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bgdavis -> RE: Gopher Football (11/29/2015 8:47:37 PM)
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Looking at this situation from outside of Minnesota, the hiring of Claeys definitely seemed like a knee-jerk reaction. His actions today in firing the the OC and QB coach may help quell unrest for a bit, but there's little evidence that he's the right choice to lead the UofM football program. Most teams looking to fill a HC take a while to interview candidates, and it's possible that the UofM could have landed a superior up-and-coming coach with a bit more searching.
On the other hand, even a great coaching staff may not not be able to lift the program very high. Having lived in 3 different Big Ten states (MN, WI, IA) for several years, it's eye-opening to see the kind of support opposing schools get, not only from their fans, but also from their media, store marketing and so forth. That support is a key ingredient for landing recruits, especially in-state or from nearby states. The new stadium isn't really a factor, nor is the planned athletic village, and I fear it will be a monumental waste to create that. A bigger issue for many would-be recruits are things that MN simply doesn't have, including aspects of the campus itself and this broad level of support. Outside of demolishing huge areas in and around the school, then remodeling and restructuring it to be a more alluring campus, there isn't much that can be done for the UofM layout. The fan and media support could be broadened, but the UofM sports will generally play 2nd fiddle to MN's pro teams. It can be done - Wisconsin is evidence of it, and it's football has strong support despite being in the same state as the Packers. Meanwhile, other teams like Iowa or Nebraska have no such competition, and they will always have a superior media and fan support from their states. As a result, even if the UofM does manage to find a good coach, it's going to very hard for them to recruit. Would-be coaches realize this. The UofM is far from being a football factory, and within the Big10, at least half the teams in the conference (OSU, Mich, Mich St, Wisc, Iowa, Neb, Penn St, NW) can out-recruit the UofM.
Scheduling 4 non-conf cream puffs, and getting a good draw from the B10 east is about the only hope this program has for getting winning record. The odds that Wisc, Neb, Iowa and Northwestern will all falter during the same year are very slim, as are any hopes of winning the Big10 west. Seasons like this one, with only a couple of conference wins will continue to be the norm. I know it hurts to hear this, but unless things change drastically, that's how it will be.
Given how badly the deck is stacked against the UofM's football program, does it make sense for the University to continue to invest in its current form? Does fielding a mediocre team really help the school overall, or could that money be better used elsewhere? Options of moving to a weaker conference, a lower division or even cutting the sport entirely may seem extreme, but they might be better for the university overall.
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