Next Gopher Head Coach

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Prior to the Mountain West tournament I wanted Musselman or Dutcher or Medved. I was not high on Smith because he doesn't feel like an exciting hire but the more I watch Smith coach he has jumped to my number 1 spot. He is one of the best in-game coaches around and everywhere he has gone he has won. He develops players and creates a system that maximizes his players abilities. He is so prepared for every situation and runs great plays that really stresses defenses. He kind of reminds me of a Brad Stevens with his sets and how he always has a play for every situation.
 

Not concerned with winning fast. I want to win for a long time and it is better to build it right. Even in the early losing fans should ne able to see the signs of great habits. Constant effort, taking quality shots, low and wide on defense, all connected to each other every possession committing to making it difficult to score on. You build that culture on the assumption that you can evaluate better than most but your first guys fit and buy in to the non negotiable. When you create your culture, your identity you will attract players that will be molded into winners. All easier said than done but great teachers bring out the very best in players and teams.
 

wyogopher said:
Prior to the Mountain West tournament I wanted Musselman or Dutcher or Medved. I was not high on Smith because he doesn't feel like an exciting hire but the more I watch Smith coach he has jumped to my number 1 spot. He is one of the best in-game coaches around and everywhere he has gone he has won. He develops players and creates a system that maximizes his players abilities. He is so prepared for every situation and runs great plays that really stresses defenses. He kind of reminds me of a Brad Stevens with his sets and how he always has a play for every situation.
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Great post.
 

MplsGopher said:
I just don't see Muss as even reasonable to include in a ranking. But I suppose if you can name anyone you want, then he would have to go above Smith. Agree with the rest of your list. Don't see why we couldn't get 2 or 3, so looks like Medved is out.
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For the most part I agree, but given Musselman’s ties to Minnesota it would be a fireable offense for Coyle to not at least reach out to him.
 

mkAz said:
For the most part I agree, but given Musselman’s ties to Minnesota it would be a fireable offense for Coyle to not at least reach out to him.
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I’m asking cause I don’t actually know the answer. Does Eric honestly have any ties to MN or the U besides his dad being a HC here for a short amount of time?
 


builtbadgers said:
Not concerned with winning fast. I want to win for a long time and it is better to build it right. Even in the early losing fans should ne able to see the signs of great habits. Constant effort, taking quality shots, low and wide on defense, all connected to each other every possession committing to making it difficult to score on. You build that culture on the assumption that you can evaluate better than most but your first guys fit and buy in to the non negotiable. When you create your culture, your identity you will attract players that will be molded into winners. All easier said than done but great teachers bring out the very best in players and teams.
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This is the way without a doubt.
 

Can anyone refresh my memory on when we hired Pitino? I don't remember his name being thrown around as the next gopher coach. I believe at the time he was a surprise hire but that had something to do because others turned the job down. I am wondering if all this talk on the next coach on here is actually going to be somebody we don't expect.
 

wyogopher said:
Prior to the Mountain West tournament I wanted Musselman or Dutcher or Medved. I was not high on Smith because he doesn't feel like an exciting hire but the more I watch Smith coach he has jumped to my number 1 spot. He is one of the best in-game coaches around and everywhere he has gone he has won. He develops players and creates a system that maximizes his players abilities. He is so prepared for every situation and runs great plays that really stresses defenses. He kind of reminds me of a Brad Stevens with his sets and how he always has a play for every situation.
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I am also high on Craig Smith. Read this article. This is the kind of guy I want running our program:

www.sltrib.com

Utah State basketball coach Craig Smith has exceeded expectations in his first season with the Aggies

<b>Logan</b> • At the beginning of the season, the Utah State men’s basketball team was picked ninth in the Mountain West Conference preseason poll.
www.sltrib.com www.sltrib.com
 

wyogopher said:
Prior to the Mountain West tournament I wanted Musselman or Dutcher or Medved. I was not high on Smith because he doesn't feel like an exciting hire but the more I watch Smith coach he has jumped to my number 1 spot. He is one of the best in-game coaches around and everywhere he has gone he has won. He develops players and creates a system that maximizes his players abilities. He is so prepared for every situation and runs great plays that really stresses defenses. He kind of reminds me of a Brad Stevens with his sets and how he always has a play for every situation.
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Completely agree with this. Smith has really changed my mind in watching his team play.

Give Musselman a call so you can do your due diligence, but then get Smith locked up.
 



manderson1984 said:
I’m asking cause I don’t actually know the answer. Does Eric honestly have any ties to MN or the U besides his dad being a HC here for a short amount of time?
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Looks like he was an assistant with the Timberwolves for a year, and coached lower level professional team in South Dakota for a few years in the 90's. Beyond that, I'm not sure.
 

manderson1984 said:
I’m asking cause I don’t actually know the answer. Does Eric honestly have any ties to MN or the U besides his dad being a HC here for a short amount of time?
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No, besides the one year as an assistant for the twolves. His wife has also said many times she hates cold weather. Muss is more of a west coast guy. He grew up in San Diego.
 

JoshuaT81 said:
Can anyone refresh my memory on when we hired Pitino? I don't remember his name being thrown around as the next gopher coach. I believe at the time he was a surprise hire but that had something to do because others turned the job down. I am wondering if all this talk on the next coach on here is actually going to be somebody we don't expect.
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Everybody was too busy sniffing around Shaka Smart to pay attention to any other candidates.
 

DallasGopher said:
No, besides the one year as an assistant for the twolves. His wife has also said many times she hates cold weather. Muss is more of a west coast guy. He grew up in San Diego.
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I’ve read/heard the stuff about his wife hating cold weather too. I still get so confused why he even gets brought up.
 



Chicago Gophers said:
Everybody was too busy sniffing around Shaka Smart to pay attention to any other candidates.
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Yeah, And then Hoiberg, and Saunders, and about 6-7 other guys who turned down the job. Pitino was a desperation hire after Teague wife’s continually at ridiculous names.
 

manderson1984 said:
I’ve read/heard the stuff about his wife hating cold weather too. I still get so confused why he even gets brought up.
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I think there was always a low-level connection with him due to his dad dating back to when Eric was at Nevada. Most people knew that ship had sailed when we didn't make a move and he took the Arkansas job, but it was Reusse's Tweet about Musselman having interest that revved that engine again, even though it's likely BS and a classic Reusse troll job.
 

manderson1984 said:
I’m asking cause I don’t actually know the answer. Does Eric honestly have any ties to MN or the U besides his dad being a HC here for a short amount of time?
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Dad coached gophers and twolves.

Eric lived here for a period and was an assistant for the twolves for a season.

Fun fact I just learned, Eric (in a GM role for the Rapid City Thunder when he was like 23) actually hired Flip Saunders to be the coach.
 

mkAz said:
For the most part I agree, but given Musselman’s ties to Minnesota it would be a fireable offense for Coyle to not at least reach out to him.
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Yes, but you or I will never know if Coyle reaches out to him. ADs aren't going to leak candidates who tell them they're not interested
 

JoshuaT81 said:
Can anyone refresh my memory on when we hired Pitino? I don't remember his name being thrown around as the next gopher coach. I believe at the time he was a surprise hire but that had something to do because others turned the job down. I am wondering if all this talk on the next coach on here is actually going to be somebody we don't expect.
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My God man, this is Gopherhole, there is no chance of getting someone we do not expect.
 

manderson1984 said:
Yeah, And then Hoiberg, and Saunders, and about 6-7 other guys who turned down the job. Pitino was a desperation hire after Teague wife’s continually at ridiculous names.
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If people were turning us down then, why wouldn't they turn us down now? Or was not having the Athlete's Village a deal breaker back then?
 

paulser21 said:
Dad coached gophers and twolves.

Eric lived here for a period and was an assistant for the twolves for a season.

Fun fact I just learned, Eric (in a GM role for the Rapid City Thunder when he was like 23) actually hired Flip Saunders to be the coach.
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Yeah I know the stuff with his dad, but never fully understood how that equates to him. Especially if it didn’t end well at the U?
 

GopherJack said:
If people were turning us down then, why wouldn't they turn us down now? Or was not having the Athlete's Village a deal breaker back then?
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Couple reasons. Yes our facilities are better. We also have a competent AD and more admin support. Coyle also isn’t going after ridiculous names. Plus Tubby was well liked and gets fired after winning a game in the tourney. The last one is not as big as the first three.
 


Zeppelin Gopher said:
Ladies and gentlemen, your next Gopher head coach...Steve Alford!!
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manderson1984 said:
Couple reasons. Yes our facilities are better. We also have a competent AD and more admin support. Coyle also isn’t going after ridiculous names. Plus Tubby was well liked and gets fired after winning a game in the tourney. The last one is not as big as the first three.
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I think the talent base here is intriguing as well.
 

manderson1984 said:
I’m asking cause I don’t actually know the answer. Does Eric honestly have any ties to MN or the U besides his dad being a HC here for a short amount of time?
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Yea, it’s really not much. If we are comparing it to other fan bases and their irrational coaching candidates: He’s probably slightly more likely to take our job than Jon Gruden was to take the Tennessee football job, and slightly less likely to take our job than Brad Stevens is to take the Indiana basketball job.
 

manderson1984 said:
Couple reasons. Yes our facilities are better. We also have a competent AD and more admin support. Coyle also isn’t going after ridiculous names. Plus Tubby was well liked and gets fired after winning a game in the tourney. The last one is not as big as the first three.
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Yeah I do remember the national perception of “Who does Minnesota think they are?” We’d just won a tournament game, and 3 tournament appearances in 6 seasons was considered a more than adequate level of success at a job like Minnesota. There could have been an outside perception that we had unreasonably high expectations.

Locally I think people thought the Gophers would bottom out hard with Tubby in 2013-14, after two lackluster recruiting classes in a row for 2012 and 2013, and then losing Trevor Mbakwe and Rodney Williams. Pitino got some big contributors in the spring and exceeded expectations in year one by barely missing the tournament and then winning the NIT.
 

WriterGoph said:
Yes, but you or I will never know if Coyle reaches out to him. ADs aren't going to leak candidates who tell them they're not interested
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Maybe, maybe not, word often leaks from someone.
 

manderson1984 said:
I’ve read/heard the stuff about his wife hating cold weather too. I still get so confused why he even gets brought up.
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Yeah, I'd written him off as a possibility until that jackwad Reusse claims he has interest and then you hear rumors that Coyle wants to pursue him. And then you remember Coyle getting his man (Fleck) when few gave us a shot to pull that off. All that leaves us at, you never know.
 




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