3 former Gopher football players gave Gov Dayton an "earful" about lengthy AD search

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

The Gophers did win the Big Ten title in 1967 with 6-1 conference record.
In 1968 they were 5 and 2 in the conference.
In 1969 they won their last four conference games of the season and finished 4 and 3 in the conference. While, I guess you could argue the trend is down, they did have conference winning records.

Carter, Hawes and Brunzell have been pretty successful after leaving the U of M...maybe that might be a reason to hear what they have to say? Carter and Hawes were All Big Ten.
Hawes has championed equal rights for others throughout his career and Brunzell and Carter excelled in professional sports. Maybe they might offer some perspective what could be improved?
But certainly not if you don't listen to them. If you come with an agenda and if you come with a closed mind, you are correct..."why listen to these three?"

But they're talking about hiring an AD.... so what do Ws and Ls have to do with it?

Do you really think the AD is going to win or lose games for them?

I mean other than Beth's terrible clock management in the game I don't want to talk about she's hasn't been a factor.

 

[highwayman]

But certainly not if you don't listen to them. If you come with an agenda and if you come with a closed mind, you are correct..."why listen to these three?"

I love the Gophers, but these three have been basically detached from the program until the last couple of years. Where were they from 1970 until 2012? Nowhere to be seen. But not "include" them and "squawk squawk squawk"!!! I went to a dozen "captain passing the torch" cermonies, and Carter was at one. One. I went to 11 more than him.

I went to SSP and know Jim Carter. He was a legend, but he's been a complete ass his entire life, too. Maybe that's my "agenda".

 

[dpodoll68]

Do you really think the AD is going to win or lose games for them?

Absolutely. They are indirectly responsible because they making hiring, firing, and retention decisions. Alabama's AD has won a lot of games for them by hiring Saban, OSU's AD by hiring Meyer, MSU's by hiring Dantonio, etc. Of course those guys get more and direct credit, but the AD also gets credit for putting them in the position to win or lose those games.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

Absolutely. They are indirectly responsible because they making hiring, firing, and retention decisions. Alabama's AD has won a lot of games for them by hiring Saban, OSU's AD by hiring Meyer, MSU's by hiring Dantonio, etc. Of course those guys get more and direct credit, but the AD also gets credit for putting them in the position to win or lose those games.

I think having the resources to hire Saban and Urban is a whole different story than what our AD is going to do....

 

[Maximus]

I think having the resources to hire Saban and Urban is a whole different story than what our AD is going to do....

Alvarez hired Bo Ryan. Pretty good decision to get rid of Dick Bennett's guy Soderberg even though he led them to the NCAA tournament in his one year as interim. Soderberg went on to an unsuccessful run at St. Louis.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

Alvarez hired Bo Ryan. Pretty good decision to get rid of Dick Bennett's guy Soderberg even though he led them to the NCAA tournament in his one year as interim. Soderberg went on to an unsuccessful run at St. Louis.

Everyone is going to hire someone..... pick everyone who hired someone so so or bad?

How you choose an AD who can pick them... a job that takes up a small percentage of their work seems pretty much impossible.

 

[bemidjigopher]

Alvarez hired Bo Ryan. Pretty good decision to get rid of Dick Bennett's guy Soderberg even though he led them to the NCAA tournament in his one year as interim. Soderberg went on to an unsuccessful run at St. Louis.

No he didn't, Alvarez was still the football coach. Also hiring and firing coaches is like 1% of the AD job, ironically it's 99% of what fans care about when it comes to the AD

 

[dpodoll68]

No he didn't, Alvarez was still the football coach. Also hiring and firing coaches is like 1% of the AD job, ironically it's 99% of what fans care about when it comes to the AD

It's maybe 1% of the time spent, but it's probably 75% or more of the measurement of the job the AD is doing. Many jobs are that way - you spend little time doing the things that are important and impactful because you are bogged down in the minutia.

 

[BleedGopher]

Dayton weighs in on the meeting, per Marcus:

Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton met with some Gophers football boosters last week to discuss topics ranging from the University of Minnesota’s athletics director search to frustration with the lack of success for its high-profile sports teams.

Dayton, who invited the boosters to lunch at his residence in St. Paul last Friday, shared concerns over several issues included in a list of topics presented by Jim Carter, captain of the U’s 1969 football team.

Dayton was joined in the meeting by his senior policy director for higher education, Shannon Patrick. Among other topics: the department’s profile in the wake of recent scandals and fund-raising for the school’s $166 million Athletes Village project.

“I enjoyed spending time with these dedicated alumni, and listening to their ideas for how to improve the University’s athletics department,” Dayton said in a statement to the Pioneer Press. “I commend them for their continued commitment to the long-term success of Gophers sports, and to the overall well being of the University of Minnesota.

“I agree with them that the selection of an outstanding leader for the Athletic Department is of paramount importance to restoring its tattered credibility with University alumni and with the people of Minnesota.”

http://www.twincities.com/2016/04/29/gov-dayton-gophers-need-to-fix-tattered-credibility/

Go Gophers!!