GH Podcast: Jay Sawvel on controversial end to a Gopher football era (ep. 26)

GopherHole Staff

GopherHole Admin
Staff member
Joined
Nov 3, 2008
Messages
5,104
Reaction score
1,257
Points
113

I've never heard things cleared up and the story told the way Jay did. He is such a rare person - he's fair, honest, not bitter, grateful, and really told a perspective I hadn't heard. This was probably one of my top 5 interviews I've ever done...and quite honestly, I could have talked to him for 2 more hours. Please take a listen if you have time.
 

Wow, that was a great listen. Character guy. Honest answers. Interesting perspective. Wish we could have somehow kept him. Thanks!
 




Most interesting part of the interview is how he viewed the player suspensions. He was in the middle of Bob and Cruze.
 

Great interview! He was very forthcoming in a respectful way in voicing his dissatisfaction with the process and the administration's handling of the EOAA investigation, findings, and communication. Makes me wonder what he is holding "close to the vest" as he put it.
 

Nadine, THANK YOU! What a great great podcast! Hard not to like Jay Sawvel. As you stated, some Gopher fans have a short memory, and I would even say some are totally ignorant of what Kill and his staff did, and were able to accomplish in literally 4 and a half years!

Minnesota was soooooo fortunate to get a staff of that caliber when I would argue no other staff of that quality would even think of coming here at that time. Someone mocked me on another post by saying build a statue, I can only imagine where this program would be had Kill and his staff said no. Mired in mediocrity at best and I highly doubt this gorgeous facility would be near completion.

Don't get me wrong, I believe the University president dictates a lot of the success of a football program because his or her support is needed and they have to hire an AD who has to make things happen and make sure they get a great coach. Minnesota football is in a position it hasn't been in in the modern era and I will always admire and appreciate Jerry Kill for the amazing things he did in 4 plus years! Ski U Mah!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Great interview, Nadine! Sawvel was relatively forthcoming while also maintaining diplomacy. Genuine and more specific than you'll get from most coaches. Obviously he is still coaching and has to watch what he says regarding the EOAA report, Coyle's communications and all that, but the gist was clear. He doesn't need to start a brush fire only 6 months on the job.

The best parts for me was his description of how close the team was, how they played for each other vs Washington State. Also interesting to hear how they changed the culture upon their arrival, how Kill fought for the facilities, etc. he was clear on what he felt the program needed to take the next step.

If this Fleck thing doesn't work out, and Sawvel has success down there...would love for him to come back in the head man capacity. Of course that would require some other changes.
 



If this Fleck thing doesn't work out, and Sawvel has success down there...would love for him to come back in the head man capacity. Of course that would require some other changes.

LMAO. The wit and and wisdom of one of our GopherHole diehards who is going to spend the next couple of decades hoping and posting for Coyle to get fired. He is going have a VERY long wait. Even the most conservative members of the Board of Regents already love Coyle and how he is performing in his job.
 

LMAO. The wit and and wisdom of one of our GopherHole diehards who is going to spend the next couple of decades hoping and posting for Coyle to get fired. He is going have a VERY long wait. Even the most conservative members of the Board of Regents already love Coyle and how he is performing in his job.

Thanks Coyle Bot.
 

LMAO. The wit and and wisdom of one of our GopherHole diehards who is going to spend the next couple of decades hoping and posting for Coyle to get fired. He is going have a VERY long wait. Even the most conservative members of the Board of Regents already love Coyle and how he is performing in his job.

Even if true, that would change in a hurry if team performance drops. Coyle is in the grace period right now as a new hire. Once his people are in place, if they don't perform, he'll be gone quickly. Or if they perform really well he'll probably leave for greener pastures himself as he did at Syracuse.
 




Awesome interview Nadine and good for you for tracking him down! I imagine a lot of local reporters would have liked to have secured the interview you just got.

I thought your questions were great, and he answered them very honestly. He wasn't bitter, but understood the business side of it. No burnt bridges his way, yet still voiced some frustrations.

Fantastic interview.

Go Gophers!!
 

Thank you!

Awesome interview Nadine and good for you for tracking him down! I imagine a lot of local reporters would have liked to have secured the interview you just got.

I thought your questions were great, and he answered them very honestly. He wasn't bitter, but understood the business side of it. No burnt bridges his way, yet still voiced some frustrations.

Fantastic interview.

Go Gophers!!

I echo Bleed's comments and thank you to Jay as well! Jay did a great job here for six years.

Confirmation for my thoughts on the entire season were these words: "You could read the tea leaves...he was invisible to our program" since the September incident, speaking about Mark Coyle not wanting to get close to the football program during the entire season. "lack of communication" and questioning the decisions made on how it was procedurally handled. (for those thinking Coyle handled things well and no lawsuits as proof he did)

And Regarding the press conference: "just own it for what it is" you wanted to hire your own people.

Thanks again, Nadine!
 

Excellent, candid interview..... Bad things can entangle good people.

No surprise about his take on poor administrative handling of issues, lack of transparency from the AD, and irresponsible, sensational media involvement.
 


My favorite assistant of all time, I would love to have kept him as DC.
 

Liked what he said about facilities, especially the part about the water in the practice building. Has to be hard to convince a kid to come to your school when your facilities are far behind the other schools he's going to
 


Finally, an honest and objective report from somebody who was actually was here from the beginning to the end of the Jerry Kill era. Nadine that was a fantastic interview!
 

Thanks you so much for all your kind words...I wish I could take the credit, it was all Jay. I learned so much from talking to him. He did a good job of informing us of the timeline, and what went down, without disclosing too much.

I also knew our facilities weren't good, but didn't realize they were THAT bad. We have Jerry Kill to thank for a LOT of the fundraising for the Athlete's Village (just like we have Glen Mason to thank for getting us to The Bank).

I also loved his passion for coaching and genuinely caring about the young men. Notice how he really was a star, yet gives all the credit to the players. That's a true leader.
 


Heck of an interview, heck of a Coup for GopherLady. Sawvell will be missed.
 

The team and the staff will always have their memories of the Washington State game. Can't take that away. Best of luck to Coach Sawvel.
 

Nadine, THANK YOU! What a great great podcast! Hard not to like Jay Sawvel. As you stated, some Gopher fans have a short memory, and I would even say some are totally ignorant of what Kill and his staff did, and were able to accomplish in literally 4 and a half years!

Minnesota was soooooo fortunate to get a staff of that caliber when I would argue no other staff of that quality would even think of coming here at that time. Someone mocked me on another post by saying build a statue, I can only imagine where this program would be had Kill and his staff said no. Mired in mediocrity at best and I highly doubt this gorgeous facility would be near completion.

Don't get me wrong, I believe the University president dictates a lot of the success of a football program because his or her support is needed and they have to hire an AD who has to make things happen and make sure they get a great coach. Minnesota football is in a position it hasn't been in in the modern era and I will always admire and appreciate Jerry Kill for the amazing things he did in 4 plus years! Ski U Mah!

How do you simultaneously revere Jerry Kill and loathe Tracy Claeys? It's weird.
 


That's some seriously good content there, great job GH folks.

Jay seems like a great guy, I still am unsure how much he was the defense or how much was TC, but if I had the chance I'd sure hire him.

Anyway I'm still of the mind that I can't tell how much of what really happened I can glean from anyone involved. Everyone still has motivations and hopes for future jobs and thus might feel they can't say X or Y due to career risks / misunderstandings.

Still this is a great listen.
 

Don't care how well our teams do in the future...I will forever dislike and not trust Mark Coyle. He is a snake in the grass and dbag and totally lacked any credibility after the way he handled the Claey firing/Fleck hiring. Not arguing the fire or the hire...but class is class and Coyle doesn't have any of it IMO.
 

Don't care how well our teams do in the future...I will forever dislike and not trust Mark Coyle. He is a snake in the grass and dbag and totally lacked any credibility after the way he handled the Claey firing/Fleck hiring. Not arguing the fire or the hire...but class is class and Coyle doesn't have any of it IMO.

It goes without saying one does not rise through the ranks of bureaucrats without playing the politics game and avoiding the blame for mishaps. Coyle has repeatedly shown he disappears when things get tough; is it possible he created a false narrative for the firing to avoid having to take any heat for simply bringing in his guys....; he practices the art of plausible deniability with layers of player training, committees, sub-committees, brought in legal groups, and has even formed a fan committee to tell him what fans want (there is, ah, email and social media these days - the pony express days are long gone). The school is concerned about the most likely sources of legal exposure and well-be -damned if they throw people under the bus. Those individuals are throw aways to a bureaucrat.

Every decision is made with a finger in the air, measuring the risk of career destruction and/or legal intervention and choosing the less difficult route. Such is the life of a top bureaucrat.
 




Top Bottom