Fire Coyle, Fire Fleck! Rip the Band-Aid off!!!

[Cobra]

There are a lot of compelling opinions in this thread, and that’s OK.

What I’d like to see is a paradigm shift from the top down in the UM administration to make a commitment to shift the culture of the entire athletic department, a complete makeover to the front porch if you will. Someone heading the department with vision and the ability to find and collaborate with others to strive for and achieve higher goals. Step up to the plate, take some big swings and get after it.

I’m not saying that would vault the Gophers into blue blood status. We know what the current ceiling is now, and if you’re fine with treading water like that, OK. I’m not OK with it, and my NIL contribution isn’t going shift the culture.

 

[BarnBurner]

There are a lot of compelling opinions in this thread, and that’s OK.

What I’d like to see is a paradigm shift from the top down in the UM administration to make a commitment to shift the culture of the entire athletic department, a complete makeover to the front porch if you will. Someone heading the department with vision and the ability to find and collaborate with others to strive for and achieve higher goals. Step up to the plate, take some big swings and get after it.

I’m not saying that would vault the Gophers into blue blood status. We know what the current ceiling is now, and if you’re fine with treading water like that, OK. I’m not OK with it, and my NIL contribution isn’t going shift the culture.

 

[disco]

The players have to submit the deal to NiL Go, not the schools. Fewer than 20% of NiL deals are even getting submitted. Please don’t bring this up again until a player has been suspended for bypassing NiL Go, it has no teeth

Imagine actually thinking that this is anything more than Tony Soprano being a waste management consultant. Nobody realistically believes there is any real enforcement going on here. It's still 100% pay to play.

 

[disco]

Agree. There are a number of factors and top notch coaches are one of them.

Do you, or do you not believe that we need considerably more money to pay players?

 

[mngolf]

Bold: she could have made that decision for 10x less than that. Who's to say for sure? I don't trust anyone who just claims it without showing the receipts, as the kids say. What do they have to hide?

I can say with 100% certainty, that I am not transferring from Prestigious school and successful team to crap like that for 10x less.

 

[disco]

I can say with 100% certainty, that I am not transferring from Prestigious school and successful team to crap like that for 10x less.

Yeah, I don't think too many would transfer from Stanford to Texas Tech unless there was life changing money involved, and even then when you look at future earning potential, it might be a stretch.

 

[BarnBurner]

Do you, or do you not believe that we need considerably more money to pay players?

If Mn wants to compete for titles, of course. That's one factor.

Do you agree Mn administration has to LEAD on getting $$$for coaches and players?

Do you agree Mn administration intentionally neglected athletic programs, specifically fb and bb, for decades? Good grief, this is so obvious.

 

[Gophergrandpa]

Thanks for making my point.

U of Mn administration needs to make the right moves. Decades of doing the minimum has lead to these results.

I actually think PJ would be a much better and inspiring AD than Coyle. If PJ worked as hard at fundraising, with same disciple as he does at recruiting, we might have a much improved NIL landscape. Might end up with a little better game day HC, too.

 

[Gophergrandpa]

PJ payed Bowling Green an extra $475,000 this year to move our game back to ‘28 and replaced them with one of the worst FCS programs in the country.

Wanted to get that potential sixth win for bowl eligibility? Maybe PJ had seen the OL and knew what the future held.

 

[DEGopher]

The source for this article is On3, which you can look around GopherHole and find their numbers are completely made up.

I am not sure what you mean by "completely made up". You are going to have to explain this, because it seems clear that On3 collects their data from third parties. Which means they don't make it up.

It seems like you want "auditied data," but that doesn't exist, and it also doesn't mean the data that is provided isn't accurate. Most of us don't think these are precise numbers, but in a relative sense or order of magnitude, they are reflective of reality.

Does Oregon have a $ 30 million spend, versus $ 25 million or $35 million? I don't know. Do I think Oregon has 5 to 10 times the Gophers' spending based on these numbers? I do, and there is good reason to believe that these numbers, coming from third-party sources connected with the programs, are reliable enough for me and others to conclude this.

Whether you want to make the same conclusion based on the facts of the situation, that is up to you. But there is no evidence that the numbers are "completely made up." That claim doesn't seem to be factual.

 

[DEGopher]

I didn't mention A&M coming back yesterday, must have been someone else. I was specifically talking about TT having a $50 million payroll.

That's correct; I see you didn't, but diefirma did credit A&M's undefeated season and a 30-point comeback to TT. That is the post I was replying to. I assumed since you responded to my comment on diefirma's post, you were the original poster /diefirma. My comment was directed at that post.


Nonetheless, my response to your post was to address your claim that the original poster diefirma did not confuse TT with A&M, and he clearly did. Check for yourself.

 

[BarnBurner]

I actually think PJ would be a much better and inspiring AD than Coyle. If PJ worked as hard at fundraising, with same disciple as he does at recruiting, we might have a much improved NIL landscape. Might end up with a little better game day HC, too.

Why doesn't u Mn administration make the move you suggest?

 

[WHB Brewer]

I will never understand how Minneapolis/St. Paul doesn't have money for NIL

All the businesses and big shots and nothing.

You don’t know how fundraising works. Most of those “big shots” have no affiliation with UMN and probably don’t give a rip about college football

 

[GophEnEspaña]

You don’t know how fundraising works. Most of those “big shots” have no affiliation with UMN and probably don’t give a rip about college football

100% this. UMN doesn't have any notable alumni with f-you money who actually care about college football. This is what matters. It's irrelevant how many Fortune-500 companies Minnesota has, or much wealth is concentrated in the metro area, or how well, P4P, we punch above our weight economically. We don't have a group of alumni who don't mind throwing bags of cash at recruits or saying f-you to go get a big time coach/staff. It's irrelevant at how good our administration is/isn't at budgeting. Wake me up when a donor says he wants to throw in X million to go buy a top recruiting class. The rest is for the birds.

 

[The Deliberate Stranger]

Oh, no not the screens they strike fear in everyone. PJ has gone to hell post Mo — hung in there last year with an outstanding portal QB pick up and all Mason did was roll out backs that carried the freight and showed up every week and solid to great OL play. They’d score at will. I take no pleasure in that the present is what matters.

32-48. Imagine how shitty it would be if Glen had to take a cupcake off and play nine big ten teams. Literally had a backfield of NFL backs two NFL TE's and All American Center, still only had two winning big ten seasons, pretty pathetic in hindsight. If only he could have stopped one of those 20 consecutive screen calls. You'd think a former all American linebacker from his playing days who came up as a defensive coach could figure it out. Nah, just stood there a grinned.

 

[GophEnEspaña]

Separate from the outcome and the way our team played I think the University of Minnesota athletic department should scout that stadium to learn how to run a game day experience.

I attended the game in Oregon and the game environment and entire crowd vibe was far and away superior to anything I’ve seen at TCF/HBS/Williams/Mariucci… it was FUN, great videos, great music, and got the crowd extremely hyped. Not to mention they didn’t force advertisements down our throats the entire game.

Bottom line; Minnesota has a lot of on field/court/ice improvements to make but the fan experience should not be left behind.

That sweet, sweet, sweet Nike money helps in more ways than just recruiting and weight rooms. Also, this "Oregon identity" has been humming on all cylinders for like 20 years now. You witnessed an elite, top 10 national program's game day experience. I'm quite jealous, I've heard Eugene is beautiful and the walk to the stadium is awesome.

 

[Porthead]

I agree with everything Ewert86PC said. As to firing Fleck: who would we get? Who wants to come to a mediocre program with no clear plan for rising?
Also, remember this: the Twin Cities has (at last count) seven professional sports teams competing for the dollars and attention of sports fans. How many are in Columbus? Iowa City? Happy Valley? Eugene?

 

[disco]

Do you agree Mn administration intentionally neglected athletic programs, specifically fb and bb, for decades? Good grief, this is so obvious.

Of course I agree. It is quite obvious.

But I don't agree that just hiring better assistant coaches will do any more than possibly get us 1-2 more wins. I don't think you could drop Nick Saban or Urban Meyer in for PJ with the exact same players and do a lot better. It's about talent, and we don't have the same money to pay for it.

 

[disco]

I agree with everything Ewert86PC said. As to firing Fleck: who would we get? Who wants to come to a mediocre program with no clear plan for rising?
Also, remember this: the Twin Cities has (at last count) seven professional sports teams competing for the dollars and attention of sports fans. How many are in Columbus? Iowa City? Happy Valley? Eugene?

The pro sports argument is way overblown IMO in terms of recruiting, (and I used to believe it to be true.) I don't believe for a second that a recruit would choose to go to Lincoln or Iowa City because they'd be "the center of attention." Players are choosing where to go based on money, playing time, and perks/facilities. Nobody is reading the newspaper anymore much less being concerned about being on the front page.

The only thing I believe where it does/can affect the Gophers is in terms of attendance, because there are other options for finite entertainment dollars in this market. Look at Gopher hoops. They've put a bad product out for years, play in an awful environment, and people are choosing other options.

 

[disco]

100% this. UMN doesn't have any notable alumni with f-you money who actually care about college football. This is what matters. It's irrelevant how many Fortune-500 companies Minnesota has, or much wealth is concentrated in the metro area, or how well, P4P, we punch above our weight economically. We don't have a group of alumni who don't mind throwing bags of cash at recruits or saying f-you to go get a big time coach/staff. It's irrelevant at how good our administration is/isn't at budgeting. Wake me up when a donor says he wants to throw in X million to go buy a top recruiting class. The rest is for the birds.

Thank you. Fortune 500 companies aren't buying players. Individual multi-millionaires are. Phil Knight has money because of Nike, and he gives it to Oregon, rather than Nike just giving it.

 

[BarnBurner]

Of course I agree. It is quite obvious.

But I don't agree that just hiring better assistant coaches will do any more than possibly get us 1-2 more wins. I don't think you could drop Nick Saban or Urban Meyer in for PJ with the exact same players and do a lot better. It's about talent, and we don't have the same money to pay for it.

1 or 2 more wins each season is significant, at least imo.

And I noticed you didn't talk about Mn leadership.

 

[upnorthkid]

Just got back from Oregon and was going to post something similar. It was by far the best football production-show I’ve seen live and the fans were really into it. And quite a few Gopher fans made the big screen cam shots.

Joy is that what you and @Bamagopher mention is actually the ONLY way you’re going to get these big fish donors is that you make them. You make people who remember and love that experience and it sticks with them. You make alumni that are proud of the gameday experience and culture and then hopefully one of them ends up like Pegula or Knight or to a lesser extent the Andersons at UST and that they decide, well shit I had such a good time and such fond memories of that place I want to give it back for the future. OR you need someone who wants to be “that guy” who just wants to take over a program and you’re lucky enough they choose you

Joy of that Leipold has no ties. Neither does Wilf. The wolves ownership, nope. Your big fish are going to be those types or people who love sports and have an egregious amount of money plus some reason to care. Maybe someone can convince Leipold he could actually win a title in MN if he shoved some money to Gopher hockey. That’s probably the only sport we have a realistic chance at getting a NIL takeover because the dollar amount is so much less and our fan base is big enough

 

[disco]

1 or 2 more wins each season is significant, at least imo.

And I noticed you didn't talk about Mn leadership.

One more win maybe gets you the Music City Bowl over the Pinstripe Bowl or some such thing. Being 8-4 over 7-5 isn't going to matter that much. And I agreed with you that U leadership neglected the revenue sports programs for a long time. I never said they didn't - I just disagree that hiring better coaches will make as much or more difference than buying better players.

 

[BarnBurner]

One more win maybe gets you the Music City Bowl over the Pinstripe Bowl or some such thing. Being 8-4 over 7-5 isn't going to matter that much. And I agreed with you that U leadership neglected the revenue sports programs for a long time. I never said they didn't - I just disagree that hiring better coaches will make as much or more difference than buying better players.

Both need to happen. Better coaches and better players.

 

[disco]

Joy is that what you and @Bamagopher mention is actually the ONLY way you’re going to get these big fish donors is that you make them. You make people who remember and love that experience and it sticks with them.

And that might be the single biggest way that moving to the Dome hurt this program. You have a lot of people who never had a great game day experience.

 

[Mick Turition]

PJ Fleck is the best coach the Gophers have had in my lifetime. Bowls, wins, biggest Win in last 60 years (Penn State), talent recruited, players into NFL, it’s no contest. His assistants continue to get sniped or fired. He has no sugar daddy and gets outspent by even lowly Indiana. He’s young and agile and can navigate the new NIL universe at very uneven odds to his program. His football program is obviously modeled after Ferentz’s and Ferentz will be gone soon and good luck to his heir getting recruits to Iowa City. Stay the course.

 

[disco]

He has no sugar daddy and gets outspent by even lowly Indiana.

"Lowly" Indiana has Mark Cuban donating now.
We better hope Shad Khan doesn't decide to start becoming a whale for Illinois...

 

[Mick Turition]

"Lowly" Indiana has Mark Cuban donating now.
We better hope Shad Khan doesn't decide to start becoming a whale for Illinois...

Exactly

 

[Gopherchase]

I agree with everything Ewert86PC said. As to firing Fleck: who would we get? Who wants to come to a mediocre program with no clear plan for rising?
Also, remember this: the Twin Cities has (at last count) seven professional sports teams competing for the dollars and attention of sports fans. How many are in Columbus? Iowa City? Happy Valley? Eugene?

$ 6 million says we’d have a line of candidates lined up out the door.

 

[Gopherchase]

PJ Fleck is the best coach the Gophers have had in my lifetime. Bowls, wins, biggest Win in last 60 years (Penn State), talent recruited, players into NFL, it’s no contest. His assistants continue to get sniped or fired. He has no sugar daddy and gets outspent by even lowly Indiana. He’s young and agile and can navigate the new NIL universe at very uneven odds to his program. His football program is obviously modeled after Ferentz’s and Ferentz will be gone soon and good luck to his heir getting recruits to Iowa City. Stay the course.

Lol