Reusse blog: Warnath captains and meeting with Coach Kill

[Gold Rush]

No, it wasn't obvious that Brewster was going to fail. It was a big risk hiring a coach with so little experience in the hopes that recruiting would save the day. Colorado just hired a tight ends coach to be their head coach, time will tell how that hire goes. Giving a coach a chance isn't garbage.

I agree. When you get a new coach in you have to give him time to rebuild the team the way he wants to and recruit his players. That's just being fair to the guy and giving him a chance. I didn't like Brewster coming in and changing a highly successful offense in favor of his spread offense which he insisted was the way to go, but you have to give him the benefit of the doubt and realize it is his show. You just hope that he knows what he is doing.

With Kill, you have to give him some time and see what he can do. My guess is with the transition we will start out slowly but unlike Brewster's first year, I bet the team gets better as the season goes on (that was the first major red flag with Brewster) I bet there are fewer stupid penalties and I bet the tackling will be better. The bottom line is you have to give a new coach some time as it isn't easy switching new schemes around. That is why it was absolutely insane to change the offense around every year - from the spread, to let's pound the rock, to pro style and I imagine if Brewster would have stuck around we would be running the veer next year just to try something different. Only a very inexperienced, rookie coach would do something like that.

 

[Formo]

Is his first name not 'Patrick?' Sorry I used his *name*.

Could that reason be that he hasn't had much positive to write about for 40 effing years? Brewster sucked from day one. 'Reusse' knew it, he said it. You don't agree? I do.

I'm not asking for duckies and bunnies. I'm asking for, when I read an article on my sports teams, is objectivity. Reusse is far from that. I'm not arguing Brewsters ability to coach. But to say Reusse 'knew it' is a huge stretch. He formulated that opinion via the information he collected and stated that opinion early. Which again, is fine. It's his delivery and his bashing of anything that he doesn't agree with that makes him so hated by many Gopher faithful.

My issue has always been that he never even gave the guy a chance. I'm happy that he seems to like Kill because maybe we'll see more objectivity in his columns.. Maybe.

 

[Gold Rush]

I'm not asking for duckies and bunnies. I'm asking for, when I read an article on my sports teams, is objectivity. Reusse is far from that. I'm not arguing Brewsters ability to coach. But to say Reusse 'knew it' is a huge stretch. He formulated that opinion via the information he collected and stated that opinion early. Which again, is fine. It's his delivery and his bashing of anything that he doesn't agree with that makes him so hated by many Gopher faithful.

My issue has always been that he never even gave the guy a chance. I'm happy that he seems to like Kill because maybe we'll see more objectivity in his columns.. Maybe.

Reusse's job is to help sell newspapers, which is a dying business with the internet taking over. Reusse doesn't have to be objective or even fair, he just needs to be controversial enough to get people talking. What he writes is his opinion and if you like it, fine and if you don't then this world will still continue to exist. I am in the minority here in thinking Reusse and Souhan do a pretty good job and although they might write some things I might disagree with they do write some things that give a new perspective and bring up some very valid points. They aren't reporters, they are opinion writers and you can take it or leave it and that's fine.

For me, the writer that I think is a hack is Bob Sansevere. He mainly does the Q and A with some local sports figure and I just skip over it. Not that I think he is too negative, I just think that he is boring - he is kind of like having a bad high school writer on the staff and whatever they pay him is too much.

Anyways, any positive press on our Gophers is a good thing so let's just enjoy it while we can!!

 

[go4rob]

I think the M men need to rebuild their credibility in light of savegopherfootball.com and dumb*&^!#*&^!#*&^!#*&^!# punter, aka millions2spare.

Edit: What the he!! is the matter with dumb sh!t.

WRONG! Maturi is the one who needs to rebuild HIS credibility!

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

Furthermore, dude was an effing tight ends coach in the NFL. What is that, like 3 guys? Forgive me if I thought it was quite a leap to take over a Big Ten football program of 100+ players, 50 coaches, recruiting, TV, radio, hiring, firing, and the list goes on-and-on. I never predicted his failure, but I sure thought is was a risky hire. When he changed offensive coordinators the SECOND TIME, I knew it would never work. That is brutal.

So you don't like Reusse. I get it. That's fine. But why would you apologize for an overmatched coach who had no business getting the job in the first place? Folks sure didn't show Dan Monson the same courtesy. Nor should they have.

You didn't like it when he switched coordinators for the 2nd time? That is the switch that bothered you? Of all the things that Brewster did poorly, the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back in your world was the firing of Fisch?

I don't think most of the people who didn't call for Brew to be fired before this season (because I think pretty much everyone was ok with him being fired when he was), thought that he was simply not given enough time to come to the conclusion that he couldn't turn it around. The comparison to Monson was a bad one on your part because Monson got 8 seasons, so yeah, Monson was not only afforded that courtesy but it was extended by an additional 4 seasons.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

Whatever. Patrick will never win with you. When he's right, he got lucky; when he's wrong you call him an idiot. Face it, dude, Patrick had Brewster pegged from day one.

The vast majority of coaches who are hired to take over a bad program do not have success. It was a good prediction but he wasn't exactly going out on a limb with his opinion.

 

[Maximus]

Point is, turns out he was right, but he made up his mind too quickly to make an objective distinction. I'm glad he seems to be giving Kill more rope.

Great point. Reusse did to Brew the exact same thing he did to Kevin Love. Called the trade for him a disaster after watching him play once in an exhibition game. He gets zero credit in my book for being "right" about Brew.

 

[oak_street1981]

The vast majority of coaches who are hired to take over a bad program do not have success. It was a good prediction but he wasn't exactly going out on a limb with his opinion.

I'd hardly say that Brewster inherited a "bad" program. The team had been bowl games several years in a row, and won some of them against solid teams. The team also killed most the NC teams it played, and had a chance to win any Big Ten game on the schedule most years. The years of knowing any OSU or Michigan game would be 47-7 almost every single year were over.

The Mason program hardly qualified as a bad program, and if Kill gets it back to where it was in a year or two most people will be thrilled.

It is true that anyone with half a brain knew rather quickly that Brewster was a fraud and would very soon implode the program.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

I'd hardly say that Brewster inherited a "bad" program. The team had been bowl games several years in a row, and won some of them against solid teams. The team also killed most the NC teams it played, and had a chance to win any Big Ten game on the schedule most years. The years of knowing any OSU or Michigan game would be 47-7 almost every single year were over.

The Mason program hardly qualified as a bad program, and if Kill gets it back to where it was in a year or two most people will be thrilled.

It is true that anyone with half a brain knew rather quickly that Brewster was a fraud and would very soon implode the program.

I didn't mean my post to rip Mason and i'm still not ripping Mason, however, go back and look at our roster for the 2007 football season and you will see what I meant about Brew inheriting a tough situation.

Again, i'm not ripping on Mason, some of the problems were well outside of Mason's control (losing 4 key players to the Alex Daniels incident, being fired so late depleted our chance of bringing in more players, etc.) but the fact of the matter is that Mason's 2006 team wasn't a very good football team and it graduated or lost 15 of it's key players. Brew's 2007 team was extremely young and probably the least deep team I remember playing in the Big 10. That 2007 team started/played as much as starters 8 freshman. Like I said, I am not blaming Brew or Mason for that 2007 team, it's just a terrible situation that was handled bad.

I agree though, the Mason program was a pretty average program, he won in the Big 10 at the same rate as Dan Monson. It was better than the Brew regime, but it was pretty average.

 

[AhliBobwa]

Whatever. Patrick will never win with you. When he's right, he got lucky; when he's wrong you call him an idiot. Face it, dude, Patrick had Brewster pegged from day one.

Obese Patrick is that you?

 

[AhliBobwa]

The only thing Reusse knew from day one is that he didn't like Brewster's over-the-top personality. It had nothing to do with whether or not he was going to succeed with the Gopher's. Reusse was NEVER going to like Brewster no matter how many games he won.

The same goes for you. You had no idea what kind of coach Brewster was going to be. All you knew at the time was that you didn't know him. And for that reason alone I have no doubt that you have been hoping the Gopher's would fail miserably under Brewster so you would be able to brag about having predicted it. For that reason you have zero credibility as a Gopher fan.

STANDING OVATION

 

[GopherJake]

You didn't like it when he switched coordinators for the 2nd time? That is the switch that bothered you?

Um, yeah, that did bother me. First he hires a spread OC - with little existing personnel suited. Then, he can't get along with him so he cans him. Fine. In Dunbar's place, he hires Fisch. Honestly, I knew nothing about him at the time of hire, other than to know he ran a pro style offense, not the spread. Curious. Odd choice, considering we had a 'stud' spread QB in waiting.....

Turns out, Fisch is, like Brewster, clearly overmatched. Fisch tries to show how smart he is by having a playbook the size of War and Peace, confusing everyone along the way, including probably himself.

So, after one year, Fisch leaves, forcing a third OC in 3 years. At that point, it was over. Very difficult to get a team on track when you change the offense every year. Not to mention what was going on over on the defensive side of the ball. I was done with Brewster at that point, yes.

The comparison to Monson was a bad one on your part because Monson got 8 seasons, so yeah, Monson was not only afforded that courtesy but it was extended by an additional 4 seasons.

Ok, yes, he was given a long leash by Maturi. Too long by most observers, including dozens on this site. He should have been fired after the 03-04 season when Kris Humphries' dad was running the locker room and the team won 3 conference games. And if it wasn't for Vincent Grier, I was convinced he would have been fired after the 04-05 season. That said, you are right that the media wasn't calling for his head in year 3 or at his opening press conference.

Monson had head coaching experience and success. Both things that Brewster can't claim. He also wasn't a blowhard. But he was equally overmatched **to the task**. That was one hell of a situation he inherited. That said, he needed to be fired and by the end, folks were considering a hanging in effigy.

So I'll grant you a half-point on that one. Both were overmatched, but the media granted him more slack - with good reason, if you ask me.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

Ok, yes, he was given a long leash by Maturi. Too long by most observers, including dozens on this site. He should have been fired after the 03-04 season when Kris Humphries' dad was running the locker room and the team won 3 conference games. And if it wasn't for Vincent Grier, I was convinced he would have been fired after the 04-05 season. That said, you are right that the media wasn't calling for his head in year 3 or at his opening press conference.

Monson had head coaching experience and success. Both things that Brewster can't claim. He also wasn't a blowhard. But he was equally overmatched **to the task**. That was one hell of a situation he inherited. That said, he needed to be fired and by the end, folks were considering a hanging in effigy.

So I'll grant you a half-point on that one. Both were overmatched, but the media granted him more slack - with good reason, if you ask me.

Thanks for the 1/2 point.

 

[GopherJake]

Thanks for the 1/2 point.

Sure thing!

I guess where I'm coming from is that I was with Reusse at the time. I did not like the hire AT ALL at the time. I thought it was a risky hire with no DC, OC or head coaching experience. I didn't like all this BS cheerleader garbage about Rose Bowls. Then we were losing to Hyphen State schools and coaching turnover was ridiculous. In this particular case, my first impression was right on. Is my first impression always spot-on? No. But it was this time.

Happy holidays!!

 

[Stan The Caddy]

I think the M men need to rebuild their credibility in light of savegopherfootball.com and dumb*&^!#*&^!#*&^!#*&^!# punter, aka millions2spare.

Edit: What the he!! is the matter with dumb sh!t.

I know for a fact that not all "M" men were in agreement with savegopherfootball.com. Just thought you should know. Do not lump them all together.

 

[diehard]

If you want to point the finger outside the U administration for failed Gopher football (not much reason to do so), the lethargic fan base has done nothing to effectively force the U to rebuild the football program. The M Men at least care about the program enough to take on the administration for their total incompetence over 4 decades whether they are a part of SGF or not.

That misguided punter knows more about D1 football in his little puntin' toe than the lethargic fan base in total. Doesn't mean he did the right thing, just means he passionately cares about turning the program around. Still a dumb move.

Place the blame where it belongs. The U administration.

 

[station19]

I know for a fact that not all "M" men were in agreement with savegopherfootball.com. Just thought you should know. Do not lump them all together.

I'm sure that you are correct. What I am saying is savegopherfootball .com became the face of the "M" men.(whether right or wrong). Perception becomes reality. They came accross as a disruptive group trying to promote their own agenda.

 

[diehard]

What was their agenda as it came across to you?

 

[littlebigboy]

Station 19, the M men were not trying to promote their own adjenda!!! All they wanted is a seat at the process. If Maturi the Idiot, would have sat down like Coach Kill did with the past winning captains, the whole thing would have never happened. The main group of M men were not promoting any specific candidate, no matter what you heard. The process was terribly flawed, however time will tell,but it seems that Coach Kill is a good choice. A Murray type throwback. Lets stop the BS and get behind Coach Kill and Gopher Football.

 

[The 12th Man]

Station 19, the M men were not trying to promote their own adjenda!!! All they wanted is a seat at the process. If Maturi the Idiot, would have sat down like Coach Kill did with the past winning captains, the whole thing would have never happened. The main group of M men were not promoting any specific candidate, no matter what you heard. The process was terribly flawed, however time will tell,but it seems that Coach Kill is a good choice. A Murray type throwback. Lets stop the BS and get behind Coach Kill and Gopher Football.

How do you know the process was flawed? What do you actually know about the process or the agendas of the various groups?

 

[station19]

Station 19, the M men were not trying to promote their own adjenda!!! All they wanted is a seat at the process. If Maturi the Idiot, would have sat down like Coach Kill did with the past winning captains, the whole thing would have never happened. The main group of M men were not promoting any specific candidate, no matter what you heard. The process was terribly flawed, however time will tell,but it seems that Coach Kill is a good choice. A Murray type throwback. Lets stop the BS and get behind Coach Kill and Gopher Football.

Having a seat at the process is a rather vague statement. Maybe JM could have handled his association with the M club(or portions of) better.

What I am trying to say is their public comments(website and ad in MN Daily) were ill timed and made them and the program look bad. The search was already in process and they came out blasting Maturi and the administration. At that time what could they expect to happen. Start over with the process.

I'm sure their intentions were good, but their ill timed public stance was a negative.

 

[Unregistered User]

The search was already in process and they came out blasting Maturi and the administration.

Agreed. They really should have been questioning Maturi behind screen names and shouting in all capital letters that if Maturi is "allowed" to make this hire they are going to cancel their season tickets, or at the very least boycott games.

 

[littlebigboy]

The Initial group contacted Maturi the week after Brew. was fired. The other groups formed later, and may have had a different adjenda, I don't know that. But I do know that the group that met with Kill had contact with Maturi immediately and were shown the door.

 

[Stan The Caddy]

I'm sure that you are correct. What I am saying is savegopherfootball .com became the face of the "M" men.(whether right or wrong). Perception becomes reality. They came accross as a disruptive group trying to promote their own agenda.

Got ya. Fair point.

I know for a fact that there are "M" men who were just as disgusted with savegopherfootball.com as we were.

 

[station19]

Got ya. Fair point.

I know for a fact that there are "M" men who were just as disgusted with savegopherfootball.com as we were.

Now that's the story I would like to hear. Would it have been wise for the M club to come out and say that savegopherfootball.com was not an official voice of the M club, or even made a public comment about Adam Kelly???