Give Jeff Horton an Additional Year as Interim Head Coach

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6 Nov 1999

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I feel compelled to repost this. If we beat Iowa on 27 November 2010, I move that Jeff Horton's tenure as Interim Head Coach is extended through the 2011 football season. He should also be able to retain the coaching staff for an additional year. Firing and hiring left and right, and throwing big salaries at people rarely solves a systemic problem, and I think few of us will argue that our Golden Gopher Football Program has not suffered from systemic problems since 1967, probably as early as 1960 (what year were the NFL Vikings chartered?). The new President of the University of Minnesota should have the opportunity after this 1+ year probationary period to ascertain if Jeff and his staff should stay with us for the long haul. Yes, I know, you are all going to yell about how this is going to negatively affect recruiting. I don't buy the argument. I don't think our recruiting will suffer materially, we are a Big Ten University, and there are plenty of young men who want to play Big Ten football, have only 3 stars or 2 stars, are highly talented, but cannot land a gig at OSU, PSU, or Michigan. In the grand scheme of things, even if it should turn out to be a weaker recruiting year, it does not matter much in the context of what has happened with our team since 1967. We can afford to wait one more year to see how much Jeff and his staff improves our team. He has had what, 3 or 4 weeks to tweak this team's strategy and tactics to his own liking? So finally he gets a win on 13 November 2010. I enjoyed it immensely. Normally Golden Gopher teams peak in the middle of the season, then suffer from injuries or other issues that result in a meltdown in November. I am hoping and praying that Jeff and his coaching staff are reversing this trend. If he indeed is reversing the trend, then I say give Jeff some more rope. Jeff has exhibited humility while maintaining a cheerful positive demeanor, a welcome change to the face of Golden Gopher Football. I like what Jeff is doing with our tight ends. Now maybe this belatedly reflects Brewster’s influence, but I like it nonetheless. Now go ahead and start yelling at me about how stupid this idea is.
Winona Phantom we salute you!
Michigan – 0
Minnesota – 22
24 October 1953
SKI-U-MAH!
http://www.vva.org/testimony/2010/092910.html
http://www.dol.gov/ocia/congressionaltestimony/20090514_OFCCP.htm
 

I won't say it is stupid as it is a interesting take. Saving some money might not be a bad idea. One problem is whether any significant recruitingwill be able to take place in this situation. Maybe we go out and sign all MN kids this year under this plan. I don't think it will or should happen, but interesting take.
 

This is not a good idea for so many reasons it is hard to list all of them.

Here are three things to answers some of the issues raised by the OP...

1. Eric Kaler will be the new President of the University and hopefully will be in the loop as the search progresses.

2. Yes, recruiting will suffer. Kids (and their parents) want to know who will be their coach for the 4 or 5 years they are playing college football. I will not even getting into all the other negative ramafications of having a lame duck year for an entire coaching staff

3. Horton may be a nice guy, but he is now 1-19 in his last 20 games and 21-51 Overall as a Head Coach.
 

No no - just no.

The guy won one game against a middle of the road Big Ten team. We got drubbed by Ohio State and Michigan State.

Yes he is nice but he needs to go. We need a fresh start, a spark, something that gets people excited about the program again. Jeff Horton is not that person.
 

We would get destroyed recruiting and how do you expect Horton to succeed next year. No matter who is head coach next year, they will have a BIG task ahead of them. We are in the bottom 5 of BCS conference teams in the nation. We need someone that can work the build over time angle, which is why we're offering an 8 year contract or something like that. We need to get the guy this year, not wait a year. I will say this, Horton is welcome to apply just like anyone else. He just has no chance based on his previous experience. He was a failed HC at UNLV, and so I'm not sure what would make him qualified to take over here. One win over a mediocre Illinois team isn't anything to get excited about...
 



"We can afford to wait one more year to see how much Jeff and his staff improves our team."

Sorry, but I totally disagree with you on this. This program is in dire need of a new head coach NOW, not a year from now. they will lose, not only me, but half the fan base if they do this. Coach Horton has been classy and I support him in his efforts to rejuvenate this team, but he knows he's not in contention for this job on a permanent basis. This will also lead to another lost recruiting year because nobody is going to commit to an interim coach.
 

I'll just assume that this post is really a joke and not go off on it. But if Horton comes back season ticket sales will be killed unless you lower prices to about $100 total for the lame duck 2011 season. Forgot that. That would just allow all the Neb, WI, and Iowa fans to buy season tickets for next year.

This is about the worst idea I've ever heard.
 

It would be better to hire Horton as the full time coach than to bring him on for a full year as an interim coach. Not that that would be a good idea either. Recruiting would be a disaster. What recruits are going to sign with an interim coach? Horton's done a good job keeping the team from melting down and keeping recruits from decommitting. But we need to hire a coach fast. And that means there will be major changes in the coaching staff, that's what happens whenever a new coach is hired.
 



Sid's 91 and senile. What's your excuse sir? Sorry to be harsh, but that's simply an awful idea. The only way you can keep Horton is if you keep him straight up as THE guy. Otherwise it would be an epic disaster. And I dont' think anyone this side of Sid thinks Horton as the permanent coach is a good idea. The only way I'm on board with this is if the alternative is Marc Trestman.
 

Horton, like Jim Molinari, should be given credit for stepping in and performing well under difficult circumstances. Give him credit, but not the job.
 

We need to remove ourselves completely from anything Tim Brewster.

Obviously not the players because most believe (not me) the talent level is higher than it was with Mason, but everything that is coaching needs to be GONE!
 

Postpone the operation and hope the patient doesn't die while you're waiting. This program needs more than a temporary bandaid.
 



If we did that.

TCF Stadium would be half empty next year; including myself and family members.
 

Also, are these pro-Horton people forgetting that he got off his own 14 game losing streak as a head coach with that win over a less than mediocre Illinois?
 

To be fair to Illinois, they are 5-5, which looks like exactly mediocre, rather than less than mediocre.

I'd take Horton over Trestman, but that's about it. I think Horton may be a better HC now than he was then, but no way we could afford that chance.
 

I see this was posted at 8:33 AM, which means you've been awake all night drowning your sorrows over the Vikings or took the edge off with a Bacardi 151 and OJ at breakfast. I keed. I keed.

Seriously--and I think Horton is a good football guy--this makes no sense. We have a light junior class in terms of numbers, would probably lose most of our in-coming class, and extending Horton with an obvious end-date of employment would likely crush recruiting for 2012.

As clumsy as the timing is, we need to get the new coach in place pronto.
 

I think most fans (including myself) will be irate if the new coach isn't in place by the new year, and you want to wait until an entire season.

If you want Horton you need to make the argument that Horton should be hired as the next coach. As much as I would hate that, it makes much more sense than extending this interim for another season. It would crush recruiting, it would cloud any direction this program would/could have, it simply is a god awful idea in the realm of college football.

It could make sense in like the NBA to let an interim coach who is winning continue to coach, but not here, unless of course you want to not be able to bring in any coordinators, assistant coaches or recruits.
 


Wow!

I couldn't think of any way to bring the program to a lower point than it is now but you just did. Congratulations.
 


raindog said:
Horton, like Jim Molinari, should be given credit for stepping in and performing well under difficult circumstances. Give him credit, but not the job.
Click to expand...

This is a very apt comparison. Jim did a wonderful job. And he was about 37th on the list of potential replacements. Period.
 

howeda7 said:
This is a very apt comparison. Jim did a wonderful job. And he was about 37th on the list of potential replacements. Period.
Click to expand...

Agreed, the comparison to Molinari is an excellent one.

Unfortunately some people on this board seem to think the Gophers would never do better than their 37th choice. Because, you know, nobody would want to leave Utah Valley State to coach here. It's a beautiful place to live. It has mountains! :rolleyes:

Sorry, had to get that last part off my chest.
 

Horton has done ok taking over during this difficult time. However he is part of the problem along with all the other coaches. We need to start from fresh and I think this would be good for the players and the fans. I think we have everything in place to hire a top notch guy (not just a big name) but a a good quality guy. All you guys who sell our program short or want to settle with a 1-19 coach (Sid) just stop.....The Gophers are in a great poistion right now.
 

This plan would also piss off the people who that search committee has already contacted. I'm sure that they would all say, "WTF." Then when the position truly does come open they would not be interested - at all.
 

No. We win one game and suddenly we are going to beat Iowa and retain the coach? Everyone relax a little.... Can you imagine trying to sell recruits?

"Hi, I'm medium-to-long-term-interim-head-football-coach Jeff Horton, I once lost 19 straight football games, nice to meet ya!"
 


Horton?

A great guy and another Minnesota Nice, Sid-centric, hopeless band-aid solution to a 40-year Gopher quagmire.

Who knows if Minny will ever negotiate out of the wasteland of BT fb mediocrity and become a real competitive factor in the the title hunt?

One thing does seem clear from even a casual reading of endless speculation on the subject:
the decision-makers with the big $$ know and understand that if they don't excite the discouraged fan base with a "name" HC, they risk enduring an embarrassing, poorly-attended, white-elephant TCF Bank for many dismal years ahead with the obvious disastrous implications for AD revenues.

If the fb ship is to be turned in a new direction, Minnesota Nice ala Sid won't work as it hasn't for the past 40 years...now is the time for aggressive, big thinking, bold action and full speed ahead.
 


Agree with Buck

I'm sure recruits would all jump on the Horton band-wagon.
 

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