I'm worried when they announce the coach...

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Gopher07

Gopher07

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Here's how I see it now: we've got people VERY interested in Mike Leach. Another group VERY interested in Mike Bellotti. And still more VERY interested in Jim Harbaugh. We're all acting as if these are attainable coaches for our program. And don't get me wrong, any of those hires would be great, and I'll hold out my hope that one of them does decide that our program is right for them.

But if you look at the last 40 years, it doesn't support it. We're more likely, regardless of lip service from the AD and President, to end up with someone like a Kevin Sumlin, or an Al Golden, or a coordinator from a big school at the end of the day. And I'm worried, with all the grandstanding from the fanbase now about these high-end candidates, that if/when we end up with a good, young, up and coming coach instead of a home run off the bat, we'll have a lot of unnecessarily disappointed people around these parts.

Agree? Disagree? Gopher07 is an idiot?
 

You could be right on this one. I hope not, though.

I think the best way to tell is to gauge the reactions from Gopherholers when a rumor like the current one about Sumlin is going on. Our responses to that news will tell you if this place will or won't melt down if one of those top three guys isn't hired.
 

I don't disagree. I alluded to this in the thread about Doogie's Sumlin tweet. With most "normal" Gopher coaching searches, Sumlin might have been the best we could hope for. Probably wouldn't get him, though, and would end up with someone like Trestman, because he's one of us. Leach? Belotti? Nobody would've ever expected that they would come here.

But Maturi raised the bar with his comments. That's what raised expectations. We still might not be able to get any of the guys in most people's top five, but that's another issue. Maturi damn well better try to get one of those guys. If it's not one of those top names, I want to ESPN to report that they turned us down. I want proof from someone other than Sid that Maturi tried to live up to his words, because I'm not convinced he will.
 


KoolAid said:
The latter
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dawson_crying.gif
 


I think that if it was soley on Maturi...we could expect the same crap as before...but this time, Bruininks, Dungy and the entire U system is involved....its almost like they just figured out how important a winning football program is to financing all athletics, fund raising for sports and scholastics and for the overall branding of the U....duh! How long have we been saying that on this board?!?
 

Expectation management is very important in a process like this. It's not a coincidence when certain names leak out far in advance. While it obviously won't dictate a hiring, it does give PR pros like Mona the ability to gauge the public response, which will be a part of the equation (albeit not the most important one) and it's already been said by a few that the U wants to win the first press conference per se.

Go Gophers!!
 

Sumlin and Golden are in my top six, just not in my top three right now. In other words, I would be happy, just not (and maybe unrealistically) ecstatic.

There are many knowledgeable people on this board that have made great cases and arguments for coaches. Thank you!

I just want to see the commitment to long term excellence for a change, not some mediocre attempt by the administration to get a small spike in sales/wins and we get to go through this whole process again shortly afterward.

I will still have my butt in a seat, regardless, but let's do it right this time and turn this aircraft carrier around.
 

I get a feeling we are going to get a Jeff Bower type. Coached a known school to about .500 level and has been out of coaching for awhile.
 





I think 40 years of bad football has little to do with who will be interested in the job. The questions are 1. How much money is the University willing to spend on a head coach? and 2. How do the facilities at the University stack up to the competition? and 3. What will the commitment from the University look like? (assistant pay, recruiting budget, needed facility upgrades, and willingness to get kids in to school and keep them there)

If those questions are answered in a way that a candidate feels comfortable with, then we'll likely land that guy. I would say that the University of Minnesota has underachieved to a degree not matched by any other program in the country in my lifetime. That provides a tremendous opportunity for a coach to come in and get things done, without a "yeah, but he's not as good as Coach X was".

I am hoping for a proven head coach with a lot of upside like Harbaugh. I hope for that not just because I think he's a good coach, but acquiring a coach of that magnitude shows that questions 2 and 3 are (or will be) taken care of at the University of Minnesota. I also feel like this is a critical time for the future of Minnesota football: the new stadium is on the verge of being a flop due to the horrendous play of the team, the Big 10 is adding another regional team with a big commitment to football, and Iowa (and possibly Wisconsin) is playing the best footbal in its programs history over the last 5-8 years. The leadership simply can't screw up this hire. I am going to hope for the best with whoever is hired and be supportive just like I was with Brewster.
 

When the head coach is announced some people are going to be very excited while others might be dissappointed. It will be interesting to see how people react when Maturi announces the new coach. I think for the most part people will be very suprised who Maturi was able to get as our next head coach.
 



People need to take a deep breath...

It's not going to be Leach, Bellotti, Jagodzinski, Fullmer, McCarney, or Trestman. Each candidate has way too much baggage and/or fatal flaws--including age. Not Dungy, Green, or Hohensee. That's just crazy talk.

It's going to be Sumlin, Patterson, Shannon, Golden, or Calhoun. Maybe Chryst. I think Sumlin and Patterson are front-runners. If it is not one of the listed above, it will be a KILLER hire-- something way unexpected.
 

highwayman said:
It's going to be Sumlin, Patterson, Shannon, Golden, or Calhoun. Maybe Chryst. I think Sumlin and Patterson are front-runners. If it is not one of the listed above, it will be a KILLER hire-- something way unexpected.
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You really nailed it down for us. So basically it will be either one of the guys already mentioned, or somebody else?
 


Getting an excellent, young, proven coach like Kevin Sumlin or Al Golden should not be viewed as a consolation prize.

How can anyone look at what Al Golden has done at Temple and not want this guy to come here and coach? The guy took a program that was dead and has built it to beyond respectable. Temple would beat Minnesota if they were to play this season. If we get Al Golden to coach here we should feel lucky.

Kevins Sumlin didn't have to raise Houston from the dead, but he did have to take a program that was mediocre and raise it up in a state where his university is considered probably 5th or 6th rate. He's got a 4-3 record this season after losing his superstar QB and his back-up. Not bad at all. Why would we view getting Sumlin as anything but a great hire?
 

Following a high level of professionalism and confidentiality, I expect that Maturi will enveal names of those who said thanks but no thanks. The public needs to know that the UM took a shot at the brightest stars.
 


I don't think Sumlin fits the bill for a "Killer Hire". Neither does Golden, even though they have both been successful. If they are truly looking for a football version of the Tubby hire, they are looking for someone who has had success in a BCS conference. Patterson may get a bye on that because he's built some pretty good teams in the last couple of years. I think Leach is probably out and who knows about Belotti. I still think that the final hire will be someone who has not been discussed on this board...not that I know who that would be.
 

The worst thing they could do would be to publicly and repeatedly talk about a Tubby type hire and then go with an up and comer.

They have already said and repeated the tubby comparison, wo I am expecting a proven winner at the highest level of the sport.
 

ruralgopher said:
The worst thing they could do would be to publicly and repeatedly talk about a Tubby type hire and then go with an up and comer.

They have already said and repeated the tubby comparison, wo I am expecting a proven winner at the highest level of the sport.
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This.

If you're in the business of managing expectations then you shouldn't be throwing out these sort of comments (i.e. "Tubby-like" hire). Although, I don't know that I'd put it past Maturi to completely default on this promise.
 

If they truly mean a Tubby-type hire, it has to be someone with a national championship.

Ladies and gentlemen, your new head football coach at the University of Minnesota:

Larry Coker

;)
 

dpodoll68 said:
If they truly mean a Tubby-type hire, it has to be someone with a national championship.

Ladies and gentlemen, your new head football coach at the University of Minnesota:

Larry Coker

;)
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Or Phil Fulmer.

How are the Seahawks doing? Maybe Carrol would come back to the college game.

Or... Warmath has a National Championship! Too old?
 

highwayman said:
It's not going to be Leach, Bellotti, Jagodzinski, Fullmer, McCarney, or Trestman. Each candidate has way too much baggage and/or fatal flaws--including age. Not Dungy, Green, or Hohensee. That's just crazy talk.

It's going to be Sumlin, Patterson, Shannon, Golden, or Calhoun. Maybe Chryst. I think Sumlin and Patterson are front-runners. If it is not one of the listed above, it will be a KILLER hire-- something way unexpected.
Click to expand...

Ummmm.........none of those names on the bottom, with the exception of Patterson, are KILLER hires.
 

station19 said:
Not really. He left out the 'who the he!! is that' scenario.
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ruralgopher said:
You really nailed it down for us. So basically it will be either one of the guys already mentioned, or somebody else?
Click to expand...

Thanks for your usual analytical "cyber input". You guys must be fun at parties.

I mainly wanted to state that a full half of the "for sure killer hires" spouted about on this board have no shot--no shot at all.

It's going to be a name coach with a good pedigree and no baggage. It just depends upon how much we want to spend.
 

Gopher07 said:
Here's how I see it now: we've got people VERY interested in Mike Leach. Another group VERY interested in Mike Bellotti. And still more VERY interested in Jim Harbaugh. We're all acting as if these are attainable coaches for our program. And don't get me wrong, any of those hires would be great, and I'll hold out my hope that one of them does decide that our program is right for them.

But if you look at the last 40 years, it doesn't support it. We're more likely, regardless of lip service from the AD and President, to end up with someone like a Kevin Sumlin, or an Al Golden, or a coordinator from a big school at the end of the day. And I'm worried, with all the grandstanding from the fanbase now about these high-end candidates, that if/when we end up with a good, young, up and coming coach instead of a home run off the bat, we'll have a lot of unnecessarily disappointed people around these parts.

Agree? Disagree? Gopher07 is an idiot?
Click to expand...

It doesn't really matter if the people on this board don't get the coach at the top of their list. We are still going to go to the games and support the team.

What will happen is that now the casual fan has heard some names they recognize thrown around. They are getting kind of excited at the prospects. Then when we end up with a Sumlin or Golden type guy, they are going to say...

"Who? I've never heard of this guy. Same old Gophers, never gonna get any better. Couldn't even get a decent coach to come and coach this mess of a team."

We need the CASUAL fan. To get them interested we must start with a coach they've heard of.
 

highwayman said:
Thanks for your usual analytical "cyber input". You guys must be fun at parties.

I mainly wanted to state that a full half of the "for sure killer hires" spouted about on this board have no shot--no shot at all.

It's going to be a name coach with a good pedigree and no baggage. It just depends upon how much we want to spend.
Click to expand...

That isn't what you said though. You said it will be one of 4 that you laid out, or someone completely unexpected. That leaves essentially everybody still open. Very analytical.
 

It wont matter.

I dont think it will matter one way or the other. No matter what coach is hired like any other hiring their will be fans not happy. Some fans are not realistic at all and others just like being mad about something. It wont matter the name the coach will not be liked 100%. If 55% of the fan base is happy with the coach it would be great.
 

Who is a "kill-shot" type hire? What are the expectations here? The only names i see here that can be considered "kill-shot" are Harbaugh, Chris Peterson, or Gary Patterson. Name coaches that have had recent success at big programs. Leach is probably a rung below those three, and his name recognition to the average fan is split about 50/50 between his on-field success and his problems with Adam James.

I don't think the "casual' fan in MN knows much about Randy Shannon. If you put Shannon in a category with Golden & Sumlin, I'd take Golden for sure. You can't overlook what he's done at Temple. Still, there aren't many coaches out there that we have a legit shot at that won't need to be sold to the "casual" fan.
 

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