Charley Walters: Eric Kaler unworried about pace of search, Tony Bennett still in mix

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BleedGopher

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per Shooter:

University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler said he's not concerned about the pace of finding a successor to fired men's basketball coach Tubby Smith.

"The process is working," Kaler said Tuesday, April 2. "There's absolutely no reason to be concerned."

Smith was fired March 25 and agreed to a deal with Texas Tech on Monday. Gophers athletics director Norwood Teague's offer to former Gopher and Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders was turned down Saturday, the Pioneer Press reported.

"I've got confidence Norwood is going to bring us a great guy," Kaler said.

Kaler doesn't seem disappointed that Minnesota still doesn't have a coach.

"I think the average search is something like two weeks in this line of work," he said.

It looks like Virginia's Tony Bennett could be back on the Gophers' basketball coaching radar, and there was talk Tuesday that Colorado's Tad Boyle could enter the picture, too.

http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_22922490/shooter-now-gophers-firing-glen-mason-panned-by

Go Gophers!!
 

Thanks Bleed. Nice to see an official comment. The sky may not be falling.
 

Hesitant to trust Shooter, but he's the only one really bringing up Bennett's name. Last March UVA gave him a 5 year extension (through 18-19) and he makes $1.7 mil a year. I guess I wouldn't be surprised if the Gophers were offering somewhere between 2.2 and 2.5 million and UVA was balking at giving a raise to a guy who's been to one tournament in 4 years. Maybe Tony just would rather coach in the Midwest? Of course the mostly like answer is that he's either not interested or trying to get UVA to boost that salary.
 

Shooter throwing out Bennett and Boyle's names means they aren't coming, he's not right about anything.
 

Kaler is no dummy. He is letting us fledglings do the worrying, speculating, pissing and moaning, while he knows his AD will do the right thing for the University of Minnesota.
 




Is this the Tony Bennett who used to coach at Wisconsin? Or the one who left his heart somewhere? Oh yeah, San Francisco. I didn't know either one of them was still living.
 

EG#9 said:
Hesitant to trust Shooter, but he's the only one really bringing up Bennett's name. Last March UVA gave him a 5 year extension (through 18-19) and he makes $1.7 mil a year. I guess I wouldn't be surprised if the Gophers were offering somewhere between 2.2 and 2.5 million and UVA was balking at giving a raise to a guy who's been to one tournament in 4 years. Maybe Tony just would rather coach in the Midwest? Of course the mostly like answer is that he's either not interested or trying to get UVA to boost that salary.
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UVa can pay him whatever they wish, they have plenty of $$. But there may be 'political' reasons they would balk at it. I believe he already makes more than Mike London, and making the gap wider could be an issue. And if the UVa to B1G rumors are true, he might prefer not to be on the eastern fringe of the conference.
 



I'd take Tony or Tad in a second, as long as they really wanted to be here and not because we made them an offer they couldn't refuse.
 

Dr.Don said:
Kaler is no dummy. He is letting us fledglings do the worrying, speculating, pissing and moaning, while he knows his AD will do the right thing for the University of Minnesota.
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Doctor,

You sir, are the voice of reason tonight.
 

sunnyday2 said:
Is this the Tony Bennett who used to coach at Wisconsin? Or the one who left his heart somewhere? Oh yeah, San Francisco. I didn't know either one of them was still living.
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It's the son of the Tony Bennett who used to coach at Wisconsin.
 




Tony Bennett did a nice job at Washington State and Virginia.

The season before he took over at Washington State (for his dad) they were atrocious and he had three nice seasons. Virginia was really struggling before Bennett took over and they've turned it around.

Bennett would be a solid hire.
 

BleedGopher said:
per Shooter:

University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler said he's not concerned about the pace of finding a successor to fired men's basketball coach Tubby Smith.

"The process is working," Kaler said Tuesday, April 2. "There's absolutely no reason to be concerned."
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Go Gophers!!
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C'mon Kaler......,,"The process is working".....what is that? The process of possible top coaches getting extensions or others saying NO to the U. In private Kaler must be looking at Teague going WTF ya going to do now stupid?
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
Tony Bennett did a nice job at Washington State and Virginia.

The season before he took over at Washington State (for his dad) they were atrocious and he had three nice seasons. Virginia was really struggling before Bennett took over and they've turned it around.

Bennett would be a solid hire.
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There's nothing to turn around here though.
 

Parski1 said:
C'mon Kaler......,,"The process is working".....what is that? The process of possible top coaches getting extensions or others saying NO to the U. In private Kaler must be looking at Teague going WTF ya going to do now stupid?
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Hey Parski. Remember my post about Tubby retiring? You haven't said a thing. Are you trying to be nice or just blowing me off?
 

station19 said:
Hey Parski. Remember my post about Tubby retiring? You haven't said a thing. Are you trying to be nice or just blowing me off?
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I think we both knew he was not retiring. Assumed you were just being a smart@ss as usual.
 


Tony Bennett would be an excellent hire, his offense would put people to sleep, but he would win.
 


Parski1 said:
C'mon Kaler......,,"The process is working".....what is that? The process of possible top coaches getting extensions or others saying NO to the U. In private Kaler must be looking at Teague going WTF ya going to do now stupid?
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Such crap. What else would Kaler say? "This isn't going well?" The obvious answer is "our best case scenario has not materialized, Teague did not land his top choices, but we're hoping to still land a great coach".
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
Tony Bennett did a nice job at Washington State and Virginia.

The season before he took over at Washington State (for his dad) they were atrocious and he had three nice seasons. Virginia was really struggling before Bennett took over and they've turned it around.

Bennett would be a solid hire.
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I agree. He has done promising things with the schools he has worked at and is a midwestern boy (from WI) where he has recruited the likes of Jasperson from both Tubby and Bo Ryan. His Virginia team did well despite injuries this year and he has reignited a team that has struggled over the past 10 years.
 

Blitzkrieg said:
I agree. He has done promising things with the schools he has worked at and is a midwestern boy (from WI) where he has recruited the likes of Jasperson from both Tubby and Bo Ryan. His Virginia team did well despite injuries this year and he has reignited a team that has struggled over the past 10 years.
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His team also had some of the worst losses in the country this year...
 

Johnnyboy18 said:
His team also had some of the worst losses in the country this year...
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Agreed, but lost four games by less than 4 points with top players injured. Also, beat Wisky in Madison, beat MD twice, beat UNC and Duke. Not too shabby.
 

Johnnyboy18 said:
His team also had some of the worst losses in the country this year...
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Yep, he's not perfect, but he has improved two programs that were down in the dumps. Both programs were significantly better after he left (or today with Virgina) that when he showed up. He is the only coach that's even remotely realistic that you can make that argument.
 

At first, I dismissed TB as an option as I was stuck thinking about his dad's team. While he is similar, I think his style is a tad bit more up tempt that father.. but it is more Bo Ryan like.

I will say that he has success. He took frickin Washington St to the sweet 16. That's like taking northwestern to the S16. He has won at both Washington St and Virginia and was coach of the year for the entire country while at WSU. I think we could do a lot worse. The style of play would turn many folks off.. but if he wins, who cares? I would think that Minnesota is the type of program he would flourish at...

He is not #1 on my list, but I would be fine with him as coach.
 

Parski1 said:
I think we both knew he was not retiring. Assumed you were just being a smart@ss as usual.
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Kudos on the edit. Total change from the original reply, and so quickly. Not sure if I can handle you doing the nice routine. Doesn't sound as much fun.

BTW I was serious on Tubby retiring.......That was a big Wiff.
 

Ridiculous. Like Kaler is going to proclaim that he is worried about the search. Shooter sucks.
 

burton34 said:
Ridiculous. Like Kaler is going to proclaim that he is worried about the search. Shooter sucks.
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The first thing I thought of when I read this is when Sally and Linus are in the pumpkin patch, and the trick-or-treaters come by, and Sally defends Linus and them waiting for the Great Pumpkin. And as soon as everyone leaves, she says something like, "You blockhead!"
 

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