Ha - no one wants the Gopher job

H

HawksMN

Well-Known Member
ISU locked up Fred.
UNI locked up Jacobson.
Fran aint going anywhere.

Everyone and their dog is turning down that pitiful job up in the Twin Cities.
 
Bruins having the same problem.

Coaches are looking at what the last guy did at both places and that each got fired and are thinking, "really?"
 
Anyone else thinking Minnesota is over their skis possibly? Not that Tubby was mega awesome but they were awful before he got there. He got some pretty good players to come in. They seem to forget that they play in a dump and have no practice facility also.
 
We were at the same place four years ago and we got Fran. Plenty of good coaches out there who would gladly hunker down at the barn. The key is choosing a Caff instead of a Lick.
 
I'll take the job. I don't know many NCAA rules. I don't know how I'm going to recruit. I have some ideas about player rotation, game management, etc. and know I will get a ton of input from all of you to help fill the gaps. I'll even do it for less than $1 million a year but it has to be guaranteed for the 1st year...suspect my job will be in jeopardy after the 1st couple of practices. Kelley, do you know anything about the rules or like to read rule books? Grape, Nicholson and 77 Hawk are also under strong consideration to help fill out my staff. Others are welcome to apply.
 
wundergrape said:
We were at the same place four years ago and we got Fran. Plenty of good coaches out there who would gladly hunker down at the barn. The key is choosing a Caff instead of a Lick.
Click to expand...

Agreed...and I think Teague and his top assistant know what they are doing. I would venture they will find someone who is an upgrade from Tubby, without a doubt. The Barn is fine. The main thing is getting a top notch practice facility, and I think those guys are dialed into the importance of it. Part of the reason Tubby got fired...they were having a hard time raising money for the practice facility because Tubby had turned off so many fans with the lack of improvement (player or team) over the course of each season.

The national perception that Tubby got fired because Minnesota fans have unrealistic expectations is off - way off. The Iowa perception that the Iowa job is a substantially better one than the Minnesota job is also off. The only difference is the practice facility, and Minnesota is working on that. Both jobs are lumped into the same general category by the majority of folks nationally. Decent, not elite. I think Minnesota has - potentially - a little more upside given the advantage in division I players produced, no other in-state school to compete with, and an athletic director who specializes in men basketball. I think he will have a pretty stout program in short time.
 
Minnesota is a better job than Iowa once they get a practice facility and that has everything to so with the talent produced by each state on an 'annual' basis. Emphasis on annual.

I'd go;

1. Indiana
2. MSU
3. OSU
4. Michigan
5. Illinois
6. Purdue
7. Wisconsin
8. Minnesota
9. Iowa
10. Nebraska
11. PSU
12. NW

I don't think there are miles separating 6-9.
 
SwirlinLingerie said:
Agreed...and I think Teague and his top assistant know what they are doing. I would venture they will find someone who is an upgrade from Tubby, without a doubt. The Barn is fine. The main thing is getting a top notch practice facility, and I think those guys are dialed into the importance of it. Part of the reason Tubby got fired...they were having a hard time raising money for the practice facility because Tubby had turned off so many fans with the lack of improvement (player or team) over the course of each season.

The national perception that Tubby got fired because Minnesota fans have unrealistic expectations is off - way off. The Iowa perception that the Iowa job is a substantially better one than the Minnesota job is also off. The only difference is the practice facility, and Minnesota is working on that. Both jobs are lumped into the same general category by the majority of folks nationally. Decent, not elite. I think Minnesota has - potentially - a little more upside given the advantage in division I players produced, no other in-state school to compete with, and an athletic director who specializes in men basketball. I think he will have a pretty stout program in short time.
Click to expand...

You make a lot of good points but I will debate the barn in today's landscape of arenas. The key is like you said is you better get a significant upgrade or you could end up taking a step back. Although I want Iowa to succeed I do like the idea of being in a great conference and that starts with great coaches who are given the resources and support to succeed. Don't bring in another Licklighter or Monson.
 
JonDMiller said:
Minnesota is a better job than Iowa once they get a practice facility and that has everything to so with the talent produced by each state on an 'annual' basis. Emphasis on annual.

I'd go;

1. Indiana
2. MSU
3. OSU
4. Michigan
5. Illinois
6. Purdue
7. Wisconsin
8. Minnesota
9. Iowa
10. Nebraska
11. PSU
12. NW

I don't think there are miles separating 6-9.
Click to expand...

I would put Minny ahead of Purdue and Wisconsin
 
ssckelley said:
Everyone using Minnesota to get a better contract out of their existing school.
Click to expand...

That's the hammer finding the head of the nail there. I'm afraid when it's said and done Minny is going to wish they stuck with the Tubbster. I think they'll take a step back because they are swinging for the fences (witch I don't blame them for) but their eyes are bigger then their stomach and I'll be surprised if they get a big name.
 
I also don't think there is much difference between Illinois and Iowa/Minnesota/Purdue/Wisconsin. Producing in-state kids is only good if those kids feel some kind of connection to a school located in that state. Tons of Minnesota kids want to go to the U. Lots of their friends go there. They grow up rooting for the the Vikings, the Twins, the Wild and Gophers basketball, with the T-wolves and Gophers football a ways back.

Not sure all that many Illinois kids have tons of their friends attending the University of Illinois or grew up cheering for the Illini basketball team.
 
Minnesota today is far from being in the position Iowa was when they hired Fran and actually I could argue they are in a far better position when Iowa did a poor job in researching and hiring Lickliter. There is some solid talent there, granted that they stay and there are some really good HS players in the 2014 class, if they just hire someone with a pulse.

Minnesota needs to get younger and enthusiastic if they aren't going to upgrade their facilities any time soon. If they don't they need a guy that has proven that he can build and sustain, something I don't feel Tubby ever proved, he did a nice job at Georgia, but that was going to end ugly just like at Kentucky and now at Minnesota.
 
Hawkfnntn said:
That's the hammer finding the head of the nail there. I'm afraid when it's said and done Minny is going to wish they stuck with the Tubbster. I think they'll take a step back because they are swinging for the fences (witch I don't blame them for) but their eyes are bigger then their stomach and I'll be surprised if they get a big name.
Click to expand...

They don't need a big name. They need a competent basketball coach. Having a lot of talent and finishing 9th in the conference will make a fan base restless. Not having a winning conference record in your tenure will, too. Not being able to break a zone defense in six years adds to it. Honest to god, people who think Tubby is a top notch coach are living in the past. The cracks were there at Kentucky.

Fran can coach circles around the man, and he wasn't exactly a big name hire.
 
JonDMiller said:
Minnesota is a better job than Iowa once they get a practice facility and that has everything to so with the talent produced by each state on an 'annual' basis. Emphasis on annual.

I'd go;

1. Indiana
2. MSU
3. OSU
4. Michigan
5. Illinois
6. Purdue
7. Wisconsin
8. Minnesota
9. Iowa
10. Nebraska
11. PSU
12. NW

I don't think there are miles separating 6-9.
Click to expand...

I think the top 5 you have dead on. I would put Wisky at 6 then maybe Purdue Iowa and then MN. I agree those 4 are close regardless. I don't see Minny as being that good a job. Even if they pay top dollar they are an ok college team with a low ceiling in a pro city. They care more about the Viks Twins and lord help me the Timberwolves then either their college football or basketball program. MN isn't a college town now. Do they have a practice facility in the works or are they as close to one now that Iowa was when Alford was campaigning for one?
 
SwirlinLingerie said:
They don't need a big name. They need a competent basketball coach. Having a lot of talent and finishing 9th in the conference will make a fan base restless. Not having a winning conference record in your tenure will, too. Not being able to break a zone defense in six years adds to it. Honest to god, people who think Tubby is a top notch coach are living in the past. The cracks were there at Kentucky.

Fran can coach circles around the man, and he wasn't exactly a big name hire.
Click to expand...

I agree that they don't need a big name. But that's clearly what they are shooting for. I'm not saying that Tubby is or was a great coach by any stretch. I just have a feeling that whomever they end up getting may not be able to match what they did this year for awhile. They could end up getting an up and comer that I'm not familer with that could be great. I've heard that Flip Saunders is dusting off his resume and would like a crack at it. It's hard telling what they will end up doing but it'll be interesting never the less
 
The right guy is out there. Finding him will not be easy however. For every 1 right guy, there are 100 wrong guys.
I'm still thinking Flip Saunders.
 
I live in MN. Trust me, not too many really give two hoots about the Goofs unless they are big time winning, which neither football nor basketball have been in years. Vikings coats, hats, flags everywhere. Same with the Wild, maybe a little less. Gophers? Not so much. MN is not and cannot be a top notch athletic school in the same city that houses those pro teams with their rabid fans. This is where Iowa has such an advantage.

I would not want to be in the Gophers shoes right now. Graduate their best player, will take a slide next year, have no coach, and no one WANTS to coach there. Stink city, baby.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Share this page

Top