Gophers AD Mark Coyle on fundraising, facilities, Pitino, hoops recruiting and more

[BleedGopher]

per Shipley:

PP: Is $166 million still an accurate Athletes Village budget, and will the $13 million for an outdoor track and field facility be added to that total?

MC: It’s my understanding that it’s in that $166 million range. The Nothing Short of Greatness campaign, it’s my understanding, encompasses the Athletes Village and the outdoor track, when that was taken into account. But that is separate.

PP: Men’s basketball hasn’t been good, and then they’ve had some issues. Is there a wait-and-see at all with that program?

MC: No. When I got here, I sat down with each one of our head coaches, and I really feel it’s my job — it’s the job of our staff — to do everything we can to support our coaches. And I promise you, nobody wants to have success more than Coach Pitino and his student-athletes, and I feel like it’s my job to do everything we can to support them. So I’m not treating them any different than I am any other program. It’s (about) having constant communication with them, and all of our programs, to make sure we provide what they need to compete at a high level, academically and athletically.

PP: Are you concerned at all that some of the best young basketball recruits (Nathan Reuvers and Brad Davison, Wisconsin; Jerico Sims, Texas; and Gary Trent Jr., who has eliminated Minnesota) are going elsewhere?

MC: I don’t follow recruiting close enough, but I do know recruiting is a critical piece of any program, and being able to successfully recruit talented young men and women is critical to the success of any program.

http://www.twincities.com/2016/09/09/gophers-ad-mark-coyle-on-fundraising-facilities-and-the-future/

Go Gophers!!

 

[golfing18now]

per Shipley:

PP: Is $166 million still an accurate Athletes Village budget, and will the $13 million for an outdoor track and field facility be added to that total?

MC: It’s my understanding that it’s in that $166 million range. The Nothing Short of Greatness campaign, it’s my understanding, encompasses the Athletes Village and the outdoor track, when that was taken into account. But that is separate.

PP: Men’s basketball hasn’t been good, and then they’ve had some issues. Is there a wait-and-see at all with that program?

MC: No. When I got here, I sat down with each one of our head coaches, and I really feel it’s my job — it’s the job of our staff — to do everything we can to support our coaches. And I promise you, nobody wants to have success more than Coach Pitino and his student-athletes, and I feel like it’s my job to do everything we can to support them. So I’m not treating them any different than I am any other program. It’s (about) having constant communication with them, and all of our programs, to make sure we provide what they need to compete at a high level, academically and athletically.

PP: Are you concerned at all that some of the best young basketball recruits (Nathan Reuvers and Brad Davison, Wisconsin; Jerico Sims, Texas; and Gary Trent Jr., who has eliminated Minnesota) are going elsewhere?

MC: I don’t follow recruiting close enough, but I do know recruiting is a critical piece of any program, and being able to successfully recruit talented young men and women is critical to the success of any program.

http://www.twincities.com/2016/09/09/gophers-ad-mark-coyle-on-fundraising-facilities-and-the-future/

Go Gophers!!

I'll never understand this sentiment. There is still a very real possibility the Gophers will sign two Minnesota kids with their only two available scholarships. What is Pitino supposed to do? He can't sign everybody. Trent is at a level where very few kids stay home. Sims/Reuvers/Davison -- are they much better than John/Wright? If a higher ranked out-of-state kid like Washington wants to come here, should we say no so that we can take a lower profile Minnesota kid? There are other reasons for which to criticize Pitino, but how does he win here?

 

[bc2211]

I'll never understand this sentiment. There is still a very real possibility the Gophers will sign two Minnesota kids with their only two available scholarships. What is Pitino supposed to do? He can't sign everybody. Trent is at a level where very few kids stay home. Sims/Reuvers/Davison -- are they much better than John/Wright? If a higher ranked out-of-state kid like Washington wants to come here, should we say no so that we can take a lower profile Minnesota kid? There are other reasons for which to criticize Pitino, but how does he win here?

Also failing to mention the fact that Amir is staying home.... Different year, but still recent enough to be relevant.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

Hairstyling, dog transportation and alcohol-what a tedious interview by John Shipley. However, there were a few interesting items even if Shipley had to manufacture anonymous anger.

PP: What’s the Lineman Center?

MC: There were conversations about a lineman facility. So, they have the indoor football facility, and then this basically is just an extension, which is some more area for practice. We work with Capital Planning on any alternates to the Athletes Village. Our football coach has talked about the need for something like that, and obviously if we can support our programs, we want to do that. At the same time, we want to balance all the other needs we have with our programs.

PP: Stuff like a Lineman Center is the kind of thing that makes a lot of people pull their hair out. They say, “Are you kidding me? We’re building this huge facility and now you need a Linemen’s Center?” What do you say to that?

MC: Keep in mind, the indoor practice facility can be used for multiple sports (baseball, softball, soccer and men’s and women’s track). You know, the football team doesn’t use it 24-7, so there will be opportunities for all of our sports to use that facility. Our current indoor football facility is used by different sports throughout the year. It just provides us with more practice space for all of our teams.

 

[GophersInIowa]

I'll never understand this sentiment. There is still a very real possibility the Gophers will sign two Minnesota kids with their only two available scholarships. What is Pitino supposed to do? He can't sign everybody. Trent is at a level where very few kids stay home. Sims/Reuvers/Davison -- are they much better than John/Wright? If a higher ranked out-of-state kid like Washington wants to come here, should we say no so that we can take a lower profile Minnesota kid? There are other reasons for which to criticize Pitino, but how does he win here?

You mean Pitino can't sign everyone?

 

[gopherhoopsguy]

Crazy follow up? So weird! Coffey Hurt are hear!
Our media might be the worst in the country ??!!
Do we have anyone with knowledge of college sports? And how programs work?

 

[golfing18now]

You mean Pitino can't sign everyone?

Yes and my rant is probably not in the right place. But I just hate the question and the implication behind it. Pitino signed the top two Minnesota kids last year. This year hasn't even played itself out. He has two scholarships to work with and is very well situated with two Minnesota kids. He also has two higher rated players coming to visit over the next two weekends. So it is possible he may have filled four of the last five freshman scholarship openings with Minnesota kids OR potentially threw in a top 75ish point guard in one of the slots and yet the AD is getting questions about concerns related to recruitment of Minnesota kids. If he misses out on all six and we are filling the slots with Ahanmisi types in the spring, then the question would be valid. But for the moment, the question is either ill-informed or at the very least ill-timed.

 

[GophersInIowa]

Yes and my rant is probably not in the right place. But I just hate the question and the implication behind it. Pitino signed the top two Minnesota kids last year. This year hasn't even played itself out. He has two scholarships to work with and is very well situated with two Minnesota kids. He also has two higher rated players coming to visit over the next two weekends. So it is possible he may have filled four of the last five freshman scholarship openings with Minnesota kids OR potentially threw in a top 75ish point guard in one of the slots and yet the AD is getting questions about concerns related to recruitment of Minnesota kids. If he misses out on all six and we are filling the slots with Ahanmisi types in the spring, then the question would be valid. But for the moment, the question is either ill-informed or at the very least ill-timed.

No I get it. I agree with your point. Recruiting isn't over. There is still time to sign a few of the local guys. We can't sign everyone.