Maturi's best option

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Don't agree. If Brew doesn't work out - and we won't know that until Nov. 27, the U should go for a big-time winning head coach, as we did when we brought in Bierman, Warmath and Holtz. We have a beautiful stadium, a great university, a jewel of an urban setting, a rich football tradition - there is no reason we can't find a Fry or Alvarez to build a winner. When you hire coaches with losing records like Wacker, and coaches with NO head coaching experience, like Gutekunst and Brewster, you get what you deserve. Petersen of Boise State would be a perfect fit - spend the money and go to a full court press to get him - the challenge for a still young coach would be going up against Michigan, Penn State, Nebraska, Ohio State, with the Rose and other BCS bowls as reward. Starting next year Nebraska will be cleaning our clock and cherry-picking our best high school kids for their program - they'll be playing in the Big Ten, after all, will be the argument. We have to make a move - this year or next - and get the best: a winning 1A head coach who relishes the challenge and wants to stay awhile.
 


What's predictable is how simple minds think that skepticism and cynicism are a substitute for intelligence and discourse.
 

howeda7 said:
I can see the Brew die-hards are slowly dragging themselves back on the bandwagon after jumping off in the aftermath of losing to a bad I-AA team. That's fine, it's a free country and I'm not really surprised.

The reality is that Brew cannot coach at this level, and he cannot recruit nearly well enough to overcome this deficiency. While it may be easier to 'learn' how to coach then it is to 'learn' to recruit, the Big 10 is too high of a level to be learning how to coach. Period. And that is what we tried with Brew. And he has failed. Period. I don't want to hear about the recruiting class he has coming in, etc. Unless it is top 20, he will still have inferior talent to the top 5-6 schools in the Big 10. Added to inability to coach it means nothing will change.

I understand the feeling of not wanting Maturi to make the next hire. But let's examine what you are suggesting. This team is going to get no more then 4 wins tops. TCF will have blocks of empty seats if he's retained. Revenue will drop. They will be trying to install a new QB next year. They have to play at USC and Syracuse in NC. They have to play Wisc, IA, Nebraska, Michigan, etc. in conference play. There will be a new President and possibly a new AD. Unless Brew comes out of the gate beating USC in LA with his new QB, he will be behind the 8-ball from the word Go, and be even more of a dead-man walking then he is right now.

All that keeping him around another year will accomplish is keeping this program twisting in the wind that much longer. Meanwhile we will miss out on what currently appears to be a decent batch of viable replacement candidates. As Jeremy Foley says, what must be done eventually should be done immediately. It's over for Brew barring a miracle. I'm fine giving him a few more weeks to try and pull off said miracle. But if we're sitting 4-7 or worse going into the Iowa game, it will be time to pull the plug and move on.
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http://www.forums.gopherhole.com/boards/showpost.php?p=257440&postcount=13
 



Why would anyone in GopherHole trust Bruininks and Maturi to fire Brewster this year and then hire the type of coach who is going to be able to take the Gophers to the next level? What in their background convinces you they are willing and able to make the right decisions that you will support?

Given the huge budget problems at the U, and a militantly liberal faculty many of whom opposed the building of Gophers Stadium, why do you think the money is going to be there to allow the Maturi to hire a big time coach?

What if Bruininks and Maturi make the wrong decisions and we end up with a coach who can't get the job done? Are you still going to keep your season tickets and support the team?
 

bga1 said:
Like it or not folks Maturi's best move would be to tell the press that Brewster is his man right now. He should say he likes the way Brewster recruits and that he likes the staff and direction Brewster has now settled on. He should also say that he believes our current players are young and will only get better and that Brewster has a great recruiting class on the way. He should say that we are going to have to be patient to get where we want to go. He should also admit that mistakes have been made but that he sees the corrections in place.

Here are the reasons:

1. This president and AD are not going to hire a major league big time coach. There is no Tubby Smith waiting in the wings for this program- that was just plain lucky. A big time coach is going to look at our budget and our history and say-"No way."

2. We do have better talent than in the past. The surest way to stop that trend is to kill another recruiting class by going through a whole season of uncertainty. I can't believe that Brewster will hold onto a good class if he is not supported and I'm doubtful that anything other than a Holtz level hire would stabilize the class that is now being recruited.

3. I think the players like the coach and so do recruits. I have no knowledge to support that, but I've never heard a negative coming from players or ex players. The assistants of the past - that's different, mistakes were made there.

4. I think this is the best way to assure that the players we have perform at the highest level and improve this year- building momentum for next year.

5. Next year Brewster's first batch of recruits will hit their senior year. He should have the chance to develop them that long.

6. Waiting all year will be a PR nightmare. He will take some lumps standing behind Brewster but once it's done most of the pain will be over.

I don't think Brewster is a great coach- but I think he could be in time. I think he's a passionate recruiter and coach and we definitely need that here. One breakthrough year and this guy could recruit some big time players. We need a new AD and a new president. When that happens they can reassess the whole program, including the budget to determine if we are realistically going big time.
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BGA- I enjoyed this post although I disagree with you on most of your points.

1. We heard a lot of people claim that a big name coach would not come to Minnesota when Mason was fired. I remember people specifically claiming that people were "dreaming" when names like Charlie Strong and Lane Kiffin were brought up. I would agree that we can't hire the football equivalent of Tubby Smith (would that be Les Miles?), but I think the Gophers would have plenty of high profile candidates interested again.

2. Recruiting- I think Brewster brought in a weak class this year and this years recruiting has not been promising so far. I think it kills recruiting to be on the "hot seat". If Brewster is kept around for next year, we will have 3 straight classes that were recruited by a coach on the hot seat, which I certainly don't want. I see recruiting falling down yet another level if Brewster goes 6-6 or worse this year and has to recruit for 2012. Who in their right mind would commit in the fall of 2011 knowing that Brewster absolutely has to win 8 regular season games to be there coach?

3. I agree that Maturi should support Brewster publicly, and I also agree that the players and recruits seem to like Brewster.
 

EG#9 said:
BGA- I enjoyed this post although I disagree with you on most of your points.

1. We heard a lot of people claim that a big name coach would not come to Minnesota when Mason was fired. I remember people specifically claiming that people were "dreaming" when names like Charlie Strong and Lane Kiffin were brought up. I would agree that we can't hire the football equivalent of Tubby Smith (would that be Les Miles?), but I think the Gophers would have plenty of high profile candidates interested again.

2. Recruiting- I think Brewster brought in a weak class this year and this years recruiting has not been promising so far. I think it kills recruiting to be on the "hot seat". If Brewster is kept around for next year, we will have 3 straight classes that were recruited by a coach on the hot seat, which I certainly don't want. I see recruiting falling down yet another level if Brewster goes 6-6 or worse this year and has to recruit for 2012. Who in their right mind would commit in the fall of 2011 knowing that Brewster absolutely has to win 8 regular season games to be there coach?

3. I agree that Maturi should support Brewster publicly, and I also agree that the players and recruits seem to like Brewster.
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EG9
1. I think we agree more than you think. If we can get a great coach, real high profile, then go for it. I don't think we can. Look at the names that are flying around- not a great list. I hope I'm wrong.
2. It is a huge problem that Brewster is on the hot seat. I was shocked when a kid verbaled on the day we lost to SDU. I can't imagine recruiting under these circumstances. That's why I stated that Maturi should throw his full support behind him now and say that the program is on the right track and Brewster is his man (unless of course that high profile coach wants to come here which I HIGHLY doubt).
 



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