Brewster's performance appraisal

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Too Long in the Wasteland

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Not sure how it works at the U, but at my company this time of year we have to fill out our performance review stuff for 2009 and also lay out goals for 2010, which we're then rated on next year. As interesting as it would be to see Brewster's 2009 review (in my company's parlance, it would be rounding up to give him a 3, aka "meeting expectations"), I'd rather see what he and his boss agree upon for 2010 job expectations. What I'd like to see:

1.Bring in a top 25 recruiting class. He has a shot at this one, provided too many more guys don't jump ship

2.Continue to improve graduation rates, class attendance, etc. - From what I've heard on this board and read elsewhere Brewster is also doing well here.

3.Go 4-4 in the BT. At a minimum he should be expected to do better than this year

4.Win at least 8 games in 2010. - This may be a stretch goal with USC on the schedule. Then again, maybe he should exceed expectations on #3.

5.Win a rivalry game. And PSU doesn't count. I've seen better corporate league bowling trophies than that hideous thing, which looks like someone's kid made it in HS woodshop.

6.Get to a better bowl game than Mason ever did. Which doesn't limit the selection much.

If I were Maturi, I'd be telling TB he'd better go at least 5 for 6 for these next year if he wants to be back for 2011. Ideally, he'd be making that same statement to the media (and the fans). Then again, in fairness to Brewster, I wouldn't want my performance appraisal posted in the lunchroom, either.

P.S. I could have added several more expectations on things like "develop a starting QB", or "not set any school records for # of penalties in a game". But at a level/pay grade like Brewsters, goals are supposed to be strategic, not tactical.
 

How can you say his guys are doing well in the classroom when we just lost a few scholarships to bad classroom performance?
 





The Texas Bowl (or somethng like) that does not count

I remember reading somewhere that starting next year there will be a new bowl game on New Years Day. I think it is replacing the Cotton Bowl which has lost it's luster. Any way it is a January bowl but it will take the Big Ten"s sixth place team. We can't let this count as getting to a January bowl
 

Gopher4life15 said:
Ok my mistake.
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And it had more to do with:

1. The guys who chose to drop out of school/transfer when we changed coaches
2. The guys who were kicked off the team and kicked-out of school

than it had to do with grades.
 

Win 7 next fall

Including a rivalry game - it's a tough schedule. As said previously - and by others - Brew has made an improvement on defense, and the special teams are better. Makes you wonder what might have happened if he's kept Mason's offense coaches and brought in his own defense people.
 

If only....

Great Plains Gopher said:
Brew has made an improvement on defense, and the special teams are better. Makes you wonder what might have happened if he's kept Mason's offense coaches and brought in his own defense people.
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The above post hit the nail on the head!! If only Brew had not been so quick to make his own mark on the offense! Too bad he didn't keep Gordie Shaw and Mason's offensive coordinator (can't remember his name). This is exactly what Nebraska did when they replaced their coach!
 



SRSKSM said:
The above post hit the nail on the head!! If only Brew had not been so quick to make his own mark on the offense! Too bad he didn't keep Gordie Shaw and Mason's offensive coordinator (can't remember his name). This is exactly what Nebraska did when they replaced their coach!
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It's not realisitic to expect him to have kept Mason's coaches. That's rarely done. Nebraska was an exception. However, he could have kept the same system, and it would have had a similar effect. He only thinks in terms of recruiting and thought of the spread as a good recruiting tool, iwth no regard for if he had the athletes for it or if it would work in the Big 10 the same as it does in the South (it doesn't.)
 

Too Long in the Wasteland said:
Not sure how it works at the U, but at my company this time of year we have to fill out our performance review stuff for 2009 and also lay out goals for 2010, which we're then rated on next year. As interesting as it would be to see Brewster's 2009 review (in my company's parlance, it would be rounding up to give him a 3, aka "meeting expectations"), I'd rather see what he and his boss agree upon for 2010 job expectations. What I'd like to see:

1.Bring in a top 25 recruiting class. He has a shot at this one, provided too many more guys don't jump ship

2.Continue to improve graduation rates, class attendance, etc. - From what I've heard on this board and read elsewhere Brewster is also doing well here.

3.Go 4-4 in the BT. At a minimum he should be expected to do better than this year

4.Win at least 8 games in 2010. - This may be a stretch goal with USC on the schedule. Then again, maybe he should exceed expectations on #3.

5.Win a rivalry game. And PSU doesn't count. I've seen better corporate league bowling trophies than that hideous thing, which looks like someone's kid made it in HS woodshop.

6.Get to a better bowl game than Mason ever did. Which doesn't limit the selection much.

If I were Maturi, I'd be telling TB he'd better go at least 5 for 6 for these next year if he wants to be back for 2011. Ideally, he'd be making that same statement to the media (and the fans). Then again, in fairness to Brewster, I wouldn't want my performance appraisal posted in the lunchroom, either.

P.S. I could have added several more expectations on things like "develop a starting QB", or "not set any school records for # of penalties in a game". But at a level/pay grade like Brewsters, goals are supposed to be strategic, not tactical.
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I think these are very fair goals and realistic expectations for a coach entering his 4th season on the job. I could see a scenario where I would keep Brewster if he failed on many of these goals, which is this: Brewster finishes 7-5 overall, wins a rivalry game, and plays someone down to the wire that you didn't expect (tOSU or USC). In this scenario, he goes 4-4 in the Big Ten and wins a rivalry game, but fails to win 8 or go to a better bowl game.

We absolutely have to extend Brewster if he's not fired after 2010, your checklist provides a good guideline (IMHO) for what needs to be accomplished for him to earn an extension.

I don't know how we bring in a top 25 class in 2010 under Brewster's current situation. Kids have started to commit really early and Brewster won't have an extension until after the season (if at all). That is one reason (of many) why the U should have either fired Brewster or kept their collective mouth shuts about their dissatisfaction with him.
 

Considering next years schedule, your checklist is Brewster's doom. Apply it to year 5+ and I agree completely. It should be a minimal goal for an established coach on a year to year basis.
 

I don't think you'll see quantitative measures for wins being a criteria until at least 2011 as Magpie alluded to. Maturi is quite able to tell if the program is improving and if the inputs will yield a winning program down the road by other criteria.
 



You can't wait until 2011 as the very latest a decision can be made on Brewster is at the end of next season. The talk of a "tough schedule" really gets old. It's time to expect the Gophers to beat some teams that the general public does not. It's tough to have a successful season without beating at least one team that (on paper) is "better" than you. Asking for a .500 conference record in year 4 is hardly unfair to any coach.
 

Hope is a beautiful thing. Not much good for analysis and decision making though. We'll start beating better teams when we are better. Maturi will be focused on those inputs. He'll leave the hope and wishful thinking to the fans and media.
 

Though I would agree that in year 4, it's more than reasonable to accomplish a .500 record, it would be foolish to not consider the coordinator shuffle that's stunted experience growth. I would look at it as no less than a "2 year value" at this point rather than 3 (he must take some credit regardless). Still, 4 potential BCS schools on next years schedule certainly isn't in any coaches favor. Granted we will always have about 3 per year, but it's still tough to go 6-2 when all your winnable games are on the road. The offense must.... must be fixed in order to achieve that. Queue the Gray debate...
 

Here's what we're looking at:

2010
@ Mid TN St (9-3), So Dakota - (D-II), So Cal - (8-3), No Illinois - (7-5)
Should go 3-1 thru NC.

N'western - (8-4), Penn St - (10-2), Ohio St - (10-2), Iowa - (10-2)
1-3 seems most likely at home.

@ Wisconsin - (8-3), @ Purdue - (5-7), @ Mich St - (6-6), @ Illinois - (3-8)
2-2 looks about right on the road.

That's 6-6 overall, 3-5 Big Ten. In other words, traditional mediocrity.

2011
@ So Cal - (8-3), New Mex St - (3-9), Miami (OH) - (1-11), No Dak St - (Div II)
Should go 3-1 in the NC.

Wisconsin - (8-3), Mich St - (6-6), N'western - (8-4), Penn St - (10-2)
I would expect to beat UW here, going 3-1 at home.

@ Indiana - (4-8), @ Ohio St - (10-2), @ Michigan - (5-7), @ Iowa - (10-2)
Looks like 1-3 here.

That's 7-5 overall, 4-4 Big Ten. 5 years to hit .500 in the Big Ten. Okay, one more year:

2012
@ UNLV (5-7), (open), New Hamp (D-II), Syracuse (4-8)
4-0 is a must NC here.

Indiana, Ohio St, Michigan, Iowa
@ Wisconsin, @ Mich St, @ N'western, @ Penn St
4-4 to 6-2 seems possible.

That's an 8-10 win season. That might have January calling...

Point is, Brewster has the cards against him next year, but the future looks bright if he can continue to pull 6-6 records against tougher schedules. The experience will pay off down the road with these favorable schedules. 2012 may be a legitimate year to contend, or a rebuilding year for the next coach.
 

magpie said:
Considering next years schedule, your checklist is Brewster's doom. Apply it to year 5+ and I agree completely. It should be a minimal goal for an established coach on a year to year basis.
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Magpie - I think it's appropriate for us to look at next year's schedule and think it's tough, but at the same time just look at the games we have at home and NOT on the road - every single tough game (on paper) is at home - in how many seasons can we say that? If anything the schedule is ripe for one of those "signature" wins against an upper-tier team. Let's flip our thinking on this one - instead of pointing to next year as such a tough schedule, we ought to be looking at it and thinking it's a GREAT schedule to make a statement with a big win at home v. USC, Iowa, PSU or OSU.

Now just imagine what we'd be saying if they played those four games on the road!!! ;)

ETA - Wisconsin is on the road so I missed that - tough assignment but really the only seemingly very tough road game.
 

I hate to apply black-and-white criteria to such a nuanced decision as retaining a coach (an no, I'm not being sarcastic), but I really think that the Gophers must win versus Iowa or Wisconsin or a legitimate top-25 team (not like 2005's Purdue win) and must win 4 Big Ten games (or 3 BT wins plus a bowl win over a BCS-league opponent). If he can't do that, he will be fired.

A quality win in this year's bowl over a BCS-league team might relax the list of "must"s a bit in 2010.
 

I don't really see any musts involved GGR. I think if it happens it takes some heat off, but unlitmately he'll be judged on the movement on the overall program. At some point these wins will start happening if the program is indeed improving year to year. But until maturi believes we've reached that point and we are better than the teams he isn't going to fire Brewster because he didn't upset a border rival.
 

I agree about the bowl game, although I doubt we draw a team in a bowl game worthy of buying Brewster some breathing room. OTOH, if we lose a bowl game in Masonesque fashion I think that TB loses a degree of freedom.
 

Of course that would involve a significant lead. that aint going to happen.
 


dpodoll68 said:
Just FYI - USD, NDSU, and UNH are all DI-AA, not DII.
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Just FYI - there is no such thing as 1-AA they are FCS Schools.

Normally, I wouldn't correct something as irrelevant as this, but since you are so intent upon policing every detail of others' posts, I thought I'd point this out to you.
 

Go Gophers Rah said:
Just FYI - there is no such thing as 1-AA they are FCS Schools.

Normally, I wouldn't correct something as irrelevant as this, but since you are so intent upon policing every detail of others' posts, I thought I'd point this out to you.
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Officially, you are correct. However, I-AA is still very much in use colloquially, and I am firmly in the camp that refuses to use the stupid and ill-informed "FBS/FCS" descriptors. Hell, my dad has been following college football for 50 years, and he doesn't even know what they're talking about on TV when they use these nonsense terms.

As for your second paragraph, there is no question that I can at times be pedantic for pedantry's sake, but this is certainly not one of those times. There is a HUGE difference between playing a I-AA and II school, both in quality of play and in public perception. Especially with the move of the Dakota schools to I-AA, there is no reason we need ever play a DII school again.
 

dpodoll68 said:
As for your second paragraph, there is no question that I can at times be pedantic for pedantry's sake, but this is certainly not one of those times. There is a HUGE difference between playing a I-AA and II school, both in quality of play and in public perception. Especially with the move of the Dakota schools to I-AA, there is no reason we need ever play a DII school again.
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The point is that Magpie and everyone else knows what he meant when he wrote DII. The point is that they are a lower division team and we really ought to beat them. Do you think someone out there was saying, "yeah, we should kill a DII team!", then read your enlightening (but incorrect) correction and said, Oh, crap, they're Division 1-AA not DII - that totally changes what I think about this game."

You get a feeling of superiority out of correcting others then are unable to be a man and accept a correction ("I am firmly in the camp that refuses to use the stupid and ill-informed "FBS/FCS" descriptors").

I suggest that you quit picking on the innocuous mistakes of others unless you are willing to correct your own. On second thought, just quit being the language police - we get it - you feel you're very smart.
 

Go Gophers Rah said:
The point is that Magpie and everyone else knows what he meant when he wrote DII. The point is that they are a lower division team and we really ought to beat them. Do you think someone out there was saying, "yeah, we should kill a DII team!", then read your enlightening (but incorrect) correction and said, Oh, crap, they're Division 1-AA not DII - that totally changes what I think about this game."

You get a feeling of superiority out of correcting others then are unable to be a man and accept a correction ("I am firmly in the camp that refuses to use the stupid and ill-informed "FBS/FCS" descriptors").

I suggest that you quit picking on the innocuous mistakes of others unless you are willing to correct your own. On second thought, just quit being the language police - we get it - you feel you're very smart.
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Again, it is not an innocuous mistake. That was the whole point of my post. Unless you feel that DII and "FCS" are the same thing? In that case, I will discredit your posts even more than I already do.

If you actually read my post, you would note that I said you are technically correct. Nonetheless, I-AA is still a term that is widely-used. Giving a different term for the same thing is not "corrective." If you're not accepting of that, then I will critique each of your posts and demand that you not use "MN" or "Minnesota" or any other colloquial term and use only "The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities."

And yes, I do guarantee that there exists more than one person reading this site who did not know that USD and NDSU are "FCS". That is why I pointed it out.

I still have yet to understand why a certain subset of the posters here are constantly on my jock.
 

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