Return to Respectability

So everyone is talking about Brad Childress getting fired this week, and that's all well and good.  The mayor was never a Chilly fan and felt his success was more due to an ever-expanding payroll than anything else.  Nobody will convince me that Mike Tice, who was generally thought of as a buffoon, couldn't have accomplished the same things if given the same resources.  Frankly I think he probably would've done better.

But the discussion of the Vikings is a much bigger production than I have the patience to delve into today, the team is at a crossroads, rest assured it will be examined thoroughly down the line.  Your excitement at this prospect is so palpable I can feel in through the keyboard.

Instead, we're going to stay in the same vein of teams at a crossroads, but go a slightly different way.  Partially because this week is the final weekend of the Gopher football season (as if you didn't already know) and partially because I have a slight hangover, I'm handing over the reins to my pal Derek, the most knowledgeable college football fan I know, with some thoughts on the Gophers upcoming coaching hire:


As a Gopher football fan, I grow weary of looking forward. I can’t revel in past success, as I am only 35. (We may have had the most dominant program in the country from 1934 to 1960, but I get annoyed with Packer fans bringing up their dominance in the WWII era, so I can’t be hypocritical and do the same.) I can’t look at the present too often because the last 40 years have only produced a handful seasons that one would call “successful”. So, as usual, unless I can revel in another “who-cares” bowl appearance with a straight face, I have to look forward.


Each time we have hired a new coach in the 20 years that I have been closely following Gopher football, I am filled with anticipation that THIS will be OUR Barry Alvarez; the guy that can take us to the Rose Bowl. In just four years, Alvarez took Wisconsin, one of the biggest doormats in college football for decades, from 1-10 and averaging less than 30,000 fans per game, to the Rose Bowl in 1994.


Who is that guy for the U? Who is the guy that can win recruiting battles like Brewster, coach offense like Mason, and actually build a respectable defense? Joel Maturi has suggested he wants to bring in a “name” like he did with Tubby Smith for basketball. Kudos to Joel for getting Tubby, and aspiring to do the same on the gridiron. But while that might be possible with Gopher basketball, as we have a program that has a tradition of respectability (even went to the Final Four in 1997, trust me, I remember), I don’t think that is possible any longer with Gopher football. It has just been too long since we were good.


Let’s break it down a bit:


The UofM football coach is a good job. It is good even compared to some others within our own conference:
• We have the nicest stadium in the country, bar none (yes, there are stadiums with more history and tradition, but none are nicer)


• We are located in a major metropolitan area with all the amenities one could desire (save the weather from mid-November through mid-March)


• In an apples-to-apples comparison of total spend on the program (i.e., NOT the Sid Hartman numbers) we rank 6th in the conference, so we are putting in money on coaches, recruiting, facilities (okay, yes, this is probably a major reason we are 6th, and not much worse), scholarships, etc…


• We are willing to pay big dollars to a new coach (e.g., Tubby Smith was the highest paid in the country in his first year, has since slipped to about 10th, but the money is there).


• The bar is relatively low here (notice me taking the main reason some one wouldn’t want the job and turning it into a positive). You simply get us to the Rose Bowl, the job is yours for at least the next decade and we may build a statue of you outside the stadium.

There are names bubbling all over the blogosphere, some very realistic and some very unrealistic, but these are my top choices. Just so you know, my list includes the following criteria:


1) 50 years old is about my limit. Sure, it would be nice to get Phil Fulmer to come in here and turn things around, but he is already 62 and might not be interested in more than a few years of service. I want a long-term guy.


2) They have a resume that includes head coaching experience in Division 1-A (FBS). We may hire Leslie Frazier or Marc Trestman, but I think we have an obligation to get a guy who has had success in the role we are hiring for. Pro coaches have it easier as the players are simply presented to them, they have very little “recruiting” to do. Great coordinators have promise, but haven’t been the head guy. If we were in another situation, I would be open to other options, but we can’t miss this time.


3) I have heard them mentioned in connection with the job by a reputable source, indicating that they are indeed on the radar. Would I like Nick Saban to leave Alabama and come to Minnesota? Sure. But, I am trying to be grounded in reality here. For example, I am not including Chris Peterson or Gary Patterson because those guys have had such tremendous success at small schools that they can have any job they want, meaning I think they are waiting for USC, Florida, Michigan, Notre Dame, etc… to open up and REALLY cash in on the big stage.


My list (incidentally, you can go to The Daily Gopher and read HUGE profiles on each one of these guys, and many more):


1) Al Golden – my top choice for the job. He is in his fifth year as head coach at Temple University, going 1-11, 4-8, 5-7, 9-4 and a bowl berth, and is 8-2 this year. If you can win at Temple, you can win anywhere. Temple isn’t in the Big East like the good ol’ days, but he has found a way to turnaround a program that has underachieved for some time. He has recently been a candidate for the job at Cincinnati where he pulled his name, and Tennessee where he wasn’t selected. Prior to Temple he was the defensive coordinator for Virginia and coached Linebackers at Penn State (LB U) and Boston College. He knows his defense. Plus, can you THINK of a better name for a guy to coach the Golden Gophers!?!?!


2) Brady Hoke – like this guy because he turned around Ball State, took them to 12-1 in his sixth and final year there, and is currently in the midst of his second season at San Diego State where he has brought them to 7-2 and within a hair of beating TCU on the road last week. Prior to Ball State he coached D-Line at Michigan for 8 years, D-Line at Oregon State for 6, and various other defensive coaching positions prior to that. He also knows his defense, sensing my theme? He is 51 years old, but I gave him a pass because it is so close. San Diego State’s AD used to be the assistant AD at the U. So, we might have to fight him for this guy.


3) Mike Leach – The biggest “name” on the list, this guy needs no introduction. Led Texas Tech to the most prolific offense in the nation for a decade, and is currently out of work. He didn’t end his term with Texas Tech very well as he allegedly locked a kid with a concussion in a dark closet as treatment. Personally, I don’t think it would have been near as big a deal if that kid had not been the son of an ESPN analyst, but I digress. This guy coaches offense like nobody’s business, but coaches defense like Glen Mason. And, the Big 12 is notorious for not playing defense, so would his schemes translate? Plus, I don’t think Minnesota wants to bring in anybody that has questions about their character. I would be happy if he was named coach though, as this would put us back on the map immediately.


4) Larry Fedora – Currently in his third year as head coach at Southern Mississippi. He is 48 years old and a passionate guy, who can recruit. (And by “recruit” I mean win battles for kids against bigger and better schools.) His first two years he went 7-6, but this season appears to be coming together for him as they are 7-3. He knows his offense, as he was the Offensive Coordinator at Florida for Ron Zook and was the Offensive Coordinator at Oklahoma State. I love his passion, that is why I have him high on my list. But, Tim Brewster had passion too, and that didn’t work out so well.


5) Troy Calhoun – Currently the head coach at Air Force. He has brought Air Force to some decent seasons, nothing better than 9-4, but that is really good at Air Force considering their recruiting disadvantages. He has been the Offensive Coordinator at Wake Forest and Ohio, where both schools achieved tremendous success. He was recently with the Denver Broncos as a “defensive assistant” and was the Offensive Coordinator for one year with the Houston Texans. His name was mentioned frequently early in the search, but Shooter had a column earlier this week suggesting that he has not been contacted by the U. I think that is a mistake if he is interested, because he brings a lot to the table, but I wouldn’t put him ahead of the previous four


The second tier (I would be merely satisfied to get one of these guys, not excited)


6) Kevin Sumlin – He was the initial most-often-mentioned-name but that steam has cooled as of late. Currently the head coach at the University of Houston. He is African-American, and I know that the current regime puts importance on diversity. He has served under Bob Stoops at Oklahoma as Co-Offensive Coordinator (not sure exactly what that position means) as well as Offensive Coordinator at Texas A&M. This guy knows his offense. He runs the spread offense, which scares me a bit. I personally think we are going to return to relevance with a solid defense that has good schemes, so that is why he isn’t at the top of my list. This year the Cougars are just 5-5, so he is losing some momentum there as well.


7) Randy Edsall – head coach at Connecticut and has had solid success. Since they became D-1 and joined the relatively weak Big East Conference in 2004, his best record is 9-4, with a couple 8-5’s as well. So, no breakthrough season as yet. He has coached both sides of the ball as an assistant, and is a very passionate guy.


8) DeWayne Walker – former Gopher and head coach at New Mexico State, but his record there is awful. Some success as D-Coordinator of UCLA.




Others mentioned:


1) Jim Harbaugh – seen his name often, would go nuts if he was hired, but it’s not realistic to expect him to come here. Creating a great program at Stanford, maybe want to return to the Big Ten, but he will probably be patient and wait for Rich Rodriguez to get fired at Michigan and returnit’s not realistic to expect him to come here. Creating a great program at Stanford, maybe want to return to the Big Ten, but he will probably be patient and wait for Rich Rodriguez to get fired at Michigan and return to his alma mater.


2) Mark Mangino – another controversial, and large, figure. I doubt the U is interested, and Tim Brewster was a close friend, so I don’t see him as a real candidate. But he won at Kansas, which was unthinkable upon his arrival.


3) Mike Stoops – currently the head coach at Arizona. Maybe he wants to return closer to home as he is from the Midwest, think he lived in Ohio, and South Dakota for a while, but he has a solid thing going at Arizona, and not sure why he would want to leave there beyond this.


I expect us to hire our new coach by mid-December. If we wait any longer than that, we are hurting ourselves. Colorado is a similar program that is also searching, and we need to move quickly. I think Maturi understands that as well. And, if we don’t have a guy by then, it means we are being turned down. Here’s to 2011 Gopher football!!! Ski-U-Mah.


Great stuff D, the education is much appreciated, here's hoping we get one of the 4 in your top 5 not named Mike Leach.  Frankly I'm intrigued by Larry Fedora, guy has gotta have an awesome hat collection, right?




NFL Picks

Last week: 8-8 (Meh)
Overall: 69-59-3

Ben
Last week: 8-8 (Double meh)
Overall: 30-23-1

Brent
Last week: 11-5 (Performances like this are a good way to get banned from Loserville)
Overall: 31-23-1


New England -6.5 over DETROIT
New Orleans -4 over DALLAS
NEW YORK JETS -9 over Cincinnati
Minnesota +1.5 over WASHINGTON
Pittsburgh -6.5 over BUFFALO
HOUSTON -6.5 over Tennessee
NEW YORK GIANTS -7 over Jacksonville
CLEVELAND -11 over Carolina
Tampa Bay +7.5 over BALTIMORE
Philadelphia -3.5 over CHICAGO
Green Bay +2 over ATLANTA
OAKLAND -3 over Miami
Kansas City -1.5 over SEATTLE
St. Louis +4 over DENVER
INDIANAPOLIS +3 over San Diego
San Francisco -1 over ARIZONA