3 games in....my updated coaching list.

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Gopher in Texas said:
Watched Texas vs. Texas Tech last night. Tech offense is not the same without Mike Leach. Seems a good pirate without a job (thought the James stuff was BS to get rid of Leach and end power struggle with the AD).
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Damn straight. Get a coach who can coach. The recruits will come once you start having some success. He's also looking for a job. And has had some success. Perfect hire.
 

G/Martin -

Reading your original list, my thought was put the crack pipe down (at least you left Dungy out). Interesting that in your follow-up post you mention Tubby. We're fast approaching the same laughing stock situation that Monson had reduced Gopher basketball too. Say what you want about Maturi, but landing T. Smith here was a stroke of genius, and it gave the basketball program instant credibility. Just as importantly, Tubby was untouchable by the azzclowns in the local media here.

That sort of credibility is what's going to be needed for the football program after Brewster finishes running it into the ground. Maturi (or whomever is doing the hiring) needs to bring in someone with the credentials and reputation to make Gopher football a legitimate topic of conversation again. Looking at your original list, not sure if any of those guys would come here, and/or if the U could come up with the jack to pry them away from their current employer. Mark Richt is interesting, although there are a lot of question marks, both on and off the field. I think Mike Leach would be a disaster, particularly from a PR standpoint. He wouldn't get along with the jerkoffs in the media here one bit.

A couple of guys not on your list:
1.As long as we're dreaming, why not Peterson from Boise St?
2.Edsall from UConn. Minnesota would be a step up. He might not have the reps to make Reusse et al STFU, but the guy can coach
3.I forget his name, but the guy who's the DC at Texas. My longhorn buddies say he'll be in demand sooner than later. At least he has prior coordinator experience, which is a notch up on our last hire.
 





Muschamp (spelling?) - Texas is paying him a bunch of money to stay and did give him some sort of Head Coach in waiting deal. Major Applewhite (Texas offensive coordinator) would be a nice coach.
 

Jim Harbaugh would be my first choice, but I have to agree with others that said we are probably dreaming. However, I also agree with the poster that said he's probably a Big Ten guy at heart. So, what Big Ten jobs are a better option that have coaches on the hot seat? Michigan seems to be on the right path, so far this year (that could change real fast). Illinois? I'd have to guess we're a little better option (I'm sure Illinois fans would dispute this). Penn State could be a wild card and a plum job waiting for someone when Paterno retires.

If Harbaugh actually did come here and succeeded, there would be this constant angst of when will he leave for the Michigan job, like Holtz and Notre Dame. But, I'm willing to live with that!
 

StartGrayPlz said:
I thought UT's DC was like the coach in waiting behind Mack.
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He is and in the event he doesn't want to wait for Mack to retire he will likely have offers from one or both of LSU and Georgia if those jobs open.
 



Donovan said:
Jim Harbaugh would be my first choice, but I have to agree with others that said we are probably dreaming. However, I also agree with the poster that said he's probably a Big Ten guy at heart. So, what Big Ten jobs are a better option that have coaches on the hot seat? Michigan seems to be on the right path, so far this year (that could change real fast). Illinois? I'd have to guess we're a little better option (I'm sure Illinois fans would dispute this). Penn State could be a wild card and a plum job waiting for someone when Paterno retires.

If Harbaugh actually did come here and succeeded, there would be this constant angst of when will he leave for the Michigan job, like Holtz and Notre Dame. But, I'm willing to live with that!
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I think the only way you see Harbaugh in the Big Ten is at Michigan.
 

GopherGod said:
I think the only way you see Harbaugh in the Big Ten is at Michigan.
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Granted, admission standards have gone up at the U of MN over the last few years, but obviously, it's harder to get athletes into Stanford, correct? Do you think there is any frustration with that?

Along these lines, while admission standards at the U have gone up since I was there in the 80's, is this only true for the non-athlete? In other words, is it harder for athletes to gain admission today than it was in the 80's or 90's?
 

Donovan said:
Granted, admission standards have gone up at the U of MN over the last few years, but obviously, it's harder to get athletes into Stanford, correct? Do you think there is any frustration with that?

Along these lines, while admission standards at the U have gone up since I was there in the 80's, is this only true for the non-athlete? In other words, is it harder for athletes to gain admission today than it was in the 80's or 90's?
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If you look at his classes he is not having a difficult time getting very good athletes into Stanford. Would it be easier at the U, yes but is that enough to cause him to move from a great city with tons of athletes within the state. If he wanted to leave I am sure he could have his pick of better jobs than Minnesota.
 

HavaGo4 said:
Bob Nielson at UMD
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I don't know much about him, but I would consider it. If someone knows how to coach and knows how to the get the most out of players, then that coach merits at least a brief consideration. I think it is a mistake to get too hung up on big name coaches.
 



Gopher in Texas said:
Watched Texas vs. Texas Tech last night. Tech offense is not the same without Mike Leach. Seems a good pirate without a job (thought the James stuff was BS to get rid of Leach and end power struggle with the AD).
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My buddy who is a tech grad is finally excited that his team can play defense. Didn't we just take a pass on the offense and no defense coach?
 

Donovan said:
Jim Harbaugh would be my first choice, but I have to agree with others that said we are probably dreaming. However, I also agree with the poster that said he's probably a Big Ten guy at heart. So, what Big Ten jobs are a better option that have coaches on the hot seat? Michigan seems to be on the right path, so far this year (that could change real fast). Illinois? I'd have to guess we're a little better option (I'm sure Illinois fans would dispute this). Penn State could be a wild card and a plum job waiting for someone when Paterno retires.

If Harbaugh actually did come here and succeeded, there would be this constant angst of when will he leave for the Michigan job, like Holtz and Notre Dame. But, I'm willing to live with that!
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I seriously doubt Jim Harbaugh is a "big-10" guy at heart. He went to Palo Alto HS... and he now coaches in.... Palo Alto. Best of luck getting a guy to move from his hometown where is successful for a place (team) that needs remodeling.
 

While this list is certainly a list of reaches, none of them are completely ridiculous. That said, my slightly more realistic list is:

1. Richt. Better then 50/50 at this point that he'll be out at UGa. I'd back the truck up for him.
2. Edsall at UConn. His stock has fallen a bit with UConn's struggles and he can't really wait around for the PSU job anymore.
3. Golden. He probably can wait around for the PSU job.
4. Calhoun-Air Force. Indications are it would be tough to pry him out of there, but this is still the Big 10 and that is still the Mountain West.
5. Shiano at Rutgers. See #2.
6. Sumlin-I share concerns about the offense working in the Big 10, but he'd still be a good hire.
7. Cutcliff-Duke might be the worst BCS job there is, so it's tough to judge him fully. But combined with what he did at Ole Miss, we could do worse.
 

gophermartin said:
3) On Jim H. I think Harbaugh is in play...he is a Big Ten guy...he has rotten fan support by comparison for what the U would have. Rich Rod isn't going any where now... Question is does he want to be a NFL guy or not. For their opener after just beating UCLA 35-0!...and the opener against a decent BCS team...they drew ONLY 39K last night! We have visions of expanding to 80k. I would say that might matter to Jim H.
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G-Martin - I love you, man, but you are absolutely crazy on this. Harbaugh is almost as unrealistic of an option as there is. The only ones less realistic are an NFL head coach or the upper tier of BCS (Saban, Meyer, Brown, Stoops, etc.)

1. Harbaugh is not a "Big Ten" man. He is a Michigan man. The only reason he went to Michigan, and not a West Coast school, is that he spent his formative years while his dad was an assistant on Bo's staff. Jim and his dad both loved and worshipped Bo, and it's pretty much straightforward from there.

2. $2 MM would not get Harbaugh here. $3 MM would not get Harbaugh here. $4 MM might, but that's like saying that I could get a Lamborghini if only I had the money for it.

3. Harbaugh is really, more than anything, someone driven to succeed at the highest levels of football. He will coach Stanford until he is offered an NFL HC job, and then "he gone". This will happen sooner rather than later. It is well-known that he was the runner-up to Rex Ryan for the Jets job in 2009, so he's come quite close already. He will coach in the NFL for as long as he can, and after he is inevitably fired, he will settle in long-term at a Michigan/Texas/Alabama level school that has an opening and will offer him a job.

Our next coach will come from one of these groups:

1. Non-BCS head coach (Golden, Sumlin, Graham, Calhoun, etc.)

2. BCS HC who has been fired (Richt, Miles, etc.)

3. BCS coordinator/Asst. HC (? - Applewhite? Venables? Malzahn? Someone completely out of left field?)

We will not pry a current BCS head coach from his job. Not happening.

We will also not hire someone currently in the NFL.

The next head coach at the University of Minnesota will come from one of the above-mentioned groups. Book it.
 

I don't disagree with your logic, and you're right that if saying Dungy will be our next coach is a 10 on the lunacy scale, Harbaugh is probably a 7. Mike Grant from EP is an 11, BTW.

But I wouldn't pencil Harbaugh in at SCum, though. He really pizzed off the old guard there with some of his comments a couple of years ago, and "Michigan Men" have a long memory. He would probably be a hard sell to some of the fatcat alumni. Especially the ones who revere Bo.

Good list, BTW. I'd like to think we have a shot at Edsall at UConn. I think we have to get a guy with HC experience, in light of what a disaster its been to hand the keys to a lifetime tight ends coach. The problem with your category 2, though, is that most of these guys get fired for a reason.
 

Can someone fill me in on the virtues of Randy Edsall? In six years in the Big East his teams have finished above .500 in the conference only once. They won the conference with two losses in 2007, but otherwise have not finished higher than a tie for fourth, if you can believe Wikipedia. I'm not saying he would be bad; just that I need someone to fill in the blanks for me.
 

Edsall and success.

He was also taking a team that was not a major college football program and developed them into a team that joined the Big East. Though UCONN was always a basketball power school in football they were down a level. He has a history of not only building a program but building one that increased a level of play and into a major conference.

I am not sure he would be the guy either but we could hire 100's of other coaches who have done less. I wouldn't mind seeing Richt as the next coach when it comes to that as he has shown the ability to recruit some of the best players in the country. The Gophers have to find a middle ground when it comes to a coach. Mason was great at finding the diamond in the rough and developing them into great players on offense anyway. Brewster has been able to bring in some very good recruits on paper but has not been able to get them to grow(to this point). We need to have a guy who can recruit well but also develope whatever talent he can get and do it with some honest talk. Brewster is clearly to much of a Cheerleader almost like Wacker was and Mason was way to down in the mouth. We need to have someone middle of the road both in attitude but in style.

We need a confident coach who can get the job done. That is easier said than done I know. I think its also important to bring in a guy with a great staff who will follow but who could also keep some guys around. The current staff has some great recruiters already on it that would make sense for any new coach to keep on staff. That would hopefully lower the number of good athletes who will look to jump ship if and when Brewster is asked to leave.
 

If we're reaching for the stars....

go talk to John Fox right now. Probably done in Carolina after this season so what the hell, see what his agent says.
 

Snice we're playing the name game, I'll throw on out in the Mark Richt ballpark.....Jeff Tedford?
 



Mark Richt is originally from Omaha - so he has some ties to the Midwest. He's in a murderous conference but has a solid winning record in SEC play. He'd hold some hope for us...maybe up there with Harbaugh and Petersen.
 

Mark Richt would be my #1 choice at this point of those who seem like realistic candidates (taking guys like Dungy, Gruden, Leach, Petersen, et. al out of the mix). We need someone to capture the media attention around here as well as someone with proven success. And having ties to the south can't hurt when it comes to recruiting. I'm not saying Richt is on par name-wise as a Dungy, but of those who may be out there he is up there on the profile ladder.

We hire just another no-name guy and nobody is going to care or get excited. Then we're in the same rut we've been in for 50 years trying to dig ourselves out by winning first before getting more fans and more money. It's just easier to go the other way first.

I'm going to be rooting against Georgia the rest of the season.
 

josh087 said:
Mark Richt would be my #1 choice at this point of those who seem like realistic candidates (taking guys like Dungy, Gruden, Leach, Petersen, et. al out of the mix).
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Richt realistic? He has a job.
 


Harbaugh isn't going to Michigan. Ever.

"Harbaugh, in his first year as Stanford coach, told the San Francisco Chronicle in May: "Michigan is a good school and I got a good education there, but the athletic department has ways to get borderline guys in, and when they're in, they steer them to courses in sports communications. They're adulated when they're playing, but when they get out, the people who adulated them won't hire them."

He's more or less persona non-grata there now. I think he really likes it at Stanford where a winning season is a success, and he knows that illiterate thugs aren't going to be tolerated.
 

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