KSTP Video: Local Gophers Football Recruits React After Meeting With Fleck Tuesday

[joshvanklomp]

Claeys was 9-4. Remind us how many coaches won 9 games at UMN.

Way to move the goal posts! But since you asked....

8 regular season wins, as many as Jerry Kill (x2), Glen Mason, Murray Warmath (x2), Bernie Bierman (x4), Henry Williams (x6) and Alexander Jerrems.

 

[btowngopher]

Even if Fleck fails, I will not wish to be average again. I didn't wish for Mason to be back when Brew failed, and I won't wish for Claeys if Fleck fails.

 

[MirandaB]

I think Claeys' low-key demeanor came through at the Iowa game. It was really disappointing to see how flat our players were for that game.


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[KGF]

And that's why TC fired Limey. TC did not have ample time to fix the side of the ball that was clearly in decline due to holes at WR, OL and QB. Thank God for our running backs.

Johnson was Mitch L's OC and Qb coach this year, and he easily had his worst season of the last three seasons. Going into the season, Draft gurus were suggesting ML7 was potentially a high draft pick.
I'm not saying that they're were correct, I'm just pointing out that Johnson (TC's pick for OC/QB coach) did nothing to improve ML7. In fact, it looked like he regressed as a passer.
You say that there were declines at the WR, OL, and QB positions. Yeah, whose fault was that? Other than losing Maye at WR, it was pretty much the same guys. The QB was the same guy. And the OL was full of JUCO recruits that TC brought in and promised more "roadgraders". I'll agree with you, "thank god for the RBs". Their talent created gains on their own, not the slight scheme changes that leaned on the running game or any roadgrading blockers.

 

[GopherBulldog]

Even if Fleck fails, I will not wish to be average again. I didn't wish for Mason to be back when Brew failed, and I won't wish for Claeys if Fleck fails.

If you fall to a dumpster fire level of a program, like with Brew, average feels pretty good. I like that our expectations are now at a level where we can demand to compete for Big 10 championships. And hope we stay there.

 

[GopherBulldog]

Johnson was Mitch L's OC and Qb coach this year, and he easily had his worst season of the last three seasons. Going into the season, Draft gurus were suggesting ML7 was potentially a high draft pick.
I'm not saying that they're were correct, I'm just pointing out that Johnson (TC's pick for OC/QB coach) did nothing to improve ML7. In fact, it looked like he regressed as a passer.
You say that there were declines at the WR, OL, and QB positions. Yeah, whose fault was that? Other than losing Maye at WR, it was pretty much the same guys. The QB was the same guy. And the OL was full of JUCO recruits that TC brought in and promised more "roadgraders". I'll agree with you, "thank god for the RBs". Their talent created gains on their own, not the slight scheme changes that leaned on the running game or any roadgrading blockers.

TC HAD to bring in JuCo guys because Limey left the cupboard completely bare. Your position makes sense. Is it safe to assume you are also one who expects PJF's staff to have immediate success or, at the very least, not take a step backward?

 

[PitinoFan]

If you fall to a dumpster fire level of a program, like with Brew, average feels pretty good. I like that our expectations are now at a level where we can demand to compete for Big 10 championships. And hope we stay there.

Until they spit up the conference into East and West, it was never realistic to demand to compete for Big Ten championships. It's a whole new ball game now. Too many people who think it's pie in the sky forget they were a good second 1/2 against Wisconsin away from playing in the Big Ten championship game two years ago.


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[KGF]

TC HAD to bring in JuCo guys because Limey left the cupboard completely bare. Your position makes sense. Is it safe to assume you are also one who expects PJF's staff to have immediate success or, at the very least, not take a step backward?

I believe anytime a major change occurs that it will take at least a year before you can EXPECT improvement. That's not to say that it couldn't happen immediately, but it depends on how the inherited talent fits the schemes of the new staff.
And Claeys had a few OLs that he pushed out to make room for his JUCOs.

 

[KillmeNow]

The first time I saw TC standing on the sidelines I was yelling,"what the F are you doing?" We had the ball 1st and goal at the half yard line with 19 seconds left and a timeout!! We were running motion and barely got the play off. We should have had 4 plays to score a touchdown, but instead because of his incompetence we were lucky to have two. We lost the Jug that night and I was in denial the whole walk back to my car!!

Last year we had the easiest schedule we will ever have in the B1G, so this 9 wins is so overblown to me. Before the season, looking at that schedule and knowing we had an experienced senior QB I was expecting to win at least 9 games. It should have been our 2015 Iowa season. With that schedule we would have averaged 9 wins or more with mason or kill as the coach. What were our signature wins? Northwestern and Washington State? TC was 0-5 in trophy games in less than a year and a half and I could not consider it a great year when we lose to both Iowa and Wisconsin.

I've heard TC is a nice guy and he would have probably kept our program in the middle of the B1G West, but he wasn't getting anyone excited about the program. PJF has a chance to build something here that we haven't had in over half a century, and I for one am as excited about it and it sounds like his recruits are excited about it also.

Ditto!!

 

[KillmeNow]

Claeys was 9-4. Remind us how many coaches won 9 games at UMN. Remind us how many won 9 games in the first full year as head coach.

Fleck may or may not win that many next season, but if he is elite, as you believe, then 10 wins is the minimum expectation every year.

So far, Fleck has zero wins at Minnesota. Let's wait to see what the win-loss record is after next season. Who will you blame if ten wins is not accomplished? My guess is you'll blame Claeys, the kids he recruited and the "scandal." You'll give Fleck a pass and say "wait for next year." The cycle of revolving football coaches will continue as you pine for the next flash in the pan. Patience is not the way of the Gopherhole.

Yeah, and those 9 wins were SO IMPRESSIVE, that not a single rating service included the Gophers in their Top 25 rankings.


The team that TC coached was Kill's team basically. Had Kill still been the coach, I would have EXPECTED a 10 win regular season, maybe even 11 wins. But instead we got stuck with TC against one of, if not THEE easiest scedules the Gopher's may ever play against and could only muster 8 wins.

 

[BarnBoy]

I'm not questioning, just genuinely curious if you're willing to share some examples. I know it could be tricky since it might involve some enrolled players. Some fans are under the mistaken assumption coaches agree about everything (so no decisions should be questioned) and nothing could be further from the truth.

Without getting into specifics or positions, there were several recruits the coaching staff was excited about that Claeys vetoed. Everything went through Claeys. Lots of frustrated assistants.

 

[Pompous Elitist]

Hmm, I can think of a few. For one I was genuinely excited about Ta'amu and supposedly the staff backed off in favor of McLaurin which I found perplexing.

 

[Johnnyboy18]

Hmm, I can think of a few. For one I was genuinely excited about Ta'amu and supposedly the staff backed off in favor of McLaurin which I found perplexing.

Another is the kid that stayed committed to NDSU when Fleck offered.

 

[Oregon Gopher]

Some guy gave a speech in Washington DC today and said he was going to make America Great Again.

Nice slogan - looks good on a bumper sticker. Can he make it happen? I don't know, and I'm going to wait and see what happens.

That is how I also feel about Fleck. Lots of slogans and bumper-sticker material - but he hasn't coached a game yet at the U of MN (or any other major-conference program). Can he succeed? I don't know, and I'm going to wait and see what happens.

In my book, Blind Faith is the name of a rock band - not a philosophy for living your life.

You're aging guys like us SON with that reference!


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[KillmeNow]

So a question for all of you out there trying to convince everyone that this season's 9-4 record was so impressive, especially for a so-called "first year coach", tell me why NO ONE ELSE outside of Minnesota, and a large percentage of Minnesota fans even, weren't impressed?


And many of you keep bringing up how past coaches/Gopher teams couldn't muster up 9 wins???


How many games did they play in the past? How many teams got invites to bowl games in the past?

 

[GopherinFlorida]

Since I live in the heart of SEC/ACC country (NW Florida) and have many rabid football fans as friends down here, I can say without hesitation that they are aware of MN over the last 5 years. One of my good friends who is a Florida booster even sought me out when we fired Claeys to ask why after such a good season and bowl game. When I told him he was shocked. MN firing a 9-4 Coach for anything less than personally committing the sexual assault or punching the AD in the face is ludicrous to most football fans outside of MN.

 

[1983]

Forget everything else - what the TE recruit said at the end is WHY Claeys was fired. There's no telling if Fleck will succeed, but at least we have somebody that believes it is possible. As time passes I get more and more convinced that Claeys was just filling a role. He was highly competent - but not outlandishly ambitious. I'm so excited. Fleck's energy, as a head coach, is as important as any trait you can ask for in that position.

Brewster said all the same things and we know how that ended. Saying and doing are two different things. Lets see of there will be any doing of what is said.

 

[Tully55]

Ditto!!

"Ditto? Ditto, you provincial putz?"......Hedly Lamar---Blazing Saddles

 

[nemo1107]

Brewster said all the same things and we know how that ended. Saying and doing are two different things. Lets see of there will be any doing of what is said.

Fleck is not Brewster...I'm so tired of hearing this comparison. Brewster was never more than a position coach and sweet talked his way into the HC role. You can't deny that Fleck delivered results in the four years he was at WMU. Regardless of the competition level of the MAC, he improved his team every year.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

Fleck is not Brewster...I'm so tired of hearing this comparison. Brewster was never more than a position coach and sweet talked his way into the HC role. You can't deny that Fleck delivered results in the four years he was at WMU. Regardless of the competition level of the MAC, he improved his team every year.

It's a Minnesota thing, we're allergic to flashy talk or something. Can't see beyond it.

 

[tikited]

Some guy gave a speech in Washington DC today and said he was going to make America Great Again.

Nice slogan - looks good on a bumper sticker. Can he make it happen? I don't know, and I'm going to wait and see what happens.

That is how I also feel about Fleck. Lots of slogans and bumper-sticker material - but he hasn't coached a game yet at the U of MN (or any other major-conference program). Can he succeed? I don't know, and I'm going to wait and see what happens.

In my book, Blind Faith is the name of a rock band - not a philosophy for living your life.

I happen to know for a fact that Clapton is a big Fleck guy. Winwood wanted Les Miles.

 

[Pompous Elitist]

Blind Faith - one of the more disturbing album covers in rock history.

Now Cream, that's a band. The incredible drumwork of Ginger and the guitar of Clapton doesn't really come through at all in these low quality youtube vids but just incredible stuff.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uF5_hEbniVc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[charliedontsurf]

Blind Faith - one of the more disturbing album covers in rock history.

Now Cream, that's a band. The incredible drumwork of Ginger and the guitar of Clapton doesn't really come through at all in these low quality youtube vids but just incredible stuff.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uF5_hEbniVc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Agreed

 

[BarnBoy]

Since I live in the heart of SEC/ACC country (NW Florida)...

Ah, man. I had always pictured you in a hooded Gophers sweatshirt running up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art whilst eating a philly steak sandwich. Now you're telling me that's wrong?

 

[RodentRampage]

If Brewster had been successful here, we'd love all of his quirks. If he had taken the Gophers to the Rose Bowl, that Rose Bowl turf would have been a sacred relic here.