Michael Rand: Updating the Gophers AD search

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If they also happen to have a tie to Minnesota, that is, as President [Eric] Kaler has said, icing on the cake," Kane said. "But it's certainly not a requirement we're walking into."

I'm glad Kaler isn't being parochial like some people around here think is necessary. As an alumnus, I say get the best person, period.

Go Gophers!
 

MNGoldenGophers1 said:
If they also happen to have a tie to Minnesota, that is, as President [Eric] Kaler has said, icing on the cake," Kane said. "But it's certainly not a requirement we're walking into."

I'm glad Kaler isn't being parochial like some people around here think is necessary. As an alumnus, I say get the best person, period.

Go Gophers!
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+1 from another alumnus.
 

Obviously I don't want someone to get the job solely because they are from Minnesota or graduated from The U, but I don't get the seemingly anti-local campaign that seems to be going on. I want them to hire the best guy (non-gendered usage of 'guy'...lay off me!) available, but I think it's stupid to ignore that being an alumnus or native Minnesotan is, in fact, a benefit. I would choose success over anything, but ideally I want to win with 'one of us' at helm.
 

GopherHomer said:
but I think it's stupid to ignore that being an alumnus or native Minnesotan is, in fact, a benefit. I would choose success over anything, but ideally I want to win with 'one of us' at helm.
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Why is it a benefit? It gets tossed out there as one but no one ever really explains the thinking behind it. I mean, if you think you have 2 completely equal candidates I can see picking the local choice as a tiebreaker. But that's also not a real likely outcome.

Also, I don't think most folks are truly "anti-local". They don't think no one with MN ties should ever be considered. It seems to me that most folks that seem opposed simply get annoyed with the parochial elements of a search because it results in underqualified folks being considered.
 


GoAUpher said:
Why is it a benefit? It gets tossed out there as one but no one ever really explains the thinking behind it. I mean, if you think you have 2 completely equal candidates I can see picking the local choice as a tiebreaker. But that's also not a real likely outcome.

Also, I don't think most folks are truly "anti-local". They don't think no one with MN ties should ever be considered. It seems to me that most folks that seem opposed simply get annoyed with the parochial elements of a search because it results in underqualified folks being considered.
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I see what you're saying, and I wasn't necessarily speaking in absolute truths. Maybe it isn't a benefit to you and that's fine. My reasoning, though, is that I would really like to see a native Minnesotan be the person to turn the athletic department around for simple homer reasons. I cheered for both Barber and Maroney, but I was always just a little more prideful of Barber because he was from here. I generally just care more about Minnesotans than non-Minnesotans. I realize the petty weirdness of my thought process, but it is what it is. I just fear that if a Minnesotan is chosen, a certain portion of the fanbase will automatically be against it and claim Barreiro-esqe parochialism.
 

GopherHomer said:
My reasoning, though, is that I would really like to see a native Minnesotan be the person to turn the athletic department around for simple homer reasons.
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I do understand this and appreciate your honesty about it. And I understand your concern about the "auto-backlash". I too have the "homer-ist pride" in my blood, but on things like big hires I try hard to ignore it. That's because letting the homer in you influence the decision (even if it's just out of a desire for pride in future successes versus a MUST BE MN NO MATTER WHAT) only makes sense if you're clairvoyant and know who will succeed and who will fail in advance. Otherwise how does wanting to puff out your chest in pride over a "Minnesota" hire help things? Since you don't know who is going to succeed you have to pick the best candidate regardless of location. Because in the end, it's the SUCCESS that's the most important thing, not whether the leader of the success was from MN or not.
 

GoAUpher said:
I do understand this and appreciate your honesty about it. And I understand your concern about the "auto-backlash". I too have the "homer-ist pride" in my blood, but on things like big hires I try hard to ignore it. That's because letting the homer in you influence the decision (even if it's just out of a desire for pride in future successes versus a MUST BE MN NO MATTER WHAT) only makes sense if you're clairvoyant and know who will succeed and who will fail in advance. Otherwise how does wanting to puff out your chest in pride over a "Minnesota" hire help things? Since you don't know who is going to succeed you have to pick the best candidate regardless of location. Because in the end, it's the SUCCESS that's the most important thing, not whether the leader of the success was from MN or not.
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I appreciate this discourse, and I realize that my homerism is, in fact, pretty irrational. In the end, I think we both just want the same thing...the best possible hire. Go Gophers!
 

GopherHomer said:
I see what you're saying, and I wasn't necessarily speaking in absolute truths. Maybe it isn't a benefit to you and that's fine. My reasoning, though, is that I would really like to see a native Minnesotan be the person to turn the athletic department around for simple homer reasons. I cheered for both Barber and Maroney, but I was always just a little more prideful of Barber because he was from here. I generally just care more about Minnesotans than non-Minnesotans. I realize the petty weirdness of my thought process, but it is what it is. I just fear that if a Minnesotan is chosen, a certain portion of the fanbase will automatically be against it and claim Barreiro-esqe parochialism.
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First of all Forget Barreiro. Of course he's against Parochialism. He's an IU guy. He can play that up whenever someone challenges him.

Moving on, here are just a couple of reasons that a qualified M-man/ woman would be preferred if all other things are equal:

Loyalty to the U.

Most people are wired to be loyal fans of the school they attended or their home state.

Understanding of rivalries

Two examples would be.

1. Mason understood the significance of beating OSU and Michigan, but didn't seem to understand how important it was to the fanbase to beat Iowa or Wisconsin.

2. Michigan went away from a Michigan man in Rodriguez, then back with Hoke. Hoke seems to get it (their rivalry with OSU).

Not to say it can't happen, See Alvarez, but an M person/ Minnesota native should understand from the start(Maturi-excluded).

It falls in line with what Kill is trying to foster. Minnesota pride, love for the Gophers from the womb to the tomb.

Not that a person with no ties to Minnesota or the University of Minnesota can't have the same desire, but it just seems that a person with such ties would want it just a touch more.

Again only if everything else is equal.
 



GoAUpher said:
Why is it a benefit? It gets tossed out there as one but no one ever really explains the thinking behind it. I mean, if you think you have 2 completely equal candidates I can see picking the local choice as a tiebreaker. But that's also not a real likely outcome.

Also, I don't think most folks are truly "anti-local". They don't think no one with MN ties should ever be considered. It seems to me that most folks that seem opposed simply get annoyed with the parochial elements of a search because it results in underqualified folks being considered.
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GopherHomer said:
Obviously I don't want someone to get the job solely because they are from Minnesota or graduated from The U, but I don't get the seemingly anti-local campaign that seems to be going on. I want them to hire the best guy (non-gendered usage of 'guy'...lay off me!) available, but I think it's stupid to ignore that being an alumnus or native Minnesotan is, in fact, a benefit. I would choose success over anything, but ideally I want to win with 'one of us' at helm.
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My biggest issue is that the only people that people keep bandying about are massively flawed candidates with "Minnesota" connections: Najarian, Dungy, Mason, Stein, Nanne, etc. It's ridiculous. Out of one side of the mouth its "Minnesota is not important" but out of the other it's this group...

That's all.
 

highwayman said:
My biggest issue is that the only people that people keep bandying about are massively flawed candidates with "Minnesota" connections: Najarian, Dungy, Mason, Stein, Nanne, etc. It's ridiculous. Out of one side of the mouth its "Minnesota is not important" but out of the other it's this group..,
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Exactly. Until I see a "Minnesota" name mentioned that is worth considering, this is what I am concerned about.
 

The guys who should be the two finalists, in my opinion: Jim Fiore and Darrin Nelson.
 

STPGopher said:
...

It falls in line with what Kill is trying to foster. Minnesota pride, love for the Gophers from the womb to the tomb.

Not that a person with no ties to Minnesota or the University of Minnesota can't have the same desire, but it just seems that a person with such ties would want it just a touch more.

Again only if everything else is equal.
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...and what city in Minnesota did Coach Kill grow up in or when did he graduate from Minnesota? :)
Simply put - Hire the best available candidate! Who cares where they grew up, what university/college they went to, where their in-laws are from! I don't think people are trying to be anti-local, I believe they are concerned that a top notch candidate may be passed over for a lesser candidate simply because they lack local ties. Hire the best candidate available and if they happen to have local ties, great.
 



You all miss the most VITAL aspect of this search. The new AD HAS to be a FOOTBALL GUY and that is the real bottom line. ANY ad candidate that is a "football agnostic..." who believes all the sports are of equal importance to the University of Minnesota Athletic Department will be a total and absolute failure as an AD.

Do I trust that prexy k "gets that?" Not at this point in time. At this point in time all I know about prexy k is that he is playing "fast and loose" with his slush fund money in paying out half a mil to keep the failed macturi around. prexy k had BEST distance himself from the "fast and loose" policies that prexy b demonstrated in handing out big bucks to his long-time buddies and friends at the Unviersity of Minnesota on his way out the door. prexy b really messed up big time with some of the "packages" he came up with for his friends...

; 0 (

Obviously, Marc Trestman needs to be very much in the mix and probably right at the top of the list because he is a FOOTBALL GUY! Bring in a real football guy and the chance of success increases. Without a football guy...this search for and AD is doomed to failure...

; 0 )
 

...and then wren shows up and ruins the conversation.
 


GopherHomer said:
...and then wren shows up and ruins the conversation.
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Killjoy said:
That is what he does best. Everybody has a special talent and that is his.
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2254_9.jpg
 

You people deserve another "macturi-like" ad. As for me, I want a FOOTBALL GUY! And the prexys at the U of M need to be put on short leashes. What has been going on at the U for a LONG time has to be changed. You people can kiss prexy k's butt, however, I want results from the man that show he can do more than hand out slush fund money to long-time employees and "old boys..." that he owes favors to...

I hope the media and the press keep the pressure on these pin-heads like prexy k and prexy b...

; 0 )
 

What's the deal with the term "prexy?" I obviously know it stands for 'president' but I'm so sick of seeing wren use it constantly. I don't date back long enough to know what "wren" did to get banned but it couldn't have been too much worse than the deranged idiocy we have to suffer through know on a daily basis.
 


Good Question!

positively4thstreet said:
This. Also, why is this guy not banned?
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Wren has been banned from this and several other blogs but keeps on returning. He claims to be for free speech but then he often changes the conversation to his own never ending agenda. If you happen to disagree with him he immediately labels you an apologist and goes off on a tangent. This guy is a real phony and a tool and should be banned again.
 

"BAN the banners..." Those who would ban others and cry out in shameless, never ending agendas and call for the banning of good, honest posters who happen to disagree with their positions should be banned themselves. But...as always has and always will happen at the end of the day: "...the band played on..."

We NEED a football guy as the AD.

; 0 )
 

46Gophers said:
...and what city in Minnesota did Coach Kill grow up in or when did he graduate from Minnesota? :)
Simply put - Hire the best available candidate! Who cares where they grew up, what university/college they went to, where their in-laws are from! I don't think people are trying to be anti-local, I believe they are concerned that a top notch candidate may be passed over for a lesser candidate simply because they lack local ties. Hire the best candidate available and if they happen to have local ties, great.
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The point was/ is if all else is equal. My main point is we need a person that understands rivalries and the importance of returning Minnesota's sports programs to amongst the nations best. In addition, like Wren said (yeah I know) he needs to big on football.
 

STPGopher said:
My main point is we need a person that understands rivalries and the importance of returning Minnesota's sports programs to amongst the nations best.
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Someone from without ties to Minnesota is just as capable at understanding these key points (or the importance of football) as any "Minnesota" candidate would be.
 

wren

imthewalrus said:
"BAN the banners..." Those who would ban others and cry out in shameless, never ending agendas and call for the banning of good, honest posters who happen to disagree with their positions should be banned themselves. But...as always has and always will happen at the end of the day: "...the band played on..."

We NEED a football guy as the AD.

; 0 )
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Do you need to always rant about something or are you just an idiot? Get a life!
 

dpodoll68 said:
The guys who should be the two finalists, in my opinion: Jim Fiore and Darrin Nelson.
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I don't know much about Jim Fiore but I endorsed the idea of pursing Darin Nelson in another thread some time ago.
 

"...disco darin..."...oh yes, I seem to recall the way he hit the Twin Cities and the way he embraced Minnesota...He was here for a long time...he may have too many Minnesota ties, connections, etc for some, but he could join the ranks of the "football guys" such as Marc Trestman who should be considered to become the next AD at the U of M. Is he still working as an underling for Stanford AD? What has his track record been there for supporting the Football Program. I would imagine quite good. That is something to check out when the suggested candidate does have a "record" that can be examined. Provincial enough for some... not provincial enough for others...

; 0 )
 

imthewalrus said:
"...disco darin..."...oh yes, I seem to recall the way he hit the Twin Cities and the way he embraced Minnesota...He was here for a long time...he may have too many Minnesota ties, connections, etc for some, but he could join the ranks of the "football guys" such as Marc Trestman who should be considered to become the next AD at the U of M. Is he still working as an underling for Stanford AD? What has his track record been there for supporting the Football Program. I would imagine quite good. That is something to check out when the suggested candidate does have a "record" that can be examined. Provincial enough for some... not provincial enough for others...

; 0 )
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Wait a minute...you think Marc Trestman is a viable AD candidate? I would normally take a ridiculous suggestion like this as sarcasm, but I can't tell with you.
 


imthewalrus said:
"...disco darin..."...oh yes, I seem to recall the way he hit the Twin Cities and the way he embraced Minnesota...He was here for a long time...he may have too many Minnesota ties, connections, etc for some, but he could join the ranks of the "football guys" such as Marc Trestman who should be considered to become the next AD at the U of M. Is he still working as an underling for Stanford AD? What has his track record been there for supporting the Football Program. I would imagine quite good. That is something to check out when the suggested candidate does have a "record" that can be examined. Provincial enough for some... not provincial enough for others...

; 0 )
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I know that when Glen let wren carry his suitcase for him wren couldn't say enough good things about Glen. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the same reason that wren seems to be so enthralled with Trestman. On the other hand he may just be a Trestman apologist.:rolleyes:
 

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