Rumors can help Gophers

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beowulftom

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Rumors of Tubby leaving raise the blood pressure of many here, but there are benefits...

1. Tubby is still considered an in-demand coach.
Some here have posted that MN is Tubby's retirement villa or victory lap or Bobby Knight's "pass the torch to my son" scenario. The fact that Tubby is still thought of nationally as a potential re-builder of a program shows him to still be the vital lively force that he most certainly is. This helps in recruiting, in media attention (nationally, I can't include the cynical simpletons in TC media), and his persona certainly has given us some heft with the tourney selection committee.

2. If and When Tubby chooses MN, MN looks good.
Every spurned offer and every affirmation that he likes what's happening here focuses and refocuses attention on the fact that something good REALLY IS happening here. There is a shattered program being rebuilt. We already have a reputation for defense, unselfish play, and have a great nucleus of young players. The recruiting process being put in place looks to have a good chance of keeping the best of MN in MN, and bring in high level national talent.

And the University is seen as attractive to a Hall of Fame coach and continues to provide him with enough support to make him want to stay. (Get the practice facility built, please)

I know this light may burn the skin of the avowed pessimists among the many loyal fans who post here, but things might be looking good for the Gophers.
 


Anytime ESPN utters the words "Golden Gophers" it's notable.
 

beowulftom said:
Rumors of Tubby leaving raise the blood pressure of many here, but there are benefits...

1. Tubby is still considered an in-demand coach.
Some here have posted that MN is Tubby's retirement villa or victory lap or Bobby Knight's "pass the torch to my son" scenario. The fact that Tubby is still thought of nationally as a potential re-builder of a program shows him to still be the vital lively force that he most certainly is. This helps in recruiting, in media attention (nationally, I can't include the cynical simpletons in TC media), and his persona certainly has given us some heft with the tourney selection committee.

2. If and When Tubby chooses MN, MN looks good.
Every spurned offer and every affirmation that he likes what's happening here focuses and refocuses attention on the fact that something good REALLY IS happening here. There is a shattered program being rebuilt. We already have a reputation for defense, unselfish play, and have a great nucleus of young players. The recruiting process being put in place looks to have a good chance of keeping the best of MN in MN, and bring in high level national talent.

And the University is seen as attractive to a Hall of Fame coach and continues to provide him with enough support to make him want to stay. (Get the practice facility built, please)

I know this light may burn the skin of the avowed pessimists among the many loyal fans who post here, but things might be looking good for the Gophers.
Click to expand...

Love the positivity! This might keep the gopherhole grouchos quiet for a few hours.
 

beowulftom said:
Rumors of Tubby leaving raise the blood pressure of many here, but there are benefits...

1. Tubby is still considered an in-demand coach.
Some here have posted that MN is Tubby's retirement villa or victory lap or Bobby Knight's "pass the torch to my son" scenario. The fact that Tubby is still thought of nationally as a potential re-builder of a program shows him to still be the vital lively force that he most certainly is. This helps in recruiting, in media attention (nationally, I can't include the cynical simpletons in TC media), and his persona certainly has given us some heft with the tourney selection committee.

2. If and When Tubby chooses MN, MN looks good.
Every spurned offer and every affirmation that he likes what's happening here focuses and refocuses attention on the fact that something good REALLY IS happening here. There is a shattered program being rebuilt. We already have a reputation for defense, unselfish play, and have a great nucleus of young players. The recruiting process being put in place looks to have a good chance of keeping the best of MN in MN, and bring in high level national talent.

And the University is seen as attractive to a Hall of Fame coach and continues to provide him with enough support to make him want to stay. (Get the practice facility built, please)

I know this light may burn the skin of the avowed pessimists among the many loyal fans who post here, but things might be looking good for the Gophers.
Click to expand...

Tubby ranks #11 in NCAA W-L record (active coaches) and Top 15 in overall W-L (%) record. He is one of only 11 coaches who have won NCAA title(s).

He's surely one of the Top 10-15 coaches in Div I.
 


Friend Of Tubby said:
He is one of only 11 coaches who have won NCAA title(s).
Click to expand...

Spotting folks R. Williams, Self, Donovan, Calhoun, Boeheim, G. Williams, Coach K, Izzo, Tubby and Patino, who can guess #11? FOT is disqualified from answering.
 

howeda7 said:
Spotting folks R. Williams, Self, Donovan, Calhoun, Boeheim, G. Williams, Coach K, Izzo, Tubby and Patino, who can guess #11? FOT is disqualified from answering.
Click to expand...

If FOT is disqualified, it has to be Matt Painter.
 

Bo Ryan? (Wins, not the titles).

EDIT: I obviously need to pay closer attention before attempting to contribute. Ha.
 

I hope it helps, I love having a great man like Tubby Smith coaching the U, hope he stays!
 




SelectionSunday said:
Steve Fischer (Michigan)
Click to expand...

Yes. I should have disqualified SS too. Too easy for you I'm sure.

Of the 11, only 3 are no longer with the team they won them with. Fischer, Patino and Tubby. It shows what a coup it really is having Tubby. Most teams with NC-winning coaches got them the hard way.
 

Warning: a little comparison between IA & MN

I agree with the posts in this thread.

Many of my Hawkeye fan friends would continually complain when Coach Ferentz's name would be thrown in the rumor mill around every NFL or NCAA coaching vacancy.
I always thought it was a good thing.
In regard to the constant Coach Smith to wherever rumors, I think it says a lot about the universities of Iowa and Minnesota. IMHO, neither is seen nationally as a "final" destination for head coaches as far as the "success ladder" or whatever you want to call it goes. However, the longer our in-demand coaches decline interviews or interview and then eventually choose to stay, the perceptions and attitudes about our universities and the programs the coaches are building increases. Success on the court and gridiron obviously mean a lot, as well.
Usually, the great coaches at the highest schools on my inelegantly named "success ladder" aren't the focus of the coaching change rumors (Coach K, Coach Williams, Coach Self, etc.)
With that said, maybe you can call the Coach Izzo to Oregon rumors as the exception that proves the rule.
Just some random thoughts...
 

"Usually, the great coaches at the highest schools on my inelegantly named "success ladder" aren't the focus of the coaching change rumors (Coach K, Coach Williams, Coach Self, etc.)"

Funny.

Coach K and the NBA rumor used to come up all the time before he missed the Final Four for a few years in a row.

Roy Williams and UNC was a constant rumor after Dean Smith and it came up several times throughout the years. Williams was already at a top 5 program and could've been a career coach there.

Bill Self's name came up for the Oklahoma State job right after he won the National Title at KU. They still think he'll be a candidate in Stillwater if Travis Ford doesn't succeed.

Nobody is immune.
 



You are right, NateDawg. That is why I prefaced the sentence with "usually".

My point remains that Coach Smith has been rumored to be a candidate for many head coaching vacancies each off season. How many were there last year? How about this year? It happens to the coaches listed (and Coach Izzo this year), but not very often. The longer Coach Smith stays at Minnesota, the stronger the tie between the school and him has to be before his name is linked to the coaching search.
 

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