Flip on Gophers: "If you don't have guards, it's going to put you in trouble"

BleedGopher

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Flip on Gophers: "If you don't have guards, it's going to put you in trouble"

Also, a tid-bit on former Gopher, Ryan Saunders, in Shooter's column:

Saunders' son, Ryan, also a former Gophers guard, is a Wizards assistant.

"Ryan works guys out, but he's also developed a new kind of stat program that about 20 colleges and some NBA teams are using," Saunders said. "It's kind of taken off."

Saunders keeps an eye on the Gophers, who have lost guards Al Nolen and Devoe Joseph.

"If you don't have guards, it's going to put you in trouble," he said.

http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_17443259

Go Gophers!!
 

can flip please just coach here? he would land the recruits, he can coach, and he would actaully know what its like to be a gopher fan.
 

can flip please just coach here? he would land the recruits, he can coach, and he would actaully know what its like to be a gopher fan.

Coach what? Volleyball?

In case you haven't noticed, we currently employ a coach who has won (significantly) at this level.
 

Asking for Flip Saunders to coach the BB Gophers is like asking Tony Dungy to coach the FB Gophers. Give it all a rest, it, they, them, whatever, ain't gonna happen.
 

Asking for Flip Saunders to coach the BB Gophers is like asking Tony Dungy to coach the FB Gophers. Give it all a rest, it, they, them, whatever, ain't gonna happen.

I don't think that's exactly true. Flip has openly said he would like to coach the Gophers. Dungy never said anything of the sort. I do have Flip high on my list to replace Tubby, but I'd rather it be in 5 years when Tubby retires after winning his 2nd national title :)
 


can flip please just coach here? he would land the recruits, he can coach, and he would actaully know what its like to be a gopher fan.

Why would you assume Flip could do better than a coach who's already won a national title before and has a resume so thick, it'd make Flip jealous? Not saying he wouldn't, but I definitely wouldn't assume he'd do better. Flip has some pretty frustrating tendencies with his squads as well, and we'd be seeing just as many rant threads as we are now.
 

Why would you assume Flip could do better than a coach who's already won a national title before and has a resume so thick, it'd make Flip jealous? Not saying he wouldn't, but I definitely wouldn't assume he'd do better. Flip has some pretty frustrating tendencies with his squads as well, and we'd be seeing just as many rant threads as we are now.

It's a bit odd that a coach who everyone was indifferent to or worse when the Wolves fired him became a diety once he was gone. I've never understood it. Just because he's 'one of us'? We didn't pine this way for Denny Green when everyone wanted Childress out and I'd say thier tenures in Minnesota were very similar. FWIW, I don't dislike Flip myself, I just find the fact that so many here view him as 'Tony Dungy hire' for the basketball program a bit baffling.
 

How cute! He's got his son on staff as a "coach" who keeps stats. :D
 

"Default Flip on Gophers: "If you don't have guards, it's going to put you in trouble""

How cute! He's got his son on staff as a "coach" who keeps stats

And if we did not have Art Vandelay? How Cute!

Art is all good. :banghead:
 





Agreed, but Flip is a little more reasonable than Dungy. He actually had interest in the job. At this point, however, Flip isn't the answer. He's not exactly young and we don't exactly need a new coach yet, so I don't really understand go gophs comment

Asking for Flip Saunders to coach the BB Gophers is like asking Tony Dungy to coach the FB Gophers. Give it all a rest, it, they, them, whatever, ain't gonna happen.
 

How did it get so negative. It's obvious that without the guards it's tough to win. It's not Tubby's fault that Nolen got injured. He had more impact on the Joseph decision but there has to be something that caused the fracture beyond personalities. They both needed each other and parted. It's a down year, that is all there is to it.
 



jovs:He had more impact on the Joseph decision but there has to be something that caused the fracture beyond personalities

I think it is more than a fracture beyond personalities.
 

I saw flip at the victory walk before the USC (it was either the USC or USD game) this past season. One of the few famous people in athletics that makes me feel tall.
 

Also, a tid-bit on former Gopher, Ryan Saunders, in Shooter's column:

Saunders' son, Ryan, also a former Gophers guard, is a Wizards assistant.

"Ryan works guys out, but he's also developed a new kind of stat program that about 20 colleges and some NBA teams are using," Saunders said. "It's kind of taken off."

Saunders keeps an eye on the Gophers, who have lost guards Al Nolen and Devoe Joseph.

"If you don't have guards, it's going to put you in trouble," he said.

http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_17443259

Go Gophers!!

Indeed Hoffarber and 3 freshman guards will struggle against a team with veteran guards.
 

The shot about Flip getting fired by the Wolves was a cheap shot. No matter how you look at the results, it is clear the problem was Taylor and McHale, things got worse when flip left.
 

The shot about Flip getting fired by the Wolves was a cheap shot. No matter how you look at the results, it is clear the problem was Taylor and McHale, things got worse when flip left.

Some interesting stuff on Flip. At the U he started 101 of his 103. That was great team wit Ray Williams, Mychal Thompson, Kevin McHale and they only lost 3 games that year. According to Wikapedia, his room mate was Dungy. I did not remember that.

I also did not know that he was a college coach. At Golden Valley Lutheran College he was 92 and 13. He was also a U assistant for 5 year.

I like the post that has Tubby bringing us the National Championship and then Flip finishing up his career here
 

The shot about Flip getting fired by the Wolves was a cheap shot. No matter how you look at the results, it is clear the problem was Taylor and McHale, things got worse when flip left.

Not sure if you're referring to my post or not. I was not trying to take a cheap shot. I personally think it was a terrible mistake by McHale to fire him. My only point is that he seems far more popular now, in hindsight, then he ever was while he was coaching here.

Meanwhile, McHale, also a beloved U of M alum, elicits nothing but a groan from most MN sports fans. They had a joint hand in the Wolves rise to success (or at least mediocrity.) Granted McHale oversaw the full downfall too. But as we see now, it may have been inevitable.
 

Flip would be the best thing to happen to us after Tubby leaves. I highly doubt we could do better than Flip when the time comes.
 


My only point is that he seems far more popular now, in hindsight, then he ever was while he was coaching here.

I disagree. He was hugely popular while he was the Timberwolves coach.


Meanwhile, McHale, also a beloved U of M alum, elicits nothing but a groan from most MN sports fans. They had a joint hand in the Wolves rise to success (or at least mediocrity.) Granted McHale oversaw the full downfall too. But as we see now, it may have been inevitable.

McHale is quite deservedly ripped for 3 things (at least):

1) He half-assed it his entire time as GM of the Timberwolves. There was no doubt that he would rather be at his cabin and drawing his enormous salary in absentia than actually do the work required to be successful.

2) He only scarcely hid his love for everything Celtics. You can't maintain a perma-boner for one team in a league and do justice to your job as a competitor in said league. (See also: Mason, Glen)

3) Because of said perpetual turgidity for Boston, he gave away KG for next-to-nothing. Al Jefferson is a decent player, but he is all-offense, no-defense, and the Wolves had to in turn give him away for next-to-nothing because his numerous flaws were exposed. Less than four years after the KG trade, this is what Minnesota has to show for it (through subsequent trades, as no players acquired in that deal remain on the roster, aside from Telfair, who technically was re-acquired by Minnesota as a FA, independent of the KG trade):

Martell Webster
Kosta Koufos
2 future 1st-rounders that will probably be late in the 1st round

Yikes.

So...yes, Kevin McHale is overwhelmingly (but not solely) responsible for the current plight of the Timberwolves. Flip should rightfully still be coaching the team, in fact. Whenever (and by whatever means) Tubby leaves, the Gophers couldn't do any better as his replacement.
 




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