Matt Simon has been let go

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howeda7 said:
Should have been Harbaugh. At least Fruechte already knows where the supply closet is...
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OC in waiting likely or if needed. Ties back to Kill years. I like it.

I have been concerned with the seemingly small network Fleck has. Worked mainly under Schiano and got HC job young. Would he ever make a splash coordinator hire? We will see. This stuff is so year to year now at every position.
 
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No idea the relative talent of the players, but FWIW, here are the UND players in the portal. Obviously Fruechte would have relationships...

forum.siouxsports.com

2025-2026 Transfer Portal

Figured this topic warranted it’s own thread. https://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/college/und-football-transfer-portal-tracker-for-2025-26?fbclid=IwdGRleAOv1ZFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeo0TRdUxKOpwk81eVSWrSh3zs-gPM7qfFT_ePHAYtG-vBzh9tvJv2ZT6S17I_aem_hOKm104pPhLyljySRd-Po...
forum.siouxsports.com
 




Sounds like a conversation that had to have taken place at breakfast.
 






I don't love hiring alumni or guys with previous ties to Fleck or the program because it's easy to overlook their flaws when you're rooting for them. Fruechte seems to have solid experience though and seems like he'd be a decent hire even if he had no previous affiliation or any reason to like him.
 

Jack jones said:
Still no mention of an offensive line coach being replaced. Why??
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because of one less than ideal year? Line played fine when Darius Taylor was healthy. I didn't see Drake get sacked a lot or under duress all year. Had multiple players taken high in the draft the last few years. Its not ideal to replace the entire offensive staff.
 

GoGophersUMN said:
I don't love hiring alumni or guys with previous ties to Fleck or the program because it's easy to overlook their flaws when you're rooting for them. Fruechte seems to have solid experience though and seems like he'd be a decent hire even if he had no previous affiliation or any reason to like him.
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I generally think it's best that they leave and see how other programs are run before working for the program they played for (better for their own career, too). I think MSM is the only current staff member that hasn't worked somewhere else? But I see your point of overlooking flaws...
 

Somewhere a troll who we all blocked and likely got banned again is crying. He was convinced Matt Simon was Bill Walsh :ROFLMAO:
 


There was a reason Simon was never named outright as OC. He did help develop several NFL receivers and looks like Fleck tried to grow him further but did not materialize.

Funny though that most Gopher Holers have complained about hiring too inexpensive (and inexperienced) assistants and seems like going further that way.
 

Scottsdale Gopher said:
I generally think it's best that they leave and see how other programs are run before working for the program they played for (better for their own career, too). I think MSM is the only current staff member that hasn't worked somewhere else? But I see your point of overlooking flaws...
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Mo coached elsewhere last year but if it wasn't for his playing career, I think a lot of people would be questioning why we hired someone with 1 year of experience coaching the second worst run offense in the MAC. The run game isn't all on the RBs and performance isn't all on the coaches but I hope he's a good enough coach that other competitive Big 10 schools were going after him or would have if they had a need.
 

GoGophersUMN said:
Mo coached elsewhere last year but if it wasn't for his playing career, I think a lot of people would be questioning why we hired someone with 1 year of experience coaching the second worst run offense in the MAC. The run game isn't all on the RBs and performance isn't all on the coaches but I hope he's a good enough coach that other competitive Big 10 schools were going after him or would have if they had a need.
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Counterpoint, Mo was a top 5 running back all time for the U. (oh wait does that make your point?)
 

Beerculees said:
Counterpoint, Mo was a top 5 running back all time for the U. (oh wait does that make your point?)
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If he can coach RBs to play like him then it's a home run hire but there are a lot of good players who make bad coaches and bad players who make good coaches.
 

GoGophersUMN said:
Mo coached elsewhere last year but if it wasn't for his playing career, I think a lot of people would be questioning why we hired someone with 1 year of experience coaching the second worst run offense in the MAC. The run game isn't all on the RBs and performance isn't all on the coaches but I hope he's a good enough coach that other competitive Big 10 schools were going after him or would have if they had a need.
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Mo is a legend we can deal with any growing pains (it’s not rocket science to coach RBs) and to your point about other conference teams wanting him the answer is absolutely no, but it’s also the answer for both of our coordinators.
 

GoGophersUMN said:
Mo coached elsewhere last year but if it wasn't for his playing career, I think a lot of people would be questioning why we hired someone with 1 year of experience coaching the second worst run offense in the MAC. The run game isn't all on the RBs and performance isn't all on the coaches but I hope he's a good enough coach that other competitive Big 10 schools were going after him or would have if they had a need.
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He's been with the Lions, Ravens, and Vikings as well. Maybe he was able to steal bits and pieces from those places that will be beneficial.
 

GoGophersUMN said:
Mo coached elsewhere last year but if it wasn't for his playing career, I think a lot of people would be questioning why we hired someone with 1 year of experience coaching the second worst run offense in the MAC. The run game isn't all on the RBs and performance isn't all on the coaches but I hope he's a good enough coach that other competitive Big 10 schools were going after him or would have if they had a need.
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You aren't wrong but he does check some boxes as well, biggest one being that he knows Fleck's culture and has bought in.
 

Bad Gopher said:
Is anyone else reading the tea leaves that Fleck is feeling pressure and and a sense of urgency? I feel like the Indiana experience is demonstrating, for the world to see, that elevating a moribund program to conference title contention doesn't have to take decades.
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No, but it does take a school that decides they want to win...and are willing to commit to a plan to make it happen. They also need someone who is willing to inject some serious cash into the program. Not only to go out and 'buy' better players, but, more importantly... to retain the players being developed.
 

DarrenTheGreek said:
Been an offensive coordinator for last 6 years and has done a pretty decent job at North Dakota for the last 2. Also familiar with the area and program (including it's limitations). I like it.
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Was he an OC in the sense that Simon was an OC or was he actually calling plays at UND?
 

The Deliberate Stranger said:
Was he an OC in the sense that Simon was an OC or was he actually calling plays at UND?
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There isn't a co-OC listed on their website so I'm going to it's either him or the head coach calling the plays....but since their head coach has a defensive background it leaves me to assume Fruechte was calling them.
 

GoGophersUMN said:
If he can coach RBs to play like him then it's a home run hire but there are a lot of good players who make bad coaches and bad players who make good coaches.
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And mediocre players who make mediocre coaches. And some players never coach. And some coaches never play. I have no point.
 

I wonder what all the wide receivers who left thought of Simon? We sure don’t seem to have a lot of success at the position other than the NFL caliber guys we had like Johnson and Bateman.This portal season is getting wild on day one!
 
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