Right, let's bring it back to softball.
The bolded was the point of why I said it in the first place. I don't think McCutcheon has any need or even desire to fill up the Gophers with Minnesota players. The rosters the last few years certainly don't reflect that. I think he wants to recruit nationally, go after top ranked classes, and compete for national titles, which will require he continue to grab players from California, Texas, and the great lakes areas.
I don't see why it can't be the same in softball.
The main weakness, as you noted, would be the amount of playing on the home field and the crowds. I don't know what softball attendance looks like nationally, but guessing only a handful of programs in the nation routinely attract over 1000 fans per game.
So if girls could come here to compete for national titles, regardless of the weather or travel, I think they would consider it.
This is all I'm getting at.
I actually think that both Allister and Trachsel have emphasized recruiting nationally (and internationally with respect to Sara G and Kianna Jones) in their times here.
Obviously, its good to get as many really good local players as possible and the program has had quite a few native Minnesotans that have contributed big-time to the program both now and in the recent past.
Sara Moulton, Sam Macken, Maddie Houlihan just to start along with others like Taylor LeMay, Dani Wagner, Paige Palkovich, Syd Fabian and so on all the way to the current group of Katie Kemmetmueller, Carlie Brandt and Nat DenHartog.
On top of that, the U has gotten some really good players from Iowa (Fiser and Lindaman) along with a few contributors from other nearby states (Wisconsin, South Dakota) as well.
Obviously, it comes down to who not only fits Minnesota's profile, but can also continue the trend of getting some good local players while adding others from around the country. I realize that's actually not much of a revelation since basically every coach in every state around the country has the same philosophy.
The bottom line is that the program has become much more of a national brand, so we've got that going for us.
Also, Coyle has demonstrated a decisive edge when it comes to hiring coaches. He seems to excel in that area based on early returns (Fleck, Trachsel and Motzko were quick, decisive hires unlike previous ADs who always seemed to be chasing the hiring process).
I'm anxious to see who Coyle decides on.