Dawn Plitzuweit Named New Gopher Head Coach!

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I was more the Duffy fan but if this is the way they want to go I will not be disappointed. I will renew my season tickets.

I am guessing there was some late doubt about Duffy recruiting this area. Maybe unfounded.

Lately we have seen articles about recruits from this region playing in the NCAA tournament, including recruits for places like SDSU. Seems like Minnesota has missed on a lot of regional players. I assume this hire has something to do with being better at local recruiting. I really have no way to know if she is actually good at that.

The players deserve a top coach taking them into the NCAA tournament. It is sickening to know Minnesota has not been there once during the 5 years of Whalen.

Ok, now get it done. I am on board. Take the team to the NCAA tournament.
 

This hire is more about Xs and Os than recruiting. But it will surely be easier for this coach to get good players to come here than to the meth breadbasket of the country.
 

Assuming this is true, the Gophers just poached a current P6 coach that has a career .723 winning %. Unless she is epically bad at recruiting or has some weird skeletons in her closet like drowning Dalmatians to make fur coats, I don’t get the negative takes.

The MBB and WBB teams each hired coaches that had zero HC experience and ended up being in grossly over their heads. Then they steal a coach from a P6 program with 16 years of successful HC experience and people are unhappy. You can’t make it up.
 




forever a gopher said:
I don’t get the negative takes.
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I wouldn't say negative. Surprised and not expected would be more accurate.

We have been fed information from news reporting, list of candidates considered, and alleged interviews. Her name never was named.

So it was unexpected.

When Lynx recently mentioned the name for the first time I read it and was impressed but ignored it as someone not under consideration.

Hard to get behind a name on a whiplash surprise where we also are told an outrageous $900,000 buyout that just now is said to be much less.

So no the comments are not negative. They are beyond any possible expectations.

Anyway, I am on board. Not anything I could have expected and not one of the horses I had in the race. And out of the blue comes a horse not said to be in the race.
 


NateDawgUM said:
The Gophers possibly hire a coach who has been to five straight NCAA tournaments (I'm counting her 30-2 2020 COVID year as a tournament team), has a Division 2 National Title, is currently a coach for a P5 program and it's "not a good hire."

I guess Dawn Staley was busy.

You're all funny.
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I’m curious, who said it’s “not a good hire”?
 



She coach Plitzuweit is fantastic basketball and game day coach, knows how to evaluate players. Probably a little annoyed someone leaked this offer as WV just played today in NCAA, and she was likely all about advancing and team, fresh sting. Would be happy with this hire. If the buyout is over four years that is totally doable. Gophers have some top notch facilities for WBB, coach P and her staff will be impressed. We want to win Big 10 title and compete at high level. Why not reach high, and have a winning pedigree. If true, I'm shocked we have a chance to hire a coach with this level of win pct. If you followed SD Coyotes, run in NCAA tournament at all last year, that team really moved the ball and played tenacious defense. Go Gophers and SKI-U-MAH.
 
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BlueGoldnews.com reported Her contract also calls for her to pay a buyout of 25% of the remaining salary if she departs West Virginia for another coaching position. That would mean she would owe WVU $612,500 if she were to leave the Mountaineers for this current opportunity at Minnesota
 





UnFadeable21 said:
West Virigina AD says that’s Dawn has an official offer form the Gophers but hasn’t accepted yet as of now. She hasn’t decided yet.
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Hope the premature announcement doesn't jeopardize it.
 
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Bad Gopher said:
She will be our best coach since Oldfield. With the talent that can be had around the Midwest, she's going to be able to do great things here. I'm very excited! The only concern is the job hopping, which bit us with Brenda.
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The last time Brenda left a job after one year she stayed at the next one for 21 years ... and counting.
 






MN should be a good coaching job. It’s in the Big Ten and MN has high school girls talent all over. Of course the secret is to build a program that allows you to pick and chose from that talent pool. Though that won’t happen for any coach in the time normally allotted by message board AD’s.
 

NateDawgUM said:
Coyle should probably try to figure out why his department is so leaky, among other things.
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It is unfortunate that someone in Minnesota leaked the news before she had a chance to talk with her team and the school. It likely was a done deal yesterday, but had to be backed off to allow her to do some damage control.
 

Roland Brooks said:
Is the Gopher job considered a BIGGER job than the WV job?
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YES. Bigger and better, both league and school potential for WBB. I'd say no, not bigger or better for MBB.

As a Cyclone alumni I am of course a Big 12 guy but Big Ten is a better WBB league, especially with OU and Texas leaving the Big 12, and she's a midwest roots and experienced coach. Seems like a winning move for her and the Gophers. I like it alot, if true and hoping it is.

Was hoping this was the season I could starting paying more attention to the hometown team but after non-conference they mostly augered in and my interest waned. Will be watching more intently again next season. :)
 


bigticket1 said:
It is unfortunate that someone in Minnesota leaked the news before she had a chance to talk with her team and the school. It likely was a done deal yesterday, but had to be backed off to allow her to do some damage control.
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It’s 2023. They all know the business and probably knew she would possibly be gone. Heck some might be Gophers next season.
 


There are very few coaches who I would consider a "home run" hire right off the bat.. this is a hire that is solid solid solid on every front. And very well could turn out to be a home run hire. With the current resources at the u, coyle did very well with this hire
 



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