PiPress: Continued heavy criticism could drive Joel Maturi away from Gophers AD job

[6 Nov 1999]

Joel needs to understand that, in addition to the revenue sports being your cash cows, that B1G ADs are under a microscope, and therefore, words matter. I understood the context in which he said it, but you just can't spout off quotes that allude to your football program going 0-12. Again, I understand the context, but Joel needs to understand that his "little engine that could" mentality is not good enough. As others have said, I think that he is a really nice guy and a class individual, but he is simply not cut out to be a competent AD in the 21st century; it all starts with accepting that he is running a business.

I Love Gold,

I read that "0-12" prognosis and I was sure it was a misprint by the Pioneer Press. I must have read it and reread it 4 times. Or did Joel really say that?

 

[6 Nov 1999]

And just how have you determined that JM is "not good at most aspects of the job"? That is an absolutely absurd statement. If you have some evidence that corresponds to an objective evaluation of his performance vs. his job description, then let's hear it? You've expressed your opinion and it is obviously based on ignorance. A contract being signed is NOT his job...it's a lawyer's job. JM has a signed Memorandum of Understanding that states all the term, salary, etc. for Coach Kill. Obviously the U wants some things in terms of dismissal language at minimum expense and Kill's lawyer wants the opposite. Quite normal. (And the U may have learned a few things from the Clem buyout fiasco). IMO, the opposite is true...he's done a pretty fair job for the U and he represents this state's values very well.
While I would be the first to agree that JM is not perfect (yeah he's slow to fire, but that's not a terrible human quality...and then there is Brewster), these times are incredibly difficult for raising money and you forget we got TCF under his regime...how many hundred million more do you think donors have to give and would do so if only Joel wasn't the one asking? If you think it's easy to raise money for ANY worthwhile cause these days...go for it...you'll find out it's far easier to criticize others.
JM is a known quantity...we all know what he wants to do and how he goes about it. Hiring a new guy may turn out better for us but I'll give you even odd's that there's a pretty fair possibility that the opposite will happen.

GRGOPHER,

Are you serious? Have you not paid attention to financial management of the Dan Monson / Tubby Smith and Glen Mason / Tim Brewster contract extension, dismissal, contract buyout, and new contract processes for extending, firing, and replacing these coaches? I would have thought that if there is one thing Wren posted about that you would remember, it would be this. This was a horrific waste of millions of dollars!

 

[epgopher]

I'm not going to defend or condemn JM but for those of you critical of the inability to get the baseball stadium and basketball practice facility built: what world and economy have you been living in since 2008? We are in an incredibly difficult economic environment to raise private money for these projects.

Further, two of the richest people in Minnesota have chosen to become benefactors of UST and MSU-Mankato rather than our Land-Grant University. As a native Minnesotan I am more frustrated (disgusted might be a better word) with the lame financial support of my favorite University by the citizens of this state than anything JM has done or not done.

We rank near the bottom of the BIG in both donor numbers as well as funds raised. This is a long-term phenomena that absolutely pre-dates JM's tenure. If anything, we have seen an uptick in fund-raising during his tenure.

A final observation: I've seen posts on GH from season-ticket holders who were mistakenly sent extra tickets/parking passes and have the gall to brag about keeping them or selling them for personal gain. I don't recall anyone calling them out or suggesting they donate the proceeds to the Golden Gopher Fund.

 

[6 Nov 1999]

I'm not going to defend or condemn JM but for those of you critical of the inability to get the baseball stadium and basketball practice facility built: what world and economy have you been living in since 2008? We are in an incredibly difficult economic environment to raise private money for these projects.

Further, two of the richest people in Minnesota have chosen to become benefactors of UST and MSU-Mankato rather than our Land-Grant University. As a native Minnesotan I am more frustrated (disgusted might be a better word) with the lame financial support of my favorite University by the citizens of this state than anything JM has done or not done.

We rank near the bottom of the BIG in both donor numbers as well as funds raised. This is a long-term phenomena that absolutely pre-dates JM's tenure. If anything, we have seen an uptick in fund-raising during his tenure.

A final observation: I've seen posts on GH from season-ticket holders who were mistakenly sent extra tickets/parking passes and have the gall to brag about keeping them or selling them for personal gain. I don't recall anyone calling them out or suggesting they donate the proceeds to the Golden Gopher Fund.

I am pretty damn sure that over the years I called them out, and / or Wren and Loon did also. This was before I was laid off and had to give up my season tickets. See link below.

 

[STPGopher]

WA

Thanks for the post.

I'm afraid perception has become reality. No matter what happens in the next year(even if the Gophers go to the Rose Bowl) JM will not be viewed in a good light. Sounds like he might be starting to realize that.

Careful. Perception is not reality, reality is reality. Only facts matter.

 

[epgopher]

I am pretty damn sure that over the years I called them out, and / or Wren and Loon did also. This was before I was laid off and had to give up my season tickets. See link below.

Kudos to you for doing so. I didn't mean to imply that all G'Holers were complicit. After all, I didn't call them out myself. Just wanted to make the point that it is an incredibly difficult time to fund these projects and a little introspection might not hurt.

I've met many of the 6-figure plus donors to the stadium effort (I'm not one of them, unfortunately); they are unabashed supporters of the U of M but we can only go to the well so many times. It is incumbent upon the supporters of this institution to step up to the plate if we want these projects to succeed.

 

[Maximus]

I don't doubt that. And if these were Maturi's only issues, it would be easy to give him a pass. But bad economy or not, he promised Tubby a practice facility in 2007 when he was hired. And 4 years later, not one shovel of dirt has been moved and none is on the horizon. Meanwhile, Anderson's been promised a baseball stadium for what, a decade? And that doesn't appear all that close either. That's pretty sad, no matter the economy.

As for TCF, Joel deserves some credit. But not more than Bruinicks, Mason, Carl Pohlad, Jerry Bell, Mike Opat and several members of the Legislature.

So let's see, he deserves "some credit" for TCF Bank Stadium and apparently all the blame for the lack of a practice facility/baseball stadium. Seems about right.

Ohio State announced four years ago plans for a 22 million dollar basketball practice facility. Three years later, they had raised less than five million dollars. Since they couldn't put one shovel into the ground until they got to 22 million, this year they decided to split the project up into two phases and the total cost was cut to approx. 16 million. As of three months ago, they still hadn't reached a level to start phase 1.

 

[littlebigboy]

The sooner he is gone the BETTER!