Your Head Coach Selection

If you could, who do you hire?

  • Mike Bellotti

    Votes: 38 21.0%

  • Al Golden

    Votes: 11 6.1%

  • Troy Calhoun

    Votes: 6 3.3%

  • Jim Harbaugh

    Votes: 63 34.8%

  • Mike Leach

    Votes: 47 26.0%

  • Marc Trestman

    Votes: 4 2.2%

  • Kevin Sumlin

    Votes: 5 2.8%

  • Phil Fulmer

    Votes: 2 1.1%

  • Leslie Frazier

    Votes: 2 1.1%

  • Brent Venables

    Votes: 3 1.7%
  • Total voters
    181
Donate To GopherHole
GoldenRose

GoldenRose

Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2009
Messages
188
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Here it is. Who do you like? I know the tendency in a poll thread is to vote and move along. However, let's try to provide supporting statements in the thread.

I will start. Harbaugh is my #1, followed somewhat closely by Bellotti. I am not interested in Leach, most notably because of the spread offense he would implement.
 

I would choose Leach #1. I would love to roll into Madison and hang a 70-28 score on them while going for 2 pt conversions everytime once the score got out of hand.

I think if we keep a power running game or 'pro style' that will mean that we are running a variation on the same theme as IA, WI, and MSU and basically Mich and Neb would get to prep for the same D for 4 out of their 5 division foes, I don't like that idea. A leach coached team would have a huge advantage there.
 

People need to remember that Leach is the guy who hung 70 on Nebraska....they are entering the division.....


I voted for Sumlin though, cause he isn't a walking expletive.
 


I voted for Harbaugh. I don't see a way he would fail, even here.

He's not realistic, though, so my #1 candidate is still Golden.
 


Went with Leach also because I think he gives us an identity. We wouldn't have to recruit against Wisconsin and Iowa for some athletes also.
 

Harbaugh
Golden
Calhoun

All the right age, all with head coaching experience, all have turned around programs. This is not a hard decision.

Frazier next. If none of these want it then Belotti, Leach, Fulmer all of whom will at least get the program back to even ground.
 

Leach.

- 4-game win streak against Big Red, including the aforementioned 70-point game.
- We could stop trying to out-Wisconsin Wisconsin -- seeing as how they have a twenty-year head start on us -- and maybe bring in some different recruits. Just because we're in the Big Ten doesn't mean we have to play football like it's 1936.
- It would excite an increasingly apathetic fan-base.
- The "Fat Little Girlfriends" rant.
 

I could easily live with any of those guys, some more so than others, but I picked Venables because I would kill to see some damn DEFENSE around these parts for once in my lifetime! :)
 



1. Jim Harbaugh - Anyone who can turn around Stanford that quick should be able to turn around Minnesota.
2. Mike Bellotti - A calm figure who should be able to handle the changes coming in the President and AD (presumably) office. Has a history of finding FANTASTIC assistant coaches so the chances of an in-house replacement are pretty high. The current #2 and #3 teams in the BCS are former Bellotti O-Coordinators.
3. Mike Leach - Hard to argue with his success at Texas Tech. I prefer Tuberville but he isn't on your list.
 

I would be happy with several of the coaches on that list. harbaugh is my vote but I don't think that is realistic. I do understand the viewpoint we have to build a program like Iowa and Wisconsin to make the best use of the recruits that are available and all of that. Therefore I wouldn't necessarily disagree with that direction. However, I also believe it is possible to have "the Minnesota" model that other people copy some day. Perhaps that model would be provided by Leach as he proves you can still throw the ball in 40 degree weather.
 

By the way, I do no feel that Trestman deserves to be on this list. One of my interests in posting this poll was to confirm how little support he has amongst the fanbase. Although, I know this has already been proven in a previous poll.
 

Schnauzer said:
I would be happy with several of the coaches on that list. harbaugh is my vote but I don't think that is realistic. I do understand the viewpoint we have to build a program like Iowa and Wisconsin to make the best use of the recruits that are available and all of that. Therefore I wouldn't necessarily disagree with that direction. However, I also believe it is possible to have "the Minnesota" model that other people copy some day. Perhaps that model would be provided by Leach as he proves you can still throw the ball in 40 degree weather.
Click to expand...

Schnauzer, not to go off on a tangent here (ahh, who am I kidding, this is the GH), but it's not the weather that I think makes the spread a bad choice; it's our recruiting base in Minnesota and the Upper Midwest. You are right; we need a model and consistency. In my mind, the best model is one that allows the U to tap into what we produce best - big, mean lineman. Skill players are not as abundant here, nor are they as easy to convince to enroll here from TX or FL.
 



The guy who the U picks as their next coach is not even on that list. Everyone will find out in the weeks ahead.
 


gold04 said:
The guy who the U picks as their next coach is not even on that list. Everyone will find out in the weeks ahead.
Click to expand...

If it's Mike Hohensee, I will write 'Phuck' above the word 'Minnesota' on all of my Gopher gear.
 

I voted for Harbaugh because I think he will succeed, but I would almost rather have Leach. If they want to be Wisconsin, hire an arrogant coach of your own.
 

Harbaugh would be a Big Ten kind of guy - very tough and competitive and would just hate Michigan; Petersen and Patterson, Bellotti and Leach close behind. Any of them could take us to the next generation of football, strategy-wise (I'm not big on Minnesota being a clone of Wisconsin) - and I can't see Golden or Sumlin, with such limited experience; I'd rather have Fullmer than both of those two together.
 



UCLA said we screwed up,would have traded Rick Neuhisal and Norm Chow for Brewster straight up.
 

I voted Venables but didn't read the list. My favs in order

1. Harbaugh (don't think we can get him)
2. Golden (don't think we can get him)
3. Venables (better chance we can get him)
 

Mick Turition said:
Harbaugh
Golden
Calhoun

All the right age, all with head coaching experience, all have turned around programs. This is not a hard decision.

Frazier next. If none of these want it then Belotti, Leach, Fulmer all of whom will at least get the program back to even ground.
Click to expand...

I like your list but not sure on Calhoun. I don't like the option in 2010. Harbaugh and Golden are #1 and #2 however and age is a big reason. I think the U is so starved for success that if we got a Harbaugh and he did turn it around we'd make a big committment to keep him here. I think most Minnesotans want a run like Ohio State's had the last 50 years. We won't cheap out if we find the right guy. It would be a big shame however if the guy was Belotti and he retired in 5 years.

Also, I think Leach is a crazy idea. Why the hell would you ever hire a guy who is SUING his former employer????? Makes NO SENSE!!
 

I voted for Harbaugh but would be happy with Calhoun, Golden or Leach. Leach can win. big. Is there anyone who wouldn't want to see the gophers win by 40 over Wisconsin and go for 2 the last four touchdowns?
 

I voted for Harbagh, but I don't think that's very likely. My realistic choice would be Venables because he's a young coach who's done very well with defenses. That would be a nice change - having a defense.
 

Bellotti Might Make the Most Sense!

DarrenTheGreek said:
Mike Bellotti - A calm figure who should be able to handle the changes coming in the President and AD (presumably) office. Has a history of finding FANTASTIC assistant coaches so the chances of an in-house replacement are pretty high.

This makes perfect sense in regards to hiring Belotti and assuming he does well, let him remain the HC as long as he wants. Then, chances are his replacement would already be on staff and ready to take the reins.
Click to expand...
 

Brady Hoke

I voted for Harbaugh as the one I'd like for HC, but I'm betting on Brady Hoke of San Diego State -he's rebuit a couple of struggling programs (Ball State and SDSU), has midwest ties (Michigan assistant under Carr) and, most of all, we could get him much cheaper than the higher profile coaches on the list.

Despite what Bruiniks and Maturi have to say about being willing to pay up to $3M for the right coach, I'm extremely skeptical - I think they'll try to sell us on the merits of a lesser profile coach costing in the neighborhood of $2M.
 

Mike Bolleti or Mike Leach would be my #1 & #2...

Al Golden & Troy Calhoun #3 & #4...

I wouldn't even seek out anyone else & if Trestman gets hired this whole process will have been a joke...
 


Harbaugh is #1 with a bullet. Bellotti is a close second. Either could build up our program into a contender for a long time to come (Bellotti aided by the fact he would pass the job off to a brilliant assistant after 5-7 years. His track record of hiring assistants who went on to become successful head coaches is incredible).
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom