Andy Katz: Gophers making play for Fred Hoiberg & Brad Stevens, Mark Cronin on list

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imthewalrus said:
Can any of the young hot-shot names on that list pretty much guarantee even .500 finishes in Big Ten play? Remember, Tubby was 15-1 until Big Ten play got in the way. It is TOUGH to win too much over 50% of the Big Ten games unless your program's name is Michigan State, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio State...over the course of time add Illinois to that list too.

I certainly do hope that our new norwood is being VERY nice to Flip. Our new norwood had probably better not take too much for granted with Flip. Who knows, maybe Flip would turn...or has turned our new norwood down already.

The thing about Flip: he could be a great transition coach for the Gophers for the next five to ten years. Don't underestimate him. I'm pretty sure he could help fill some of those unsold seats in the BARN. I also think he would be just the one to get the new practice facility built. He has probably been around watching the Metro High School players more than most have.

I fear our new norwood may lose a few more flirtations with this so-called "A" list that the media is shopping around. Just by being on these lists...some of these guys who have had a year or a couple of moderate success can watch their contracts grow fatter as the schools they are at scurry to extend their contracts and throw a few more perks at their feet.

Perhaps that is what our new norwood's villa 7 is really all about: a network of young coaches who have experienced a bit of success who get their names mentioned as 'targets" and their current schools jack up the terms of their contracts and extend them into hopefully lifetime contract offers.

I really DO wonder exactly how well some of these youngsters would do competing against the big six in the B1G conference? You are kidding yourself if you think any of them would come into the conference right now and solidify themselves in a top 3 or top 4 type of position. Maybe a 6 or a 7 or an 8 or a 9...and with more programs coming into the conference, maybe a top 10 type position.

I'd say our new norwood had better start courting Flip and HOPE that Flip won't turn him down. Who knows...it may be too late already...

; 0 )
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I think Wren is actually on to something. If Flip was Teague's #2 or #3, he better be announced pretty soon. He is a guy that most of us think would take the job in a heart beat, but it sort of feels like we're going for every young hot shot coach in the country first and have Flip in our backpocket. It's never fun to end up with what you're left with. Eventually this could end up bothering Flip.

I mean, go around and ask all of the pretty girls out in your neighborhood, the other girl who always liked you might not like you as much when she finds out you only are asking her out because the pretty girls said no.

If Teague thinks Flip is a viable option, Teague better start courting him.
 

MNfootballfan said:
The #1 reason I want Flip is because it is very low risk and high reward. It is not a gamble, I am 100% confident that even if he "fails" as a head coach it will be on the exact same level we are at right now. I think Flip can take us to the next level and would love to see him be given an opportunity.

I think Hoiberg would be a fine candidate, but seriously, when Iowa State hired him, he never coached before, yet alone in college. Yes, Flip hasn't coached in college in a long time, and none of us know how he will be able to recruit, but the guy can flat out coach. If he couldn't coach he wouldn't have been given 3 different jobs in the NBA over the course of 16 years.
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This seems like an argument for Fred. He's out-coached Jim Calhoun and Mike Brey in the tournament and taken Bill Self to overtime twice this season not to mention taking Thad Matta to the wire. All in the infancy of first HC job of any kind.

That said I think Flip would be a slam dunk hire.
 

MNfootballfan said:
I think Hoiberg would be a fine candidate, but seriously, when Iowa State hired him, he never coached before, yet alone in college. Yes, Flip hasn't coached in college in a long time, and none of us know how he will be able to recruit, but the guy can flat out coach. If he couldn't coach he wouldn't have been given 3 different jobs in the NBA over the course of 16 years.
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Didn't Hoiberg teach us that it's more about the Joes than the X's and O's?
 

During our new norwood's tenure here at Minnesota, I have had no reason to really "be impressed" with anything he has said, or done. I found his buy out of the "Carolina" football game to have been a mildly supportive move based upon how important qualifying for bowl games is at this time for our Golden Gopher Football Program. He did appear a bit "squishy" in dealing with what ever backlash there was from some.

Then, the fact that our new norwood allowed badger joel macturi to extend Pam Borton's contract as bjm slithered his way into his newly created consulting capacity at the U was really very troubling, I thought. The fact that NOTHING was made public about it made it appear to be an admission that it was really kind of a "dirty, messy, problematic..." move that our new norwood was hoping to get by with and didn't really want anyone to associate his name with extending Borton still ANOTHER time at the U. I was pretty ticked at our new norwood about that.

Then came the Tubby extension before the season started. It raised my eyebrows, but, I decided it would be a chance for our new norwood to prove that he was a real man and would be willing to stand behind the coach that he had just extended. I really was NOT expecting a buy out of that contract a mere 9 month "gestation" period after the extension. That was just SO: "...macturi-esque..." I had to ask myself: "...has NOTHING changed?"

Now, all this talk about our new norwood's part in this villa7 promotion...and confirmation that our new norwood fancies himself as a real basketball man and also talk that this hire may be more about our new norwood in his own mind than it is about anything else and I will have to admit: I really don't know what to make of just where our new norwood is leading us.

I guess our new norwood didn't impress that really SMART Coach from VCU...and I'm not so sure how I feel about our new norwood myself at this exact point in time.

I wish him lots of luck. Because I KNOW how it will go if it doesn't work out so well.

I think that our new norwood would do well to INSURE that he stays good with FLIP...because this whole thing could flop on our new norwood IF he miscalculates the difference between the peril of "wheeling & dealing..." and driving this thing home somewhat safely...

"A Bird in the hand is worth two in the bush..." as they so often say.

Hire Flip NOW!

But, our new norwood, big fella that he is will do this his own way. He can have all the credit. Hope they build a statue of him...for him. And, by the same token, he can also have all the credit IF things don't go so well. We will all be sure to turn on him if need be. "...to the victors go the spoils...but...sometimes the victories are spoiled by the outcomes..." And we fans probably only have about five to ten years to pay the price if this doesn't work out well. If it all works...the new young guy will have a great season and be on his way... Not all bad...not all good.

And, so it goes in the extend 'em/buy 'em out/lure 'em away from another program/hire 'em for a big premium over what they have been earning/hope for the best from 'em...BUT be ready to buy 'em out if they bomb...game. Right now that's the ONLY game in town.

; 0 )
 



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