Eric Kaler & Mark Coyle: Here is your golden opportunity

[hungan1]

Eric Kaler & Mark Coyle: Here is your golden opportunity to right the ship

After much thought, I think this deserves its own thread.

994 and counting as of 8:00 AM...

Spread the word to all real Gopher fans that their support for Claeys is much needed.

I have time to mull over the situation that the U is embroiled in over a sleepless night. I am looking at this situation all wrong. Everyone is dug-in on all sides.

IMHO, I think Eric Kaler and Mark Coyle have a golden opportunity in this time of crisis to right the ship.

Tracey Claeys deserves to stay. He is a good coach, a good man, a great teacher, and an unquestionable advocate of his players. He truly cares about them. He is new and is still learning as a coach and mentor.

Some of the most powerful lessons a new coach or executive will learn are from failures.

The U will spend ~$3 million educating and training Claeys. He'll learn from this experience. He is better and cheaper than any coach that the U will try to attract if they are willing to come here given the current climate of at the U.

To Mr. Kaler & Mr Coyle - DO THE RIGHT THING. You need to see through all these failures and collectively learn from it. Firing Coach Claeys is not your answer.

It reminds me of a story about the late IBM CEO Tom Watson Junior and the million dollar lesson:

A Characteristic of Leadership – Seeing a Costly Mistake or a Learning Investment?
A young executive had made some bad decisions that cost the company several million dollars. He was summoned to Watson’s office, fully expecting to be dismissed. As he entered the office, the young executive said, “I suppose after that set of mistakes you will want to fire me.” Watson was said to have replied,

“Not at all, young man, we have just spent a couple of million dollars educating you.”

(Source: Edgar Schein in his book Organisational Culture and Leadership)

"This story provides a strong message of support and a reminder that some of the most powerful lessons we can learn are from our so-called failures or difficult times.

Remember Edison’s famous saying: “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Thomas Edison also demonstrated a great response to adversity which compliments Watson Jr’s actions.

When his factory was burned down, with much of his life’s work inside, Edison said: “There is great value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Thank God we can start anew.”

A characteristic of leadership is to see things differently. Seeing mistakes as an investment in learning. Seeing that, even in disaster, you can start anew."

Now consider your own situation:

1. What message does your organisation give in the way it responds to mistakes?
2. What culture do you create with your team, by your attitude to mistakes made by your colleagues?
3. Just as important, what lessons can you learn from your own mistakes and difficult times?

Firing Claeys is not the answer.

This is a golden opportunity to change the climate and culture at the U. It takes leadership from everyone.

Please do not look for blame. Look for solutions.

 

[Class_of_99]

For me, I was never fully sold on Claeys as the head coach. I now believe in him nearly 100% after the bowl. He did not lose the team. He did some of the best prep work possible with the players he had available. If this guy can get a decent QB, we are looking at many years of success even if recruiting stays sub par.

That said - my support for keeping Claeys has almost zero to do with his coaching ability. It has all about Claeys potentially being punished for something no head coach should be expected to have control over. His statements in support of his team is what is expected from a head coach. He has done NOTHING to tarnish the U. If Claeys is not back coaching next year, it is a cowardly move by the U Admin trying to find a scape goat.

 

[GFBfan]

+1

 

[NotAFanOfBecky]

Good post.

I think all the media types that apparently have never ever made a comment without complete information (which I never do...especially not right now as I write this ) that are piling on because that's what everyone else is doing, read that.

I'm fine with firing Coach if he is indeed responsible, or irresponsible for that matter but we have not heard the other side of the story. Let's get ALL the facts out and then make a decision. To not do that is morally and ethically wrong...and in my opinion legally wrong.

In my personal opinion I think they will find he is not to blame when this is all said and done. Plus why make a move right now...you heard what Joe Schmidt said, the players love and respect their coach, if true there would be a mass exodus of a lot of good kids. Then no matter whom you hire it would be a massive uphill climb.

 

[I Want 2 Win]

Good post.

However, I firmly believe that there is more to what happens behind closed doors than what we see on the subject as a whole. None of the 3 major figures involved on the admin side have been very public in their thought process of everything. Silence or issuing blanket statements and run of the mill responses that can be perceived many different ways. No doubt there is a ton more to this than what we see. Unfortunately we have to sit back and observe, hoping the correct decision is made no matter what decision that is.

 

[tikited]

Whatever is the worst possible way to resolve this will be the way chosen. Kaler hasn't shown anything to make me think otherwise.

 

[Ole]

I'm struggling to digest all the recent issues that have gone on with the football program.
I have been as hardcore of a gopher football fan as you can find, rip roaring and face-painted up. I'm that guy.
Life goes on and it has been a tough few seasons for me to maintain at that level of enthusiasm especially when your new baby is up all night Friday and the 3 year old has a meltdown as you're trying to get to the babysitter before the game. That's life, but that's where I am. I intend to be a lifelong fan, my grandfather had tickets from the 40's til 2012 when he passed.

The EOAA stuff has just pissed me off so badly, I think it needs to be said that this university simply takes major college sports for granted, especially football.
I'm at a point now where I am seriously considering pulling back my fandom further simply because I'm pissed this university will never have decision makers above the football coach willing to take strong stands, make right choices, and create a culture of strong and capable leadership it takes to maintain a top or even mid level successful athletic dept.
Wisconsin has skated through several incredibly serious scandals with little to no repercussions. The 20 year associate AD proven to have sexually harassed students at parties with AD provided booze, the recruit on campus under the direct supervision of football players on a visit that ACTUALLY sexually assaulted a girl, and the mess with Bo Ryan's sudden retirement and his possibly AD supported hanky panky. None of this stuck, all of it would be front page news with a serious ripple effect throughout the university here. Oh yeah and they hired 2 new head coaches in 3 years.

This stuff happens in colleges all over the country but it just seems like the administration here can't help screwing things up with lukewarm statements and spineless decisions. It's a leadership problem that must extend up to the board of regents, and all throughout the bureaucracy up and down the university.

I'm not condoning what the players are accused of, it's gross, nasty, and very dark grey legally but there was no stand taken until the U's hand was forced by it's own watchdog, and when it was the typical response was to bend over backwards to seem above it all, regardless of the damage it did to the football program and the AD's reputation.
They don't care about the football program, at all.

I almost want this thing to burn down and bite them in the ass financially, perhaps that would jump start them into actually being aware that the football, men's basketball, and to a lesser extent men's hockey need to be important to the public perception of the university. Those sports matter to people, and right or wrong they drive the brand of the U of Minnesota.

I was lukewarm on Claeys until NW and this bowl game, he's proven to me he has the ability to rally the team and beat quality opponents, in time with better players that will lead to good things. His calm demeanor and X's and O's on the defensive side are quality traits not always found in head coaches in college football. He's cerebral and I think he'll grow into a coach that can finish games unlike this past season.

I just hope the Kaler and Coyle handle the next month better than they did December. A strong hand in the EOAA "trial", and strong decisions on the future of Claeys and the 10 players is needed along with a plan moving forward to build the program's brand back up in the public eye and to rebuild trust between the football team and coaches and the administration.
If things devolve again we may need to just admit that the whole football program is a farce and that no coach, group of players, or fan support will ever change the problems that exist at the top.

 

[60's Guy]

Good points

For me, I was never fully sold on Claeys as the head coach. I now believe in him nearly 100% after the bowl. He did not lose the team. He did some of the best prep work possible with the players he had available. If this guy can get a decent QB, we are looking at many years of success even if recruiting stays sub par.

That said - my support for keeping Claeys has almost zero to do with his coaching ability. It has all about Claeys potentially being punished for something no head coach should be expected to have control over. His statements in support of his team is what is expected from a head coach. He has done NOTHING to tarnish the U. If Claeys is not back coaching next year, it is a cowardly move by the U Admin trying to find a scape goat.

Agreed

 

[hungan1]

Do you think the dysfunctional system at the U can be fixed? Can it be done with Kaler at the helm? Does it extend up to the Board Of Regents? What are your thoughts

 

[Great Plains Gopher]

In other tweets I've shown strong support for Coach Claeys. He has a winning record that includes defeats to some of the very best teams in the nation - and the Gophers were in every game. After decades, we actually have a good pass defense. Defense and physical toughness are how you win in the B10 (plus a few QBs) and Kill/Claeys have built on that. His kids play for him, as we saw the other night. This is the 6th year of a rebuilding program that has taken huge hits last year and this year, but remained on course. The Sept. 2 disaster will continue its fallout, but Claeys should not be the principal victim.

 

[GopherBulldog]

I'm struggling to digest all the recent issues that have gone on with the football program.
I have been as hardcore of a gopher football fan as you can find, rip roaring and face-painted up. I'm that guy.
Life goes on and it has been a tough few seasons for me to maintain at that level of enthusiasm especially when your new baby is up all night Friday and the 3 year old has a meltdown as you're trying to get to the babysitter before the game. That's life, but that's where I am. I intend to be a lifelong fan, my grandfather had tickets from the 40's til 2012 when he passed.

The EOAA stuff has just pissed me off so badly, I think it needs to be said that this university simply takes major college sports for granted, especially football.
I'm at a point now where I am seriously considering pulling back my fandom further simply because I'm pissed this university will never have decision makers above the football coach willing to take strong stands, make right choices, and create a culture of strong and capable leadership it takes to maintain a top or even mid level successful athletic dept.
Wisconsin has skated through several incredibly serious scandals with little to no repercussions. The 20 year associate AD proven to have sexually harassed students at parties with AD provided booze, the recruit on campus under the direct supervision of football players on a visit that ACTUALLY sexually assaulted a girl, and the mess with Bo Ryan's sudden retirement and his possibly AD supported hanky panky. None of this stuck, all of it would be front page news with a serious ripple effect throughout the university here. Oh yeah and they hired 2 new head coaches in 3 years.

This stuff happens in colleges all over the country but it just seems like the administration here can't help screwing things up with lukewarm statements and spineless decisions. It's a leadership problem that must extend up to the board of regents, and all throughout the bureaucracy up and down the university.

I'm not condoning what the players are accused of, it's gross, nasty, and very dark grey legally but there was no stand taken until the U's hand was forced by it's own watchdog, and when it was the typical response was to bend over backwards to seem above it all, regardless of the damage it did to the football program and the AD's reputation.
They don't care about the football program, at all.

I almost want this thing to burn down and bite them in the ass financially, perhaps that would jump start them into actually being aware that the football, men's basketball, and to a lesser extent men's hockey need to be important to the public perception of the university. Those sports matter to people, and right or wrong they drive the brand of the U of Minnesota.

I was lukewarm on Claeys until NW and this bowl game, he's proven to me he has the ability to rally the team and beat quality opponents, in time with better players that will lead to good things. His calm demeanor and X's and O's on the defensive side are quality traits not always found in head coaches in college football. He's cerebral and I think he'll grow into a coach that can finish games unlike this past season.

I just hope the Kaler and Coyle handle the next month better than they did December. A strong hand in the EOAA "trial", and strong decisions on the future of Claeys and the 10 players is needed along with a plan moving forward to build the program's brand back up in the public eye and to rebuild trust between the football team and coaches and the administration.
If things devolve again we may need to just admit that the whole football program is a farce and that no coach, group of players, or fan support will ever change the problems that exist at the top.

This. Absolutely. 100%. And I'm not just backing it because I grew up in Stillwater but have been in Atlanta for well over a decade. Bravo.

 

[Pompous Elitist]

I'm struggling to digest all the recent issues that have gone on with the football program.
I have been as hardcore of a gopher football fan as you can find, rip roaring and face-painted up. I'm that guy.
Life goes on and it has been a tough few seasons for me to maintain at that level of enthusiasm especially when your new baby is up all night Friday and the 3 year old has a meltdown as you're trying to get to the babysitter before the game. That's life, but that's where I am. I intend to be a lifelong fan, my grandfather had tickets from the 40's til 2012 when he passed.

The EOAA stuff has just pissed me off so badly, I think it needs to be said that this university simply takes major college sports for granted, especially football.
I'm at a point now where I am seriously considering pulling back my fandom further simply because I'm pissed this university will never have decision makers above the football coach willing to take strong stands, make right choices, and create a culture of strong and capable leadership it takes to maintain a top or even mid level successful athletic dept.
Wisconsin has skated through several incredibly serious scandals with little to no repercussions. The 20 year associate AD proven to have sexually harassed students at parties with AD provided booze, the recruit on campus under the direct supervision of football players on a visit that ACTUALLY sexually assaulted a girl, and the mess with Bo Ryan's sudden retirement and his possibly AD supported hanky panky. None of this stuck, all of it would be front page news with a serious ripple effect throughout the university here. Oh yeah and they hired 2 new head coaches in 3 years.

This stuff happens in colleges all over the country but it just seems like the administration here can't help screwing things up with lukewarm statements and spineless decisions. It's a leadership problem that must extend up to the board of regents, and all throughout the bureaucracy up and down the university.

I'm not condoning what the players are accused of, it's gross, nasty, and very dark grey legally but there was no stand taken until the U's hand was forced by it's own watchdog, and when it was the typical response was to bend over backwards to seem above it all, regardless of the damage it did to the football program and the AD's reputation.
They don't care about the football program, at all.

I almost want this thing to burn down and bite them in the ass financially, perhaps that would jump start them into actually being aware that the football, men's basketball, and to a lesser extent men's hockey need to be important to the public perception of the university. Those sports matter to people, and right or wrong they drive the brand of the U of Minnesota.

I was lukewarm on Claeys until NW and this bowl game, he's proven to me he has the ability to rally the team and beat quality opponents, in time with better players that will lead to good things. His calm demeanor and X's and O's on the defensive side are quality traits not always found in head coaches in college football. He's cerebral and I think he'll grow into a coach that can finish games unlike this past season.

I just hope the Kaler and Coyle handle the next month better than they did December. A strong hand in the EOAA "trial", and strong decisions on the future of Claeys and the 10 players is needed along with a plan moving forward to build the program's brand back up in the public eye and to rebuild trust between the football team and coaches and the administration.
If things devolve again we may need to just admit that the whole football program is a farce and that no coach, group of players, or fan support will ever change the problems that exist at the top.

The appeals process is similar to a real trial in the sense that the judge and jury matters. The SSMS committee co-chairs are the definition of a stacked deck. The faculty and student representatives are the wild cards here but the committee dynamics don't look promising.

Looking at the co-chair bios it seems clear the players have an uphill battle to get a fair hearing. Perhaps Kaler's promise to give the players a fair hearing will come to fruition but he will have to rearrange some players or hand-pick faculty/student representatives and that action would surely start some squealing and I don't think Kaler has the fortitude to face that in this climate.

Here is the SSMS roster:

http://usenate.umn.edu/memberships/ssms.pdf

 

[Pompous Elitist]

The SSMS procedure

http://usenate.umn.edu/ssms/ssmsprocedures.pdf

 

[Pompous Elitist]

If the players lose the SSMS appealthey can ask for apellate officer review. The apellate officer is Provost Karen Hanson. Ms. Hanson spearheaded the effort to bring the affirmative consent rule to the U last year. In short, the appeal is a stacked deck, and the apellate officer defines silence during sex as rape. If Hutton can pull this off he's a miracle worker.


From a Strib article on the U adopting affirmative consent:

"But Karen Hanson, the U’s provost, said she thinks the fears are overblown.

“We’ve still got tons of due process about these issues,” she said, including the right to appeal. “I actually don’t think there’s any shifting of the burden of proof.”

Hanson, who serves on the presidential policy committee that endorsed the new approach, said she sees it mainly as a teaching tool. “We’re in the education business,” she said. “What this is trying to get students to understand is that silence doesn’t equal consent.”"

 

[PMWinSTP]

The SSMS procedure

http://usenate.umn.edu/ssms/ssmsprocedures.pdf

Should be interesting. With the low standard/burden of proof, it really should require a unanimous decision, like Stanford has in place.

 

[hungan1]

After much thought, I think this deserves its own thread.

994 and counting as of 8:00 AM...

Spread the word to all real Gopher fans that their support for Claeys is much needed.

I have time to mull over the situation that the U is embroiled in over a sleepless night. I am looking at this situation all wrong. Everyone is dug-in on all sides.

IMHO, I think Eric Kaler and Mark Coyle have a golden opportunity in this time of crisis to right the ship.

Tracey Claeys deserves to stay. He is a good coach, a good man, a great teacher, and an unquestionable advocate of his players. He truly cares about them. He is new and is still learning as a coach and mentor.

Some of the most powerful lessons a new coach or executive will learn are from failures.

The U will spend ~$3 million educating and training Claeys. He'll learn from this experience. He is better and cheaper than any coach that the U will try to attract if they are willing to come here given the current climate of at the U.

To Mr. Kaler & Mr Coyle - DO THE RIGHT THING. You need to see through all these failures and collectively learn from it. Firing Coach Claeys is not your answer.

It reminds me of a story about the late IBM CEO Tom Watson Junior and the million dollar lesson:

A Characteristic of Leadership – Seeing a Costly Mistake or a Learning Investment?
A young executive had made some bad decisions that cost the company several million dollars. He was summoned to Watson’s office, fully expecting to be dismissed. As he entered the office, the young executive said, “I suppose after that set of mistakes you will want to fire me.” Watson was said to have replied,

“Not at all, young man, we have just spent a couple of million dollars educating you.”

(Source: Edgar Schein in his book Organisational Culture and Leadership)

"This story provides a strong message of support and a reminder that some of the most powerful lessons we can learn are from our so-called failures or difficult times.

Remember Edison’s famous saying: “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Thomas Edison also demonstrated a great response to adversity which compliments Watson Jr’s actions.

When his factory was burned down, with much of his life’s work inside, Edison said: “There is great value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Thank God we can start anew.”

A characteristic of leadership is to see things differently. Seeing mistakes as an investment in learning. Seeing that, even in disaster, you can start anew."

Now consider your own situation:

1. What message does your organisation give in the way it responds to mistakes?
2. What culture do you create with your team, by your attitude to mistakes made by your colleagues?
3. Just as important, what lessons can you learn from your own mistakes and difficult times?

Firing Claeys is not the answer.

This is a golden opportunity to change the climate and culture at the U. It takes leadership from everyone.

Please do not look for blame. Look for solutions.

Eric Kaler & Mark Coyle. It is time for redemption and make things right.

 

[caliGopher]

Eric Kaler & Mark Coyle. It is time for redemption and make things right.

They aren't going to resign. They're going to take everyone around them down in a futile attempt to save their own asses.