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ORIGINAL: SoMnFan

Looking at that list ....
I'd bet the farm we offer it to Leach.
Only because the heat is on Maturi finally, and he will have to go a tiny bit outside the comfort zone for once.
Pretty decent list, to be honest.

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So Minnesota wins the 2010 award for fastest coaching firing. By axing the flailing Tim Brewster on Oct. 17, AD Joel Maturi beat 2009 winner Memphis (Tommy West) by three weeks, but couldn't quite match 2008 winner Clemson, which ousted Tommy Bowden on Oct. 13.

Brewster's dismissal was inevitable, what with a 15-30 record and the program slinking to a 1-6 start (including losses to South Dakota and Northern Illinois) at a time when the program should really be building momentum following last year's opening of TC Bank Stadium. Rarely have I seen a coach as outwardly loathed as Brewster, who burned through six coordinators in four seasons and purportedly butted heads with nearly anyone connected to the program. Maturi delivered this parting shot Sunday when delivering a message to Brewster's hypothetical successor.

"You're not following Vince Lombardi here," said Maturi.

Well, Joel, you're not exactly Jeremy Foley, either.

Scroll back through the recent annals of Minnesota history. In 2006, Maturi gave then-coach Glen Mason a lucrative four-year extension only to turn around and fire him a year later after the Gophers blew a 31-point lead in the Insight Bowl, costing the school roughly $3.6 in buyouts and deferred compensation. As Mason's replacement, he hired a tight ends coach from the Denver Broncos who'd never even served as a coordinator at the college or pro level. Now, he's pledging to find "a Tubby Smith" for football, referring to the Gophers' revered hoops coach.

Would you trust this guy to make the right hire?

If "high profile" is Maturi's top priority (and it probably should be to generate buzz for the program), one has to think the guy who delivered Mason's Insight Bowl death blow, former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach, is near the top of the list. (Maturi said he contacted Tony Dungy, but that the alum is not interested.) By opening the job now, Maturi gets a head start in the courtship. There's nothing stopping him from contacting the unemployed Leach tomorrow.

But somehow that move probably makes too much sense.



Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/stewart_mandel/10/17/bcs-standings-boise-state/3.html#ixzz12jEIyY1A

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ORIGINAL: Karl H

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ORIGINAL: Jim Frenette

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ORIGINAL: TJSweens

One of the Gopher beat writers from the Pioneer Press  was on MPR this morning. When asked what specifically it is that Wisconsin and Iowa do that the Gophers can’t seem to do he said it boiled to size. He said the premier athletes generally go to the elite programs and there isn’t much you can do about it. Wisconsin and Iowa counter that by recruiting size and building power running games. Build a massive wall of beef up front and control the ball. Then funnel the bulk of the top athletes to defense. It sounds like the Mason approach except Mase could never get the defense where it needed to be to complete. I don’t know if that is really true or not. I would like to have seen what would have happened if Brewster had stuck with Mike Dunbar and the spread. I think he lost the interest of a lot of offensive recruits when he switched horses in mid stream and tried the power running scheme. If he had been smart enough to commit to the offense that he spent his first 2 years recruiting he would have a dynamic scheme run by an elite coordinator and the ball would be in the hands of Marquis Gray, potentially an elite play maker, on every down.

I agree with the sentiment of getting a real head coach. I think the interest in Trestman is real this time around because he became a head coach since the last time the job was open and has been extremely successful with two Gray Cup championships.

One coach that really intrigues me is Kevin Sumlin of Houston. Troy Calhoun of Air Force is also kind of interesting.

I've been saying for years that the Gophers need more beef on both lines

I'm gonna disagree to a point on this.  Our O-line this year is just slightly smaller than Wisconsin's...and clearly bigger than Iowa's.  Every starter and top backup is at or over 300 pounds.  We have gotten bigger there.  On the defensive line, our tackles are heavier than both Wisky & Iowa.  Edwards is 335!  Iowa's Klug, a minnesota kid is just 275....but a real nice player.  At DE, we can get every bit a big a necessary.  Hageman & Jacobs are around the 300 mark.  KGM is about 275.  The problem as I see it, is we don't have anyone who can rush the passer.  Wilhite and Garin are supposed to do that, but where are the results?  I remember Mason as the guy who used 240 DT's and 205 LB's.  If we are too small somewhere, it's probably at RB.  We don't have the big horses like Wisconsin.

I still say it's about getting the right players for your system, something Brew didn't do well enough.

And ultimately, it's winning......Brew was simply not a very good head coach in that regard.

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ORIGINAL: TJSweens

quote:

ORIGINAL: SoMnFan

Looking at that list ....
I'd bet the farm we offer it to Leach.
Only because the heat is on Maturi finally, and he will have to go a tiny bit outside the comfort zone for once.
Pretty decent list, to be honest.

You'd lose the farm. There are too many other good candidates on the list for Maturi to take on someone with Leach's baggage.

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ORIGINAL: Lynn G.

A caller on KFAN just mentioned George O'Leary as a possibility. Not a bad idea.

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ORIGINAL: Lynn G.

Sixty four isn't old anymore (except when you're a college student). [:D]

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ORIGINAL: TJSweens

Peterson and his program underscore my frustration. You should be able to have a winning program in Minneapolis if you can build a major contender in Boise Freakin Idaho. 

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ORIGINAL: Lynn G.

It seems like Jo Pa continued to have a lot of success long after he hit his sixties. {shrug}

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ORIGINAL: Lynn G.

It seems like Jo Pa continued to have a lot of success long after he hit his sixties. {shrug}

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ORIGINAL: SoMnFan

I'm frankly puzzled by the Les Frazier mention.
He's got to be one of the top 2-3 guys in line for a ton of NFL jobs that will probably open up.
It's almost like he doesn't realize it. [:D]

Another good coach I'll be pissed about that we let leave here, while keeping our head-nerd-in-charge.
He'll take the same path Tomlin did ... leave here and have immedaite success, because he's bright, innovative, energetic, and players love him.

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ORIGINAL: Karl H

Lots of real good coaching names.  I'll probably be alright with whoever they pick (if it's someone already mentioned).  I'll throw our a few more:

Both Terry & Tommy Bowden are available, although I think they are more right coast guys and unsure if there are any ties to the Midwest, much less Minnesota.

Jeff Jagodzinski - I'm sure he would bring along Steve Logan as they have been together at several college & pro stops.  He was 20-8 in his 2 years at Boston College & with Logan as the OC, they helped develop Matt Ryan.  Also, Logan was HC of all those fun East Carolina teams back in the 90's.  Jags was the OC and they developed QB's like Jeff Blake, Marcus Crandell and David Garrard.  MarQueis Gray anyone?!  Jags has some Wisconsin ties so is familiar with the Midwest.

Young coordinators may not be the most poplular but the following names will get a look down the road:

Major Applewhite & Will Muschamp at Texas.  Both guys will get a shot in the near future.
Paul Chryst - at Wisconsin.  His name has been brought up already.
David Gibbs - son of Joe Gibbs.  He was one of the best DC's the Gophers have ever had.
Josh Heupel - Doubt he's ready for a Big 10 HC job yet, but a good offensive mind.