Gopher Coaching Staff Questions

[A-Town Owl]

The coaching staff is good. Kemp and Jenkins are up and comers. Thorson is a legend, particularly here in the Twin Cities. He's a proven winner, did he somehow forget to coach? (this is aimed at previous comments being skeptical of the coaching staff)

That being said, if the team finishes last again, a major shakeup is needed. I think if they get out of Weakling Wednesday, that's a decent enough improvement that everyone should be retained.

(in before someone says low expectations, yada yada)

Finishing a bit better and keeping this core of sophomores will pay dividends a year down the road. Yes, I know MN sports fans don't want to be patient (again), but this is the situation we're in. Unless someone comes in with mega NIL money and we can get a top transfer, this is the situation we're in.

 

[A-Town Owl]

Really the dumbest move he made was to cut loose with Liam's uncle. That first team might have been bubble material with Liam. That would have built his credibility instantly.

So we should keep relatives of mediocre players on the staff? Nepotism/country club is why the Timberwolves have always struggled. As another poster said, Liam was hurt basically the whole season. Not saying that would've happened with the Gophers, but come on, he wasn't that great of a player. I'm sure he's a good kid and was a solid contributor, but I'd take Dawson and PP over him all day.

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

So we should keep relatives of mediocre players on the staff? Nepotism/country club is why the Timberwolves have always struggled. As another poster said, Liam was hurt basically the whole season. Not saying that would've happened with the Gophers, but come on, he wasn't that great of a player. I'm sure he's a good kid and was a solid contributor, but I'd take Dawson and PP over him all day.

Yeah, Liam Robbins was not that great...

• 2023 First Team All-SEC (Coaches)
• 2023 SEC Defensive Player of the Year (Coaches)
• 2023 SEC All-Defensive Team (Coaches)
• 2023 Associated Press Second Team All-SEC
• 2023 U.S. Basketball Writers Association All-District Team
• 2023 Finalist for Lefty Driesell National Defensive Player of the Year

 

[jamiche]

Oh really? Thorson and Kemp weren't hired until a month after Ben was hired, and Jenkins was another 2 weeks later.

Thorson and Kemp were hired eighteen days after Johnson was hired.

 

[jamiche]

So we should keep relatives of mediocre players on the staff? Nepotism/country club is why the Timberwolves have always struggled. As another poster said, Liam was hurt basically the whole season. Not saying that would've happened with the Gophers, but come on, he wasn't that great of a player. I'm sure he's a good kid and was a solid contributor, but I'd take Dawson and PP over him all day.

Liam was better than Dawson.

 

[jamiche]

I have my own job, I don't have time to hire Ben's assistants.

Most head coaches fill out their staff in half the time it took Ben to, including Pitino.

Pitino, a third time HC, filled out his staff in 28 days. Johnson, a first time HC, took 38 days.

 

[A-Town Owl]

Liam was better than Dawson.

Strong disagree.

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

Thorson and Kemp were hired eighteen days after Johnson was hired.

Pitino, a third time HC, filled out his staff in 28 days. Johnson, a first time HC, took 38 days.

You're right on Thorson and Kemp, I had read a Strib article that was dated 12 days later.

Pitino had his first two assitants hired at New Mexico within his first 2 weeks.

 

[A-Town Owl]

You're right on Thorson and Kemp, I had read a Strib article that was dated 12 days later.

Pitino had his first two assitants hired at New Mexico within his first 2 weeks.

This might be the stupidest argument in the history of this forum.

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

Strong disagree.

Disagreeing still makes you wrong.

 

[A-Town Owl]

Disagreeing still makes you wrong.

So you would rather have Liam over Dawson on this current team?

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

So you would rather have Liam over Dawson on this current team?

How many first team All B1G players has this staff recruited? 0

Robbins is a better player than anyone on this staff has recruited.

 

[Spaulding!No!]

I think Coyle misread the Pitino player loyalty. Oops. Well, that and hiring a past asst coach who was not held in high regard by the players. Oh well

 

[DarthGopher]

I have my own job, I don't have time to hire Ben's assistants.

Most head coaches fill out their staff in half the time it took Ben to, including Pitino.

Translated:

I have no idea, but it should have been "less" by "half".

 

[A-Town Owl]

How many first team All B1G players has this staff recruited? 0

Robbins is a better player than anyone on this staff has recruited.

So you would rather have Liam over Dawson on this current team?

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

So you would rather have Liam over Dawson on this current team?

So the Gophers wouldn't have been better last year with Liam and Garcia?

 

[A-Town Owl]

So the Gophers wouldn't have been better last year with Liam and Garcia?

So would you rather have Liam over Dawson on this current team?

 

[DarthGopher]

Pitino, a third time HC, filled out his staff in 28 days. Johnson, a first time HC, took 38 days.

Get outta here with that objective information. This is a subjective word salad fight. Now will someone please pass the damn ranch dressing?

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

So would you rather have Liam over Dawson on this current team?

Stop being an intentional moron. They could still have Dawson on this years team and had an All Big Ten player + Dawson on last years team. It's not an either/or. Liam is still better than Garcia or anyone else that's been on this team the last two seasons.

 

[MonikerSchmoniker45]

I have my own job, I don't have time to hire Ben's assistants.

Most head coaches fill out their staff in half the time it took Ben to, including Pitino.

You seem to have plenty of time to whine on here though. You have no evidence that CBJ had trouble filling his staff other than it took longer than you wanted it to.

 

[jamiche]

You're right on Thorson and Kemp, I had read a Strib article that was dated 12 days later.

Pitino had his first two assitants hired at New Mexico within his first 2 weeks.

Facts are facts. Johnson has had two straight last place finishes in the B1G. There are a lot of things that you can go after on his record. Filling out a staff in comparison to a mediocre coach who had an eight year run here isn't one of them.

Pitino hired his first two assistants in sixteen days. Johnson hired his first two assistants in nineteen days.

 

[jamiche]

This might be the stupidest argument in the history of this forum.

It would be stupid to suggest that it's not a stupid argument. However, it's stupid to think that it's not about a million miles from the stupidest argument in the history of this forum!

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

You're right on Thorson and Kemp, I had read a Strib article that was dated 12 days later.

Pitino had his first two assitants hired at New Mexico within his first 2 weeks.

Practice makes perfect

 

[Big Dawg]

It would be stupid to suggest that it's not a stupid argument. However, it's stupid to think that it's not about a million miles from the stupidest argument in the history of this forum!

Totally made up research tells me final 4 teams hired their assistants w/in 72 hours. Sweet 16 teams were a bit slower at 96-120 hours. March madness teams overall hired their assistants on average 7-9 days after the new HC was hired. Obviously if Ben had hired his assistants in a timely manner why would be a tourney team.

 

[A-Town Owl]

Stop being an intentional moron. They could still have Dawson on this years team and had an All Big Ten player + Dawson on last years team. It's not an either/or. Liam is still better than Garcia or anyone else that's been on this team the last two seasons.

Not being an intentional moron, sorry. Just trying to get you to directly answer the question, which you seem to be incapable of doing. This whole scenario is hypothetical anyways. You must be a politician.

 

[A-Town Owl]

Not being an intentional moron, sorry. Just trying to get you to directly answer the question, which you seem to be incapable of doing. This whole scenario is hypothetical anyways. You must be a politician.

I guess there are two other options as well, considering you think Liam is better than Dawson. You're:

1. A unmitigated fool
2. Ed Conroy

 

[Gopher Teeth]

It would be stupid to suggest that it's not a stupid argument. However, it's stupid to think that it's not about a million miles from the stupidest argument in the history of this forum!

TRUTH! That is a bar that is very hard to match

 

[GoodasGold]

Yr 1 last place …he got a raise and an extension.

He’s a nice guy. He deserved it.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

So you would rather have Liam over Dawson on this current team?

Not to complicate this analysis, but with our current team? I'd probably pick Garcia but that has almost as much to do with Payne as it does Garcia.

I think Robbins and Garcia are pretty close, but I think Robbins was the better player last year.

Better rebounder, more efficient scorer, better defensive player. Garcia is a bit more versatile and a better distributor.

 

[A-Town Owl]

Not to complicate this analysis, but with our current team? I'd probably pick Garcia but that has almost as much to do with Payne as it does Garcia.

I think Robbins and Garcia are pretty close, but I think Robbins was the better player last year.

Better rebounder, more efficient scorer, better defensive player. Garcia is a bit more versatile and a better distributor.

Hey! Like that actual thoughtful analysis. That's all I was asking for.