He's baaaack! Sid: Gophers AD Mark Coyle got the coach he wanted in P.J. Fleck

[BleedGopher]

per Sid:

Fleck has made a big impression so far, but the team hasn’t played one game yet. I believe, in order to bring back the capacity crowds of the ’60s to TCF Bank Stadium, the Gophers football promotional department will have to find a better way to engage fans in the 25-54 age group.

Longtime fans are passing away, and the university hasn’t been successful in replacing them by attracting a younger generation of fans. The theory around the U was that a new stadium on campus would attract students and younger fans, but that hasn’t happened.

It will be interesting to see what happens when the appeals committee starts listening to testimony from at least six of the suspended Gophers players, who were penalized after the initial four players were named and suspended earlier in the season. I think there is some hope that some of the recommended full-year suspensions will be cut to three or six months, and that punishment for most of the six suspended after the initial four players will be reduced.

http://www.startribune.com/gophers-...tball-coach-he-wanted-in-p-j-fleck/410464075/

Go Gophers!!

 

[#2Gopher]

As usual, doesn't sound like Sid, but rather someone writing for him. Nevertheless he is contributing in some way and I'm sure felt left out a bit earlier. He is right though where we need some younger new fans to replace the ones that aren't able to come any more due to age, health etc.

 

[Iceland12]

Oh, it kinda does sound like the Sid. Whether he wrote this or not..

A lot of people might have been surprised by Gophers football coach Tracy Claeys getting fired following a 9-4 season and a big 17-12 Holiday Bowl victory over Washington State. But in my first column back after being laid up because of a broken hip, I have to credit Patrick Reusse for a column appearing on Christmas Day, two days before the Gophers’ bowl win, when he had the inside scoop on what was going to happen. Everything Reusse predicted in that column came true when P.J. Fleck was hired last Friday.

Reusse’s column verified the information I received from a source close to University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler about how athletic director Mark Coyle originally had a hard time selling Kaler on getting rid of Claeys, but finally convinced him. Coyle had Fleck in his back pocket, and if he couldn’t make a deal with the former Western Michigan coach, he would make a strong effort to hire former LSU coach Les Miles, who Coyle did interview for the job.

Coyle didn’t think Claeys had the personality to help sell football tickets at the University of Minnesota and that the school needed a more dynamic image, which Fleck would give them.

Contrary to what some people thought, 10 players being suspended as the result of a sexual assault investigation and how Claeys handled the situation had nothing to do with him getting fired. It was all about Coyle wanting his own man for the job.

As Reusse reported, there was fear in the ticket office that if Claeys continued as coach, season-ticket renewals might fall below 70 percent.

Reusse also reported, long before Claeys was fired, that the university wanted someone with great salesmanship such as Fleck to be the next head coach...

It will be interesting to see what happens when the appeals committee starts listening to testimony from at least six of the suspended Gophers players, who were penalized after the initial four players were named and suspended earlier in the season. I think there is some hope that some of the recommended full-year suspensions will be cut to three or six months, and that punishment for most of the six suspended after the initial four players will be reduced.

Fleck is being compared with former Gophers coach Lou Holtz, and I see similarities there. I think Fleck will attract more fans, but all that counts is “Win, baby, win,” and the Gophers have a tough schedule next year, as they face Michigan and Iowa on the road and Michigan State, Nebraska and Wisconsin at home in Big Ten play.

And last but not least, do not be surprised if Claeys and his coaching staff file lawsuits against the university, as pointed out by Minneapolis attorney Marshall Tanick in a recent Star Tribune editorial..

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

After an AD hires a guy, how may times does an AD say "Well this guy wasn't my first choice...."?

 

[Lakeville Goldy]

After an AD hires a guy, how may times does an AD say "Well this guy wasn't my first choice...."?

Almost every other time MN has hired a coach in the last 30 years... It was publicly stated for sure when they hired Mason and Kill, and I believe it was subtly mentioned with Brew also. I suppose they didn't with Claeys, but that was such a unique deal...