Gopher The Roses

Day 13 Rumors: Shh, A Very Quiet Day

Mike Max on WCCO TV (local CBS affiliate) seemed a little ornery this evening. He basically crapped on all of the potential candidates for the coaching job. If he wants to give his opinion he should stick to his radio show or late night Sunday TV sports show.

   

Doing so on the evening news is not appropriate.

   

No confirmation on the Lane Kiffin offer and it looks like this was maybe premature or not going to happen at all. Too bad, I was really hoping to would happen.

My Pick For The Next Head Coach

It’s been a while but I used to throw darts quite a bit. I also had a higher tolerance back then too. Funny how they go hand in hand.

   

I have gone back and made a grand list of names that have been mentioned to replace Glen Mason as the Head Coach of the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

   

Using the scoring system in a darts game I have ranked the coaches by category. This is strictly my opinion and from where I sit on the 25 yard line on game day. You will note I prefer current coordinators to head coaches and would like them to have some connection to Minnesota but is not necessary:

   

Bulls-eye

-Lane Kiffin (USD Offensive Coordinator), My preferred choice. Local ties, big time program, and heavily connected. Should be able to build a strong group of coaches.

-Gary Patterson (TCU Head Coach), If we can afford the $1 million buyout.

   

Triple

-Bo Pelini (LSU Defensive Coordinator), Big time program with experience.

-Marc Trestman (former North Carolina State Coordinator), Local ties with college and NFL experience.

-Charlie Strong (Florida Defensive Coordinator), A late entry to the pool but a recruiter, a defensive guy, and experience at a football school.

-Brent Venables (Oklahoma Defensive Coordinator), Some call him “Bob Stoops Jr.”. Good enough for me.

   

Double

-Mike Haywood (Notre Dame Offensive Coordinator), My next top pick of the coordinators.

-Tim Brewster (Denver Broncos Tight End Coach), No head coach or coordinator experience but a top-notch college recruiter with a lot of energy.

-Craig Bohl (North Dakota State Head Coach), Recruiting Upper Midwest players for North Dakota State is not the same as running a Big Ten program.

-Bobby Hauck (Montana Head Coach), See above.

-Larry Coker (former Miami Hurricane Head Coach), For better and worse he is intriguing.

-Ron English (Michigan Defensive Coordinator), High energy guy with experience.

-DeWayne Walker (UCLA Defensive Coordinator), Local ties but may be light in experience.

   

Single

-Dan McCarney (former Iowa State Head Coach), No way. He resigned.

-Paul Chryst (Wisconsin Offensive Coordinator), No Badgers please.

-Gary Barnett, Not sure he can be trusted.

-Mike Grant (Eden Prairie High School Head Coach), Hire him as an assistant and lead recruiter. Preps him to be St. John’s Head Coach one day.

-Frank Solich (Ohio University Head Coach), I hate to say this but he is too old. I want a young guy even if that means less experienced.

   

Not listed are Tony Dungy (Indianapolis Colts Head Coach) and Chris Petersen (Boise State Head Coach), as I highly doubt either of them is available.

   

I continue to hope that the next coach keeps current Minnesota coaches Gordy Shaw and Luke Tressel.

Day 12 Rumors: Part 2

GopherIllustrated.com, a Rivals.com web site, ran a story that says someone was offered the job Thursday night and that the interview was a formality, Job offered?. The name is Lane Kiffin.

   

KFAN ran it too using GopherIllustrated.com as the source but there has been no confirmation anywhere else.

   

Kiffin had a few local radio and TV interviews. Paraphrasing he said Minnesota would be a dream job and he would like to raise his family here.

   

Later, the Star Tribune says their sources call the Kiffin offer “erroneous” U officials do coaching interviews on road.

   

I missed this earlier today from Charley Walters, OVERHEARD. AD Joel Maturi may have interviewed Mike Haywood (Notre Dame Offensive Coordinator).

   

He has “the list” as Haywood, Chryst, Kiffin, Patterson, McCarney, and Dungy.

A Big Update Is Coming Tonight

I have been writing entries the past few days but did not have a chance to get them posted. With the “breaking news” from ESPN regarding the hiring of Tim Brewster I will still post what I had written.

   

Besides it could be possible that this is inaccurate, university spokesman Kyle Coughlin said, "No one has been offered the job."

Day 12 Rumors: Lane Kiffin And Gary Patterson To Interview Today, Markuson Interested

As reported and confirmed earlier this week, Lane Kiffin (USC Offensive Coordinator) has his interview with Minnesota in Dallas today. There seems to be a growing surge of support for his hiring.

   

Pete Carroll (USC Head Coach) has been saying very good things about Lane Kiffin and going as far as lobbying on Kiffin’s behalf.

   

Sid Hartman has a short blurb today on this Sid Hartman: Carroll plugs USC assistant for Gophers job.

   

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that Minnesota will interview Gary Patterson (TCU Head Coach) Minnesota pursuing Patterson today but in the same article they quote Patterson as saying he had not ye been contacted last night.

   

There has been no further news on Patterson’s potential interview.

   

Mike Markuson (Arkansas Offensive Line Coach) would like to be interviewed Arkansas OL coach 'taking a shot' at Minnesota job. I think he has the right perspective on his chances (very low):

"I'm not under any false illusions about the process and what they're looking for," Markuson said. "I just basically threw my name in the hat.

Gopher Sights May Be On Tony Dungy And Flip Saunders

Jim Souhan had an article today that I half agree with Jim Souhan: U of M aims high and hopes. Souhan writes that his sources (who have sources) that Tony Dungy for football and Flip Saunders for basketball are the “chosen ones” by university administrators.

   

I disagree with his assessment on Tony Dungy and the university waiting to see how the Colts playoff run goes. I think the university is doing a search for a new coach without Dungy in mind. Is he a potential “dream” candidate? Yes. But most believe including me that Dungy is not very interested in coming back to Minnesota.

   

The argument for Flip Saunders however is an interesting one and it will be interesting to see how that plays out.

Search Firm To Cost $80,000 Plus Expenses

I wrote earlier this week and now it is confirmed that Baker-Parker and Associates have been retained for both the football and basketball coach searches.

   

More here U will pay $80,000 for coach searches.

   

$80,000 plus expenses seems like a good deal to me. I mean yes it is expensive but the use of a search firm makes it easier to identify candidates. As in who is available and who is not. It is easier for the firm to call a coach or his agent than a university official. Also in salary negotiation it helps to have a third party do the negotiation.

   

In many cases if a company, in this case the university, does not have a really short list with an almost gimme hire a search firm is used.

   

Of course as a search firm and headhunter guy myself, check out my business blog MN Headhunter, I am biased.

   

They could have had me for less than $80,000. But then again my contacts in technology and human resources may not have helped too much. Give me enough time though, I could have done it for a little cash, guaranteed seating for all sporting events, and some other perks like flying on the team charters.

   

Oh well, their loss…

Message From Athletic Director Joel Maturi To The Goal Line Club

Yesterday, January 11^th, Joel Maturi sent a letter via email to Goal Line Club members.

   

Paraphrasing:

   

-The firing of Coach Mason was a difficult decision, he a lot of respect for Coach Mason, new leadership was needed.

   

-The medias list of candidates, “short lists”, and those being interviewed is speculation. He basically says the media is not in the loop and that he appreciates they have a job to do.

   

-First duty of the new coach will be to work on hiring staff and visiting recruits.

Day 11 Rumors: Bohl, Kiffin, Patterson, Venables, Hauck, Brewster, And Haywood

Minnesota has contacted North Dakota State about Craig Bohl (Head Coach), U asks about NDSU football coach.

   

The Star Tribune has a new list of potential candidates, many of whom I have not yet seen mentioned, So, who's in play for Gophers coaching job?. 

   

Their list for today is:

-Lane Kiffin (USC Offensive Coordinator)

-Gary Patterson (TCU Head Coach)

-Brent Venables (Oklahoma Defensive Coordinator)

-Bobby Hauck (Montana Head Coach)

-Tim Brewster (Denver Broncos Tight End Coach)

-Michael Haywood (Notre Dame Defensive Coordinator)

   

All of these names are turning my headache into a migraine…

Day 10 Rumors: Lane Kiffin To Interview Friday

Other than a confirmation of the Lane Kiffin interview this Friday it was a quiet day in terms of new names and news in general.