Nice job by SDSU and their fine coach













OK -- so again -- why didn't we hire Brian Dutcher, who has coveted the Gopher coaching position for some time? We should have hired him about 3 coaching searches ago. They just knocked off the #1 team - Alabama- in the nation and are driving into the Elite 8.

This was a no brainer and the Gophers blew it. We should not be hiring guys who are still learning how to coach. Best wishes to Ben Johnson and we have got to give him some time but I don't think I have ever seen things so bleak as Gopher basketball the last couple years. Pretty tough watching these NCAA games because it just shows how far away we are from even competing at this level. I guess Johnson can sell playing time because guys could step right in here and play.

Best wishes to Dutcher though. I hope he takes the Aztecs all the way.
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That ship has sailed, meboy.
Congratulations to Coach Dutcher and SDSU!

Quality person, paid his dues, deserving of this moment.

Honest question: does anyone know for a fact that he would have ever taken the Minnesota job if offered… or just educated guess/speculation? After 25 years in San Diego etc, it’s hard to see him moving to Minn… maybe 10 years ago when he was younger and still an assistant.
 

If Ben doesn’t turn it around next year and a change is made I would think Dutcher would be the first call. His team today was one of the best examples of playing defense with your feet that I have seen.
 







Congratulations to Coach Dutcher and SDSU!

Quality person, paid his dues, deserving of this moment.

Honest question: does anyone know for a fact that he would have ever taken the Minnesota job if offered… or just educated guess/speculation? After 25 years in San Diego etc, it’s hard to see him moving to Minn… maybe 10 years ago when he was younger and still an assistant.
He signed a contract extension at SDSU in Sept. 2020 that included the reduced buyout language for Minnesota, so as recently as then he clearly had interest. Coyle’s time to shoot his shot with Dutcher was just six months later, in March 2021, and he choked. I highly doubt he’ll ever get another bite at that apple.
 


I understand what you’re saying, but let’s not sit here and say that Dutcher was a no-brainer hire on the Gopherhole Lots of posters preferred Smith, Medved , or others. Hindsight is 20/20.
He may not have been a no-Brainerd vs the field, but would have been vs the eventual hire.
 

It felt good to have genuine excitement about a college basketball game. Im gonna use a deep fake program to put on gopher jerseys on SDSU and replay that later tonight.
 

He signed a contract extension at SDSU in Sept. 2020 that included the reduced buyout language for Minnesota, so as recently as then he clearly had interest. Coyle’s time to shoot his shot with Dutcher was just six months later, in March 2021, and he choked. I highly doubt he’ll ever get another bite at that apple.
I don't know if I'd completely rule it out as the buyout exception is still there.

Feels like it depends on if Dutcher wants the challenge of rebuilding the program he grew up on and how much that means to him.

At this point in San Diego, he's a stud and could easily ride that job into retirement. Wouldn't blame him for that option either.

It just feels unlikely we ever see him running the U program.
 


Equality of opportunity vs equity of outcome.
 

Congratulations to Coach Dutcher and SDSU!

Quality person, paid his dues, deserving of this moment.

Honest question: does anyone know for a fact that he would have ever taken the Minnesota job if offered… or just educated guess/speculation? After 25 years in San Diego etc, it’s hard to see him moving to Minn… maybe 10 years ago when he was younger and still an assistant.
He would have bought his own plane ticket here.
Specifically added lower buyout to his contract for THIS job.
 

I don't know if I'd completely rule it out as the buyout exception is still there.

Feels like it depends on if Dutcher wants the challenge of rebuilding the program he grew up on and how much that means to him.

At this point in San Diego, he's a stud and could easily ride that job into retirement. Wouldn't blame him for that option either.

It just feels unlikely we ever see him running the U program.
Do we know that buyout exception is still in his contract? He restructured it right after we passed him over so it may have been taken out.
 


Being underqualified at his salary is no picnic, this is why I wish both sides could figure out a way to agree to a reduced buyout to move on now. Another year of this pays Ben $2M more but only further hurts his chances at getting back to the HC level someday.
But that is not the vision that the Minneapolis Spokesman-Recorder has for Ben.....
 






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