I've been biting my tongue...but why, right? In short, I think Tauer is an excellent coach and program builder and should be considered as a candidate when Johnson is eventually sacked. In fact, if I were Coyle, I would already have made contact with his representative to gauge interest.
As SS and others have opined, interest is far from guaranteed. If I were Tauer, I wouldn't get near this smoldering pile of ash, and I would make that clear to anyone who contacts me about it. I'm not him, but if I were, I'd see this thing through for a while at St. Thomas, compete for a chance at a conference title and NCAA berth, and then later decide whether I'd want to leave my alma mater for a bigger stage. If all went well for him, he'd have a chance at a much better job than Minnesota.
I see a Tauer hire as the equivalent of the Bennett and Ryan hires at UW. Success in Division 3, seasoning and experience at the D1 level, and then shooting your shot in a power conference. Anyone with the kind of success Tauer has had should be a candidate for a Power 6 job. Anyone who wins a national championship in anything can coach and build a program. I couldn't be more impressed with the guy.
What I've always said: when all else fails, hire someone who's good at coaching basketball.
