I was more skeptical of Brewster in his first year than this year. The seven win start really set the hook on me. By the time this year came around I was very resistant to the people who hated him, and loathed those who wanted somebody "more Minnesotan", or hated Brewster for being bombastic (which is easy to be in a passionless tundra that is this Christ-forsaken college sports market). Unlike Mason, who outwardly had given up on ever being more than a fringe bowl bid, Brewster wasn't mailing it in. But by mid way through '10 his team did.. and he got the axe.
And who is to say things might not have gone different had just a few things gone differently? A breakthrough at running back (the only recent tradition Brewster inherited) for example might have been enough to put him over the tipping point to from mediocrity and success. And he was close. LaMichael James, Josh Huff, Ronnie Wingo, Ethan Grant, Dontae Williams, Marcus Coker: all of these highly touted backs either committed or gave serious consideration (ie multiple visits) and ended up elsewhere, where many have been very productive. Any of whom might have been the difference in a seven win season and a lack-luster bowl and a nine or ten win season and some serious momentum. And this was by a guy most of you would allege couldn't coach his team out of a refrigerator box...
Kill isn't blowing me away by any means as a hire. Surely he is more qualified than Brewster, but I've seen a lot of his games, and he is no coaching savant either. That doesn't mean I am not going to be a fan come Saturday though! Reservations are set aside on game day.
Besides Mason and Brewster aren't the real let downs, given how far the football program still has to climb to even equal Purdue or MSU in relevance. The real disappointment of my dozen odd years of Gopherdom has been the revenue winter sports! Tubby still hasn't done any better than 6th in the B1G Ten, (no better than Brew!!!) and seems not likely to better that mark this year. And don't get me started on hockey!