer = find a coach in a comparable situation to what Tubby had in Lexington and offer that coach 6-years, $18 mil. and hand him the keys to the program.
Who that guy is? Would take Leach, even with his baggage ... Richt (highly doubtful)?
Will think about more though ... that answer might be too simplistic.

So find a coach with a national championship and throw money at him? Not very creative.
Also not very likely. It has to go further than the coach too. Mike Leach would get eaten alive by the media here, he'd be a joke the minute he loses a game.

[nc2mn]

Maturi did make a good comment regarding some of the schools are "the only show in town" which is true. Here in the Twin Cities there are all the major pro sports teams and god knows how many other sports. They are all fighting for the fan's sports dollars. Madison, Lincoln, Ann Arbor, Columbia, Missouri to name a few, have their own faithful following year in and year out. The Gopher's need a fantastic breakout year next year to gain their following back from long ago.

That's how I see it and it will not be easy, but other team's have done it before.

Good point. The Gophers also suffer from the cynicism among the media resulting from having fair (vikings, mariners) poor (wild) and abysmal (wolves) teams. Madison, Ann Arbor and the others you mentioned would have been antsy but satisfied with a coach who went .500 and two bowls in 2nd and 3rd year - especially after dropping the cream puffs Mason loaded into his non-conference schedule.

Brewster's biggest sales job is convincing the media and the public that he is building a program. The next two years will tell the tale as his recruits take over the starting lineup.

[GopherGod]

Good point. The Gophers also suffer from the cynicism among the media resulting from having fair (vikings, mariners) poor (wild) and abysmal (wolves) teams. Madison, Ann Arbor and the others you mentioned would have been antsy but satisfied with a coach who went .500 and two bowls in 2nd and 3rd year - especially after dropping the cream puffs Mason loaded into his non-conference schedule.
Brewster's biggest sales job is convincing the media and the public that he is building a program. The next two years will tell the tale as his recruits take over the starting lineup.

Maybe and a big maybe the Mizzou fans would have been satisfied but the other fan bases would not have been satisfied with a .500 record record in years 2 and 3.

[HopHead]

... short answer = find a coach in a comparable situation to what Tubby had in Lexington and offer that coach 6-years, $18 mil. and hand him the keys to the program.

Serious question for you, Doogie: Can you think of any example of a mid level football school becoming nationally relevent just by hiring a big name coach? I'm not saying it can't work, but I can't think of any examples right off the top of my head. I can think of many more times where historically strong programs actually got worse by hiring a "big name" coach in an effort to return them to the glories of days past (Weiss at Notre Dame, Rich Rodriguez at Michigan, Callahan at Nebraska, etc.). There are also coaches like Steve Spurrier and John Robinson that had great success at one school and were unable to recreate it at another.

I know that before Florida St. hired Bobby Bowden, they were a pretty pathetic football school but I don't really know what Bowden's reputation was prior to taking the FSU job.

IMO, getting a "big name" coach is probably less likely to create long term success here over getting a good young coach and letting him become a "big name" while at the U of M. I'm not saying Brewster is that man, but I do think it's too early to call it either way at this point.

[littlebigboy]

Why give the next guy 6 yrs. and not Brew. at least 5 to get his players developed???? He is trying to do job the right way????

[RaT]

Doogie, I've always thought you get a raw deal here, and I stayed out of the thread about your last article, but the tone of many of your articles is not much different than the personalities I listed with your name.
I just think a spice of support for at least the players could be thrown in along with your obviously sarcastic writing style.
As for a new coach, yeah I'd be behind him too, and I'd want fans to give him 5 years of unbiased patience and allow his recruits to fill in. Brewster hasn't been great, he hasn't sucked either. What did emerge is a brand of fairly nondescript offensive football, which after 1998 Vikings and years of 500 yard rushing games by Mason teams is a mortal sin in this market of unbelievably fairweather and cynical fans. Nobody accepts that defense wins games, they either don't know enough football to understand, or they have short attention spans and don't care.

The right guy might not be Brewster, I accept that, as I now accept he must get it done next year instead of his 5th year like I would prefer. But who do we bring in if he goes next year?
Probably either a tired retread or a nobody. A local guy, as I said might have a chance to become a hometown hero type, which would play in this market. Reusse would still write crap about him, Barrerio and his hawkeye lover would still snicker at Gopher football, and Souhan would still write whatever shocking negative headline keeps him employed.
I'm not sure what you would write, especially if early success doesn't come.
Enlighten me, what is your idea on how Minnesota football could get a successful niche going?

Bingo. You hit the nail right on the head. Better have an offense in this town, or you suck. Just look at Lemaire when he was with the Wild.

[Doogie]

HopHead -- You're right in many respects, that's why I said that my answer was a bit too simplistic. Although big name for me could be the Boise coach or the Utah coach. Richt would be shooting for the stars.
Define mid-level? I think this is one of the 30-35 best jobs in the country. 'Bama w/ Saban comes to mind, but that, even before he got there, was a top 10-15 job, so probably not applicable.
Your point about getting a good young coach is likely more realistic ... Stoops, Meyer, Harbaugh, Leach, and others are good examples of that. Also could go the route Georgia Tech did w/ a Paul Johnson-type (was 50 years old when he left Navy).

[dpodoll68]

Good point. The Gophers also suffer from the cynicism among the media resulting from having fair (vikings, mariners) poor (wild) and abysmal (wolves) teams. Madison, Ann Arbor and the others you mentioned would have been antsy but satisfied with a coach who went .500 and two bowls in 2nd and 3rd year - especially after dropping the cream puffs Mason loaded into his non-conference schedule.

Brewster's biggest sales job is convincing the media and the public that he is building a program. The next two years will tell the tale as his recruits take over the starting lineup.

Huh?

[Ole]

HopHead -- You're right in many respects, that's why I said that my answer was a bit too simplistic. Although big name for me could be the Boise coach or the Utah coach. Richt would be shooting for the stars.
Define mid-level? I think this is one of the 30-35 best jobs in the country. 'Bama w/ Saban comes to mind, but that, even before he got there, was a top 10-15 job, so probably not applicable.
Your point about getting a good young coach is likely more realistic ... Stoops, Meyer, Harbaugh, Leach, and others are good examples of that. Also could go the route Georgia Tech did w/ a Paul Johnson-type (was 50 years old when he left Navy).

What makes you think the Boise or Utah coaches would come here? It's come to this, we no longer offer better jobs than those places. Both are set in successful programs, have been to BCS games recently. I doubt you get them to come here for any reason but huge money, which the university probably won't pony up. Younger guys are great, are you willing to give 18 million to Major Applewhite or Josh Heupel? Two very successful young coaches but both could come in over their heads. Again, I'm hoping Brewster gets 5 years, and if he cannot succeed, give the next coach 5 also.

[HopHead]

HopHead -- You're right in many respects, that's why I said that my answer was a bit too simplistic. Although big name for me could be the Boise coach or the Utah coach. Richt would be shooting for the stars.
Define mid-level? I think this is one of the 30-35 best jobs in the country. 'Bama w/ Saban comes to mind, but that, even before he got there, was a top 10-15 job, so probably not applicable.
Your point about getting a good young coach is likely more realistic ... Stoops, Meyer, Harbaugh, Leach, and others are good examples of that. Also could go the route Georgia Tech did w/ a Paul Johnson-type (was 50 years old when he left Navy).

Thanks for the response. I was referring to mid-level it terms of recent on the field results more than program potential. It seems like the Gophers have been hovering around .500 for a number of years now and just can't seem to get over the hump.

Also, if Peterson were to leave Boise St., I think it would be to go to a much higher profile job than here. Similar to when Meyer left Utah for Florida. It sucks so say it, but if Peterson came here, there would be many people asking "why is he settling for Minnesota when he could have his pick of much stronger programs?" He may already be too much of a "big name" for us right now.:(

If Brewster does not work out and he is gone in couple of years, I really hope the U goes after a successful, young head coach from a non-BCS school rather than the flavor-of-the-month coordinator from a recent national championship team. I also hope they don't go after some over-the-hill coach trying to regain the glory of their youth.

What I really hope for is that Brewster figures this thing out and goes 7-5 next year and then runs off a string of 8 to 10 win seasons for the next decade or so. Pass the Kool-ade please.

[dpodoll68]

Maybe and a big maybe the Mizzou fans would have been satisfied but the other fan bases would not have been satisfied with a .500 record record in years 2 and 3.

Can you point me in the direction of a good Nebraska fan page? I would like to go there and constantly remind them that, even though they've been better the last 40 years, we still have more national titles.

While I'm at it, I would also like to remind them that our wrestling program is better. I would also like to make fun of them for having rifle and bowling as varsity sports.

I see no reason why this is not perfectly sane and normal behavior.

Thanks in advance!

[GopherGod]

Can you point me in the direction of a good Nebraska fan page? I would like to go there and constantly remind them that, even though they've been better the last 40 years, we still have more national titles.

While I'm at it, I would also like to remind them that our wrestling program is better. I would also like to make fun of them for having rifle and bowling as varsity sports.

I see no reason why this is not perfectly sane and normal behavior.

Thanks in advance!

Why are you such a bitter little man? I have gathered that you wanted to be a professor but couldn't attain that for one reason or another but don't take it out on me.

[MRJ]

Some of Maturi's statements leave me confused at times. And certainly, these are par for the course. I don't understand the line of thinking that says "there are no guarantees" even if you hire a proven winner as a coach.

So you try to go out and make a good hire and kind of hope for the best. However, in our case, he hired a guy that didn't have any head coaching or coordinator experience at all. In other words, there was even less of a guarantee with Brewster, yet Maturi obviously felt this was a good hire. Why is that? Brewster literally had no track record as a proven winner when he was hired.

In following this line of thinking, Maturi was hoping beyond hope that everything would be just dandy under Brewster, but also apparently knew it was a long-shot. And now that certain folks are getting upset, he's trying to explain how hard he's working to find the "right ingredients" to make the team good because "there are no guarantees?" These are the type of things that make me doubt Maturi when it comes to hiring football coaches.

[GopherGod]

Some of Maturi's statements leave me confused at times. And certainly, these are par for the course. I don't understand the line of thinking that says "there are no guarantees" even if you hire a proven winner as a coach.

So you try to go out and make a good hire and kind of hope for the best. However, in our case, he hired a guy that didn't have any head coaching or coordinator experience at all. In other words, there was even less of a guarantee with Brewster, yet Maturi obviously felt this was a good hire. Why is that? Brewster literally had no track record as a proven winner when he was hired.

In following this line of thinking, Maturi was hoping beyond hope that everything would be just dandy under Brewster, but also apparently knew it was a long-shot. And now that certain folks are getting upset, he's trying to explain how hard he's working to find the "right ingredients" to make the team good because "there are no guarantees?" These are the type of things that make me doubt Maturi when it comes to hiring football coaches.

I agree completely with your statement, there are no guarantees but I would hope he would try and minimize his risk with all hires by trying to hire experience.

[dpodoll68]

Why are you such a bitter little man? I have gathered that you wanted to be a professor but couldn't attain that for one reason or another but don't take it out on me.

I am neither bitter nor little.

I am, as I have already stated, horribly confused as to how and why a person goes about pretending to be a Gopher fan for the sole purpose of reminding everyone how much better Nebraska (and to a lesser extent, Texas) is at everything than Minnesota. And for 1200 posts, no less! And, of course, proceeds to think that this is good, decent, and normal behavior.

I have enough trouble keeping up with the teams of which I am actually a fan. I have no inclination or desire to pretend to be fans of other teams. Can you help to explain why someone would do this?

[MRJ]

I agree completely with your statement, there are no guarantees but I would hope he would try and minimize his risk with all hires by trying to hire experience.

This is where I came out as well after reviewing Maturi's statements. Since there are no guarantees, it would seem to make sense to hire a coach with at least some experience. But in Brewster's case, he didn't do that. So I guess Maturi was hoping for some blind luck in Brewster's case since there were even less guarantees than with an experienced coach?? :confused::confused:

[Doogie]

What makes you think the Boise or Utah coaches would come here? It's come to this, we no longer offer better jobs than those places. Both are set in successful programs, have been to BCS games recently. I doubt you get them to come here for any reason but huge money, which the university probably won't pony up. Younger guys are great, are you willing to give 18 million to Major Applewhite or Josh Heupel? Two very successful young coaches but both could come in over their heads. Again, I'm hoping Brewster gets 5 years, and if he cannot succeed, give the next coach 5 also.

This is where I might be losing my mind, turning delusional ... maybe have to go to T. Denny or Pinky or another booster for help, but would have to offer either 6 yrs/$18 mil.

[frozengopher]

It's a good question, one that I bet Maturi and others wrestle with regularly ... short answer = find a coach in a comparable situation to what Tubby had in Lexington and offer that coach 6-years, $18 mil. and hand him the keys to the program.
Who that guy is? Would take Leach, even with his baggage ... Richt (highly doubtful)?
Will think about more though ... that answer might be too simplistic.

Doogie, what makes you think that a big name coach in a bad situation would come here and stay? We are a stepping stone program. The perception of this program to the public by you and your aquaintances ensures this.


Why are you such a bitter little man? I have gathered that you wanted to be a professor but couldn't attain that for one reason or another but don't take it out on me.

Lame.

[monk10]

I am neither bitter nor little.

I am, as I have already stated, horribly confused as to how and why a person goes about pretending to be a Gopher fan for the sole purpose of reminding everyone how much better Nebraska (and to a lesser extent, Texas) is at everything than Minnesota. And for 1200 posts, no less! And, of course, proceeds to think that this is good, decent, and normal behavior.

I have enough trouble keeping up with the teams of which I am actually a fan. I have no inclination or desire to pretend to be fans of other teams. Can you help to explain why someone would do this?

I continue to hope he leaves Texas out of his conversations. I really got tired of refuting his "findings" about where I grew up.

ps: I was really hoping you would link back the GL post since he was so cool as to try it on someone else, but I must have gotten you scared with my dots....and you are packing up to leave.

[GopherGod]

This is where I came out as well after reviewing Maturi's statements. Since there are no guarantees, it would seem to make sense to hire a coach with at least some experience. But in Brewster's case, he didn't do that. So I guess Maturi was hoping for some blind luck in Brewster's case since there were even less guarantees than with an experienced coach?? :confused::confused:


That or trying to find the diamond in the rough and come off looking like a genius if it worked. However, Maturi doesn't come of as having a big enough ego imo to make this scenario the likely one. I think he simply was sold by the sales pitch of Brewster and his agent and somewhat awed by getting phone calls from the likes of Mike Shanahan and Mack Brown. Maturi definitely does not come off as a cutt throat type A personality that has the ability to ask the tough questions and make the tough decisions.

[Iceland12]

This is where I might be losing my mind, turning delusional ... maybe have to go to T. Denny or Pinky or another booster for help, but would have to offer either 6 yrs/$18 mil.

Reminds me of the old Steve Martin routine:

How to make a million dollars and not pay taxes.

Step One: Get a million dollars.

Step Two: Don't pay your taxes. If asked say "I forgot!"

The second step, getting a proven Head Coach would be tough, at $18,000,000 the first step would be a doozy!

[Iceland12]

"Maturi definitely does not come off as a cutt throat type A personality that has the ability to ask the tough questions and make the tough decisions. "

Boy would the lovely Gopher Lady disagree with you on that!!!:rockon:

[Bob_Loblaw]

If we would be offering 6 years at 18 million dollars, I really hope we aren't looking at Major Applewhite. That is a ton of money for a guy who has never been a head coach and was essentially fired from his highest position after 1 season.

He was at Alabama in 07 as the Offensive Coordinator and he saw the writing on the wall, and left to take a much lesser position as a Running Backs Coach at Texas. Alabama chose to go to a different O-Coordinator and have improved ever since.

I am not saying that Applewhite wouldn't be a good hire or even that I wouldn't have preferred him over Brewster, but if you are paying 6 years at 18 million dollars it sure as heck better be for someone who has accomplished more than Major Applewhite.

[stevedave23]

This year, Sid Hartman and many others have taken the attitude that changing coaches is not the answer gopher football. ''The gophers have had many different coaches over the past 40 years and changing coaches hasn't worked'' seems to be the popular stance.

here's something to consider: apart from Lou Holtz, none of those coaches from the past 40 have gone on to success at other programs after the gophers. Coincidence?

I'm not certain that the solution is as easy as getting the right coach but I believe it starts there.

[ncgo4]

Who are the always great football teams? Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, Oklahoma, Nebraska, USC, OSU, PennState, Michigan, Notre Dame (I included them for comic relief), Texas. What's the common thread? No NFL Teams within 25 miles. A coincidence? I don't believe in coincidence.

As soon as Wilf takes off for So Cal the better off we'll be. I mean it. If Phat Pat can't get into the Gopher Press room then, he's unemployed.

[diefirma]

Some of Maturi's statements leave me confused at times. And certainly, these are par for the course. I don't understand the line of thinking that says "there are no guarantees" even if you hire a proven winner as a coach.

So you try to go out and make a good hire and kind of hope for the best. However, in our case, he hired a guy that didn't have any head coaching or coordinator experience at all. In other words, there was even less of a guarantee with Brewster, yet Maturi obviously felt this was a good hire. Why is that? Brewster literally had no track record as a proven winner when he was hired.

In following this line of thinking, Maturi was hoping beyond hope that everything would be just dandy under Brewster, but also apparently knew it was a long-shot. And now that certain folks are getting upset, he's trying to explain how hard he's working to find the "right ingredients" to make the team good because "there are no guarantees?" These are the type of things that make me doubt Maturi when it comes to hiring football coaches.

From Maturi's perspective the Brewster hire makes perfect sense.

Maturi said he wanted to hire a recruiter. I assume because if the guy didn't work out, the next hire would have a truckload of good players to work with.

Brewster is neurotically positive and optimistic. Everyone who has ever worked with him says the same thing - what you see is what you get. A realist would never have taken the job.

Brewster was cheap as head coaches go.

Brewster had good recommendations.

[gopherjay]

getting advice from people outside the program not the same old people that really have nothing to offer. Thinking outside the box would be nice as well. With the "we have to make everybody happy" policy at the U, it will be difficult.

[howeda7]

Maturi definitely knows the Vikings are a roadblock in the way of Gopher future success - and he all but says it in this quote. It's not the only one, but it is a roadblock, and with them gone it would be easier to build the kind of passionate following that it is behind teams like the Boise Sts. and Iowas without having to win 10+ games every single year.

Great, another genius who thinks the Vikings are the root of the Gophers problem. Yes, the Vikings are more popular. But so are the Twins, the Wild, Gopher basketball and when they're actually good, the T-wolves. The Vikings leaving will have the most minimal of impact on Gopher football. They might make 5% more corporate money and sell 5% more tickets. It will have no impact on how many games they win. To wish for a team that many more people love to leave so that your team can get some incrimental benefit is beyond selfish and short-sighted. If you want live somewhere where the local college football team is the only game in town, move to Boise or Iowa City. The rest of us like everything MSP has to offer.

[maxwellsmart]

This year, Sid Hartman and many others have taken the attitude that changing coaches is not the answer gopher football. ''The gophers have had many different coaches over the past 40 years and changing coaches hasn't worked'' seems to be the popular stance.

here's something to consider: apart from Lou Holtz, none of those coaches from the past 40 have gone on to success at other programs after the gophers. Coincidence?

I'm not certain that the solution is as easy as getting the right coach but I believe it starts there.

Apart from Lou Holtz, nearly all of the coaches that fit into your time period did not coach again after their time at the U. Coincidence?

[maxwellsmart]

Who are the always great football teams? Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, Oklahoma, Nebraska, USC, OSU, PennState, Michigan, Notre Dame (I included them for comic relief), Texas. What's the common thread? No NFL Teams within 25 miles. A coincidence? I don't believe in coincidence.

As soon as Wilf takes off for So Cal the better off we'll be. I mean it. If Phat Pat can't get into the Gopher Press room then, he's unemployed.

Well, it may be a common thread but it sure isn't THE common thread. How about assessing the depth and quality of area high school talent and how much of it ends up on respective rosters? BTW, what makes 25 miles a gold standard? Personally, I wouldn't know how far away an NFL team would have to be in order to affect a university's fan base. Aside from that, your list needs a bit of work before it supports your thesis statement.

[GopherGod]

Well, it may be a common thread but it sure isn't THE common thread. How about assessing the depth and quality of area high school talent and how much of it ends up on respective rosters? BTW, what makes 25 miles a gold standard? Personally, I wouldn't know how far away an NFL team would have to be in order to affect a university's fan base. Aside from that, your list needs a bit of work before it supports your thesis statement.

Good point. if you expand it out a little farther to say 100 miles than you have programs like Notre Dame, LSU, Florida, Michigan, etc.. that are within this range of NFL teams. Most of the schools listed also don't have a population base of several million people within the 25 mile range he specified while Minnesota does. It is easy to make the Vikings the scapegoat for the Gophers problems.

[stevedave23]

Apart from Lou Holtz, nearly all of the coaches that fit into your time period did not coach again after their time at the U. Coincidence?

Exactly my point.

[counselor]

Yet success for BSU is treasured because there is little else here in an ultra-conservative area where...Rush Limbaugh is held god-like.

Xanadu!

[Ron Johnson Super Fan]

Who are the always great football teams? Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, Oklahoma, Nebraska, USC, OSU, PennState, Michigan, Notre Dame (I included them for comic relief), Texas. What's the common thread? No NFL Teams within 25 miles. A coincidence? I don't believe in coincidence.

As soon as Wilf takes off for So Cal the better off we'll be. I mean it. If Phat Pat can't get into the Gopher Press room then, he's unemployed.

So if the Vikings move to LA it will destroy USC's football program?

[howeda7]

Who are the always great football teams? Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, Oklahoma, Nebraska, USC, OSU, PennState, Michigan, Notre Dame (I included them for comic relief), Texas. What's the common thread? No NFL Teams within 25 miles. A coincidence? I don't believe in coincidence.

As soon as Wilf takes off for So Cal the better off we'll be. I mean it. If Phat Pat can't get into the Gopher Press room then, he's unemployed.

Don't take this as a personal shot, but this is an ignorant post if I've ever read one. The only thing you've discovered is that the major state land-grant universities didn't generally set up post in major metro areas. That might be relavant to a history paper about the 1800's. It has nothing to do with modern-day college football.

[maxwellsmart]

Exactly my point.

Perhaps we're thinking the same way and expressing it differently? What I hear when reading your comment is that our coaching has been awful and that is proven by a lack of subsequent success at other schools. If that is your contention, my point is that you're drawing an invalid conclusion from the example given. Most of them haven't TRIED to succeed as a head coach with another school. Holtz did and won a national title, Gutekunst is still coaching on staff but to my knowledge never ran a program again. I think all the rest retired from coaching after their stints here. How does that prove anything one way or another about Minnesota coaching, unless it be that we wear out coaches and then send them packing into a happier world of media and retirement. Oh, Mason seems to be following suit.

[stevedave23]

Perhaps we're thinking the same way and expressing it differently? What I hear when reading your comment is that our coaching has been awful and that is proven by a lack of subsequent success at other schools. If that is your contention, my point is that you're drawing an invalid conclusion from the example given. Most of them haven't TRIED to succeed as a head coach with another school. Holtz did and won a national title, Gutekunst is still coaching on staff but to my knowledge never ran a program again. I think all the rest retired from coaching after their stints here. How does that prove anything one way or another about Minnesota coaching, unless it be that we wear out coaches and then send them packing into a happier world of media and retirement. Oh, Mason seems to be following suit.

No, we disagree. I was being sarcastic.

What I'm suggesting is perhaps if any of the six coaches were great coaches they would have been hired somewhere else and been successful.

Maybe you're right, maybe they were all just tired and worn out after the U. But if that's true then the, "coaching isn't the problem" argument doesn't work either because who's to say they would have gone on to sucess if they weren't too tired?

[STPGopher]

The problem has been Patience, and with the media and this board that is the problem now. Nobody has the patience to do it right, everybody wants results now, and that is why we don't get them. It takes time to build a program the right way, and Brewster is now trying to do that. He is getting good recruits and bringing them along slowly, so they don't get the crap kicked out of them as Fr. There are exceptions, but most teams in the BT and major conf. are made up of 3rd, 4th and 5th yr. players. If you keep throwing kids in that aren't ready you keep getting beat. Look at Collado. He was not ready to play as a fr. but was better than anything we had. But Mentally it hurt him, and it took until this yr, before he started feeling he belonged, instead of hoping " I don't screw up". 19 yr old kids at LB and O-Line are not ready to play 22-23 yr old men. If Brew gets his AT LEAST 5 yrs. I think we will see the advantages. We will be playing Wisc. OSU and penn State with kids the same age, experience and coaching. It will make a difference.

I agree! Good post.