I Suspect Problems Bigger Than Maturi/Brewster/Mason, Etc...

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akgopher

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The only Gopher sport that matters is hockey and the only reason Lucia is still here for one more year because it would be suicidal in the midsts of tea party movement for a public sports program in a budget cut era to have million dollar buyouts on Mason, Monson, and Brewster. Firing Lucia would have been the first act to unite the tea party with the liberal elites. But anything short of excellence will be the end for Lucia this year. That is because Gopher hockey has fans who matter in this state.

Governor Carlson loved Gopher sports and the U for that matter and I don't find it as coincidence that Clem took us to a Final Four, in our memories- not in the books, and the moves to hire Mason and turn things around for the football program began to happen. Clem allegedly had the governor's ear and he made sure that Clem got what he felt he needed to win. It backfired once, but I hope it won't scare people from supporting college athletics again. Until the athletic department has influential people to have their backs so they can demand budgets and take risks with players and coaches, it isn't going to happen for Gopher football.

I'm expecting if Lucia gets let go, the program will get the candidate it wants because it has the supporters who will demand that it happens.
 

akgopher said:
The only Gopher sport that matters is hockey and the only reason Lucia is still here for one more year because it would be suicidal in the midsts of tea party movement for a public sports program in a budget cut era to have million dollar buyouts on Mason, Monson, and Brewster. Firing Lucia would have been the first act to unite the tea party with the liberal elites. But anything short of excellence will be the end for Lucia this year. That is because Gopher hockey has fans who matter in this state.

Governor Carlson loved Gopher sports and the U for that matter and I don't find it as coincidence that Clem took us to a Final Four, in our memories- not in the books, and the moves to hire Mason and turn things around for the football program began to happen. Clem allegedly had the governor's ear and he made sure that Clem got what he felt he needed to win. It backfired once, but I hope it won't scare people from supporting college athletics again. Until the athletic department has influential people to have their backs so they can demand budgets and take risks with players and coaches, it isn't going to happen for Gopher football.

I'm expecting if Lucia gets let go, the program will get the candidate it wants because it has the supporters who will demand that it happens.
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Maturi already has his future head coach on the hockey staff.
 

The problems started in the 60s with the philosophy of the school not wanting to be know for its sports so much as its academics. Coaches like Cal Stoll were actually good to very good coaches, but did not have the necessary internal backing that schools like Mich & OS had. Now the key revenue sports are suffering, and at times an embarrassment and those who were shortsided or at the very least lacking perception at how beneficial a solid sports program could impact the school are not even in the cross hairs of blame.

It is good that it wants to be a place of quality education, but why assassinate the football or various other programs.
 

akgopher said:
The only Gopher sport that matters is hockey and the only reason Lucia is still here for one more year because it would be suicidal in the midsts of tea party movement for a public sports program in a budget cut era to have million dollar buyouts on Mason, Monson, and Brewster. Firing Lucia would have been the first act to unite the tea party with the liberal elites. But anything short of excellence will be the end for Lucia this year. That is because Gopher hockey has fans who matter in this state.

Governor Carlson loved Gopher sports and the U for that matter and I don't find it as coincidence that Clem took us to a Final Four, in our memories- not in the books, and the moves to hire Mason and turn things around for the football program began to happen. Clem allegedly had the governor's ear and he made sure that Clem got what he felt he needed to win. It backfired once, but I hope it won't scare people from supporting college athletics again. Until the athletic department has influential people to have their backs so they can demand budgets and take risks with players and coaches, it isn't going to happen for Gopher football.

I'm expecting if Lucia gets let go, the program will get the candidate it wants because it has the supporters who will demand that it happens.
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Well, the wrestling team is always relevant under Robinson.
 



The RECENT problem started in December 2005 when, after dragging his feet for 9-12 months, Maturi signed Mason to a multi-year contract. Nothing wrong with a multi-year contract, but two issues arose: 1) it hampered Mason's recruiting efforts and 2) it left future potential coaches gun-shy about Minnesota.

The contract said that Mason was our coach for (was it five?) years into the future. The next season, he beats an FCS team 62-0, beat Iowa and got us to a bowl game and then got fired. There was no warning. There was no, "6-6 isn't good enough anymore and you are now on thin ice for a season or two" it was simply yanking the rug out from under him as an emotional response to a bad half in a bowl game that very few of us thought we had a chance to win. Would you leave a stable employer to work at an organization that would do that? I wouldn't. Apparently, neither would most any Coach Maturi has spoken to since.

This is on Maturi.
 

Whose fault was it that the contract wasn't signed until the night before the bowl game? I honestly cannot remember with any accuracy, but it seems (let me stress "seems") that is was Mason dragging it out. Granted, the season was underway and the contract issue probably should have been handled prior to the season starting, but it was a comedy of errors on both sides and if I had been Maturi, I would have strongly considered firing Mason right there and then.
 

Go Gophers Rah said:
The RECENT problem started in December 2005 when, after dragging his feet for 9-12 months, Maturi signed Mason to a multi-year contract. Nothing wrong with a multi-year contract, but two issues arose: 1) it hampered Mason's recruiting efforts and 2) it left future potential coaches gun-shy about Minnesota.

The contract said that Mason was our coach for (was it five?) years into the future. The next season, he beats an FCS team 62-0, beat Iowa and got us to a bowl game and then got fired. There was no warning. There was no, "6-6 isn't good enough anymore and you are now on thin ice for a season or two" it was simply yanking the rug out from under him as an emotional response to a bad half in a bowl game that very few of us thought we had a chance to win. Would you leave a stable employer to work at an organization that would do that? I wouldn't. Apparently, neither would most any Coach Maturi has spoken to since.

This is on Maturi.
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You know if you rewrite history so you can ignore everything that Mason said and did in the seven weeks between the Temple and Indiana wins then your post would make sense.

But you can't ignore them so your post makes no sense.
 

The problem may bigger than Maturi his firing/'retirement' is the 1st step. It boggles the mind that the man still has a job.

-Football: Terrible timing of Mason's extension, even worse on his firing. Worst hire in program history in Brew. 2nd chance not looking hot thus far.

-Basketball: Utter embarrassing handling of Monson's 'non-firing' in 2006. Nice get in Tubby, but the lack of a contract extension 1.5 year after it was promised is now almost as embarrassing as the lack of practice facility even breaking ground 4.5 years after it was promised. Oh and got sued for millions over an issue that shouldn't have happened.

-Women's hoops: Once resurgent program slowly sinking under his hire.

-Hockey: Can't even make the NCAA tournament anymore. Enough said.

-Minor sports: No dirt turned on a new baseball stadium 10 years after it was promised. Golf program getting sued.

In all, it boggles the mind that the man still has a job. If he is still in charge on July1, 2012 it will be very hard to be a Gopher fan.
 



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