Next Gopher Head Coach

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4MyBoyz said:
Let me know your thoughts.
Tom Brown, grew up in Woodbury, played basketball at Winona State. Head assistant coach at Winona State when they went to championship game 3 years, 2-time national champs. Took head coaching job at West Texas A & M. Program was in shambles, turned it around and have been to elite 8 last 3 years in DII and are equipped to make a run this year.
Assistant coach Chris Gove played hoops at Winona State and was a coach for both runs at Winona State and West Texas A & M with Brown.
Current assistant at West Texas A & M, Quincy Henderson played in all the championship games under Brown and Gove at Winona State.
Gove and Henderson both grew up in Wisconsin.
Proven track record, ties in the Midwest. All of the players these three played with now have kids in high school.
Brand new to this forum, what do you think?
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Maybe in 10 years after they move up a couple of times.
 


1. Musselman
2. Belein

3. Smith
4. Dutcher
5. Medved
6. Gates


7. Tim Miles
8. Porter Moser


20. Ryan Saunders


59. Sam Mitchell
 


howeda7 said:
1. Musselman
2. Belein

3. Smith
4. Dutcher
5. Medved
6. Gates


7. Tim Miles
8. Porter Moser


20. Ryan Saunders


59. Sam Mitchell
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I like your list. I would however put Ryan Saunders at 99999999999th. He's terrible. I'm not sure I would hire him to coach a top level high school team. And to be honest, that is probably the level he is looking at if he wants to say in the game.
 


If Gates is No. 1, that makes me equal parts excited and nervous. Hiring someone with 2 years or less of head coaching experience is what we did last time, and it didn't quite work out. Obviously this guy is not that guy, but it's the same sort of risk.

Smith is a much surer bet coaching-wise. I do think the evidence points to Gates having better recruiting potential based on his Florida State successes.
 

Bad Gopher said:
If Gates is No. 1, that makes me equal parts excited and nervous. Hiring someone with 2 years or less of head coaching experience is what we did last time, and it didn't quite work out. Obviously this guy is not that guy, but it's the same sort of risk.

Smith is a much surer bet coaching-wise. I do think the evidence points to Gates having better recruiting potential based on his Florida State successes.
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One good season in a terrible conference.

We need to aim higher than this. This hire would be another reach IMO. I would rather a guy that had success at D2 for a long period.

He might be great. But I agree that this kind of track record is similar to the same type of hire Pitino was. Give me a guy that has run a program for awhile, can teach, and been successful. I don't even care the level.
 

Bad Gopher said:
If Gates is No. 1, that makes me equal parts excited and nervous. Hiring someone with 2 years or less of head coaching experience is what we did last time, and it didn't quite work out. Obviously this guy is not that guy, but it's the same sort of risk.

Smith is a much surer bet coaching-wise. I do think the evidence points to Gates having better recruiting potential based on his Florida State successes.
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We will find out soon too cause Smith will get hired at Utah. So hopefully Gates succeeds here and Smith turns Utah back into what it was with Majerus. If Gates doesn't it could look ugly for Coyle.
 

Go Gophs said:
One good season in a terrible conference.

We need to aim higher than this. This hire would be another reach IMO. I would rather a guy that had success at D2 for a long period.

He might be great. But I agree that this kind of track record is similar to the same type of hire Pitino was. Give me a guy that has run a program for awhile, can teach, and been successful. I don't even care the level.
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It seems true that the U is under a great deal of pressure to make a minority hire. I personally don't believe in making a hire primarily based on skin color...and I've been a practitioner of affirmative hiring.
 



Bad Gopher said:
If Gates is No. 1, that makes me equal parts excited and nervous. Hiring someone with 2 years or less of head coaching experience is what we did last time, and it didn't quite work out. Obviously this guy is not that guy, but it's the same sort of risk.

Smith is a much surer bet coaching-wise. I do think the evidence points to Gates having better recruiting potential based on his Florida State successes.
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I agree. Smith is the most Wisconsin-esque coach out there. Not flashy, not a high end recruiter yet, but he will put his system in place and win a lot of games immediately. The floor is very high for him.

Gates is riskier, but I see him having a ton of success recruiting locally immediately. Will it translate to wins right away? Time will tell.

Based on Coyle's past, and always specifically calling out recruiting as a priority, tells me he's leaning Gates.

Smith is my first option, but I would also be happy with Gates.
 

Bad Gopher said:
It seems true that the U is under a great deal of pressure to make a minority hire. I personally don't believe in making a hire primarily based on skin color...and I've been a practitioner of affirmative hiring.
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You are probably right and this would be another checkmark on my list in how this school and it's administration just doesn't get major college athletics.

That said, Gates could be great! It's just at best another reach.
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
I agree. Smith is the most Wisconsin-esque coach out there. Not flashy, not a high end recruiter yet, but he will put his system in place and win a lot of games immediately. The floor is very high for him.

Gates is riskier, but I see him having a ton of success recruiting locally immediately. Will it translate to wins right away? Time will tell.

Based on Coyle's past, and always specifically calling out recruiting as a priority, tells me he's leaning Gates.

Smith is my first option, but I would also be happy with Gates.
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I like both Smith and Gates. Each, I believe, brings their own strengths to the table. I could see Coyle discussing with them how he sees the fit and make suggestions on the composition of their staffs. They, of course, would be free to say yah or naye. Gates strength is probably stronger in recruiting so it might be suggested to bring in an older assistant who has strength in the X’s and O’s. Coyle might see Smith as a strong tactician and culture builder but needing help in bringing in a strong recruiter.
 

I can hear Coyle's hire of a new coach.

COYLE: coach we want you to be our gopher coach.

COACH: how has the team performed recently?

COYLE: It will be an opportunity for you to establish a legacy.

COACH: Who are the current players?

COYLE: The U is providing you the opportunity to develop your own players.

COACH: So your telling me your program has been unsuccessful and the cupboard is bare!

COYLE: I wouldn't say that. True the players that were instrumental in our big victories are gone but we do have players who are confident in their abilities

COACH: So you have shooters who can't shoot but keep shooting, who can't play defense but are confident they can out score their opponents and players who don't or won't listen to their coach...right?

COYLE: Well we are willing to pay 2m a year with a 4 year contract and a 3m buy out. OK?

Coach: I'll start tomorrow right after I let the HS principal know I'm leaving...oh by the way can my grandmother get free passes to the game?
 



Watching Colgate tromp the Hogs early, Gopher fans won't see much difference between a Pitino offense and Musselman's. Lots of 3's and lots of misses.
 

Coyle is in a tough spot. The pressure to hire a coach of color, and the pressure to hire the best coach regardless of color.

IMHO, hire someone who can coach and recruit very well. This trumps everything else. It's big boy cajones time.
 



manderson1984 said:
We will find out soon too cause Smith will get hired at Utah. So hopefully Gates succeeds here and Smith turns Utah back into what it was with Majerus. If Gates doesn't it could look ugly for Coyle.
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Are you saying Smith to Utah is a sure thing? I could see him desiring the MN job ahead of the Utah job and wanting to see how the MN hiring plays out before deciding to go to Utah.
 



Can't go wrong with Gates or Smith. I am excited for both.

Smith has proven himself. You can't go wrong with him. Proven track record as HC

Gates is much more of the upside candidate, but more downside too. Gates has done a good job as a recruiter at FSU, but always tough to get a crack as a HC. He has proven, albeit in a short time, that he can be a good head coach, in addition to the recruiting work he did as an assistant.

In my mind, Gates will be a better recruiter, leading to the possibility of big time outcomes. But maybe his coaching won't cut it and the BT level and we are starting over again in 5 seasons.
 




GopherPete said:
Are you saying Smith to Utah is a sure thing? I could see him desiring the MN job ahead of the Utah job and wanting to see how the MN hiring plays out before deciding to go to Utah.
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I think we choose Gates over Smith. Then yes Smith will be a shoe in for Utah.
 



nightmare scenario: Smith turns down off, takes Utah Job, Gates turns down offer, takes Marquette job. Gophers hire Ryan Saunders
 



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