"The issues for Gopher softball go beyond simple solutions. There are several areas that need to be addressed to get this program back on track." If you'd care to discuss those areas, I'd really like to read about them. All us posters seem equally confounded & bewildered.
These are the issues that are facing the Gopher softball program as I see them. I will keep it as brief as possible - I will likely fail. Please understand that this is an outside perspective as I am not connected to someone in the program (player, coach, or admin) at this time. As mentioned before, I do interact with college coaches as the head coach of a high level club program. My players will play at multiple collegiate levels, including top 25 D1 programs.
Head Coach - Proven winner as a pitching coach, which is significantly different than being a head coach. Most fans and players were happy about the hire at the time. However, there is a transition to being a head coach where your leadership requirements are much higher. Assistants can focus on their aspect of the game and the players they are interacting with consistently. Head coaches are in charge of leading the entire program. Not all assistant coaches are cut out to be head coaches. Coach Ritter has room for growth.
Assistant Coaches - They are proven winners as players. The day after my father passed away I took my family to the Gopher vs. ASU game may years ago. Katie Richardson was playing 3rd and the Gophers won in an upset. Those Allister teams were fun. So, understand that I have a huge amount of respect for the assistant coaches on the current staff. When you have young assistant coaches who were outstanding players, they may not be able to relate or teach the game as well as someone who had to work harder to achieve the same result. What I have witnessed on the field and what my players have experienced at camps with theses assistant coaches, leads me to believe that they have one specific way they teach hitting - only one way. I do not see the ability to adjust to a players strengths. Some timely small ball in certain situations with occasional running would put pressure on the opposing defense to make plays.
Lineups/Use of the Roster - Future players note this frequently as they look at where they want to play at the next level. If you look at LSU, Kentucky, and Florida State, to name just a few, look at how many at bats the whole roster gets. Note how they use their substitutes. I watched Tennessee today use two pinch runners on back to back baserunners and then a pinch hitter (for a player that was 0-2 in the game) as they tried to mount a comeback. I have never witnessed that as a Gopher fan. Players need an opportunity to show what they can do in games.
Pitchers - The same applies to pitchers. Kentucky has 7 pitchers with 15 or more innings this season. LSU goes about 5 deep. Do not misunderstand the need for an elite pitcher to compete for Super Regionals and WCWS appearances. An ace or two are necessary in order to go deep in the NCAA tournament. But, it is also important to have a staff of pitchers to mix things up as the grind of the season mounts and to keep your ace fresh for the playoff run.
Recruiting Part 1 - All of the above is important because of it's impact on recruiting. You build great team chemistry when more players are contributing to success on game day. You will build better relationships with players when you recognize their strengths and weaknesses and coach them to be the best individual person and player they can be. (Not everyone is a homerun hitter for example). This will get them working towards skills that you can implement strategically on game days.
Recruiting Part 2 - Allister was the master at getting players that fell through the cracks. She had an advantage by using the system created by her parents to evaluate softball skills that can translate to production on the field. She would use those metrics like a scout at the NFL combine. This is the individual recruiting component of finding those diamonds in the rough others didn't take the time to learn about. She is doing it again at Stanford, look at her results this season. I am quite certain she is one of very few head coaches that could have revived that dead program.
Recruiting Part 3 - Allister knows that isn't the only aspect to getting a program up and running. She owned recruiting in Minnesota. She also did extremely well in IA (Dwyer, Lindaman and Fiser). She went beyond this for some of her best players by creating relationships with club coaches across the country, especially in the softball "hotbeds". For example: Katie Richardson and Danielle Parlich - AZ, Tyler Walker - CA, Allie Arneson - TX, MaKenna Partain - OR. Not everyone from those areas is a good collegiate player. But, there are many who get missed by big time programs. There is one I can name right now that would be a great recruit for a top program - a Junior uncommitted in AZ. She would look extremely good in Maroon and Gold. She is not on my club team, but plays on a Nationally known team. Her skills and attitude are what I would want as a coach all day long. These are the players MN should be connecting with, not the over ranked Top 100 that do not have the skills to translate at the next level and have been riding the coattails of their teammates. They need to do their homework and connect with as many club coaches as possible.
There isn't one key to the program (of course, an ace covers lots of weaknesses) getting back on track to consistently competing for Big Ten titles and annually fighting for a spot in Supers. It will require several things to be addressed for this program to be consistently ranked in the top 25. I am hopeful that Coach Ritter and her staff are capable to meet the challenge, but it will require growth and adjustment to what they are currently doing in my opinion.
