Joe Salem and Hayden Fry

[Buttcheeks McGaffigan]

Both hired the same offseason by their respective universities. Did the Gophers miss an opportunity with Fry, and who were some of the other candidates for the Gopher job?

 

[station19]

Both hired the same offseason by their respective universities. Did the Gophers miss an opportunity with Fry, and who were some of the other candidates for the Gopher job?

Marc Trestman, Tony Dungy and Mike Grant.

 

[zman]

I think they all were a little young for the job back in the 70's.

At least that's how I read the question.

 

[ButchNashGuy]

Marc Trestman, Tony Dungy and Mike Grant.

Well done.

 

[Halsey Hall]

Marc Trestman, Tony Dungy and Mike Grant.

Best post of the day

 

[GopherinPhilly]

It is unhealthy to constantly think about the one that go away...move on with your life.

 

[Great Plains Gopher]

At the time, Salem looked good as he had a winning record, played a more wide open style at N. Arizona, and was a back-up QB on the last national championship team in '60 (tossing a key pass that broke open the big game that year, with Iowa, which was no. 1, the Gophers no. 2 in one poll, 3 in the other). It wasn't until he ran out of Stoll's players that it became apparent he couldn't recruit. But you are right, Hayden did for Iowa what Alvarez did later for Wisconsin. The U made many bad coaching hires, as we know now.

 

[zman]

I guess the sarcasm escaped me for once.

 

[Unregistered User]

It is unhealthy to constantly think about the one that go away...move on with your wife.

FIFY

 

[gold82]

Salem was for what we had at the time

Smokey Joe Salem was what we needed at the time. He had a hell of a staff that he could not pay or keep. At one time he had Shananhan and Dungy on his staff. He ran the Run and Shoot Offense which beat Iowa 3 years in a row. I played for Salem he was probably the most honest down to earth guy that recruited me including Hayden Fry and Tom Osborne. Salem had nothing to work with. He had no facilities, no money for assistant coaches, and no support from the Athletic Department. Hayden Fry was given Card Blanche to run the Iowa program like they do down in Texas and that's what he did.

I don't know what it will take to win in the long run at Minnesota. I experienced what a high profile coach can do for a program like Lou Holtz in the short run but he left the program with scandals and sanctions. To win at Minnesota you need a cross between a Glen Mason type X's and O's coach and a energetic recrutier like Hotlz, and Balls Out support from the University and Athlietic Department, and a little bit of luck.