Shooter: Alumni and assorted boosters are pushing Ryan Saunders, the ex-Gopher who is an assistant for the Denver Nuggets, for the Gophers head job.


Great guy, great wife, great kids.

But no. We deserve someone better as a college head coach.
Hypothetically, if they hired Saunders, the last three coaching hires would have had a total of one year of college head coaching experience combined. In a perverse way, it would be perfect.
 


In search of non-P4 coaches who would love to step up into Big Ten money pools, here is a potential list of coaches that might be swayed to MN not named Dutcher.

Wayne Tinkle (Ore. St.) $8.7M--2027
Cuonzo Martin (Missouri St.) $600k--'28/'29
Craig Smith (Utah) $1.8+$100k/yr--'26/'27
Greg McDermott (Creighton) $1.37M base--'27/'28
Shaka Smart (Marquette) $2.2M+ --'29/'30
Tony Bennett (Virginia) $?

That's a short list, and would not be without complications/expensive buyouts. Others potentially on the list had either longer contract renewals recently. Not really options.

James Jones (Yale) $? --'30/31
Niko Medved (Colo St.) $1.7M-$2M --'30/31
Lamont Paris (So Carolina) $3.75M-$5M --'29/30
Frank Martin (UMass) $1M+bonuses --'28/'29
TJ Otzelberger (Iowa St.) $2.5M-$3M --'32

Personally, IF MN continues to falter and CBJ gets fired, I don't think the hire will be from the NBA unless its someone who has a lot of "wow factor" for potential recruits/transfers. Would have to be an epic hire away from NBA money/glam. MN needs to figure it out, above my pay grade.
 











In search of non-P4 coaches who would love to step up into Big Ten money pools, here is a potential list of coaches that might be swayed to MN not named Dutcher.

Wayne Tinkle (Ore. St.) $8.7M--2027
Cuonzo Martin (Missouri St.) $600k--'28/'29
Craig Smith (Utah) $1.8+$100k/yr--'26/'27
Greg McDermott (Creighton) $1.37M base--'27/'28
Shaka Smart (Marquette) $2.2M+ --'29/'30
Tony Bennett (Virginia) $?

That's a short list, and would not be without complications/expensive buyouts. Others potentially on the list had either longer contract renewals recently. Not really options.

James Jones (Yale) $? --'30/31
Niko Medved (Colo St.) $1.7M-$2M --'30/31
Lamont Paris (So Carolina) $3.75M-$5M --'29/30
Frank Martin (UMass) $1M+bonuses --'28/'29
TJ Otzelberger (Iowa St.) $2.5M-$3M --'32

Personally, IF MN continues to falter and CBJ gets fired, I don't think the hire will be from the NBA unless its someone who has a lot of "wow factor" for potential recruits/transfers. Would have to be an epic hire away from NBA money/glam. MN needs to figure it out, above my pay grade.

Utah, South Carolina and Iowa State are P4 schools, and Creighton and Marquette are considered Power Five being in the Big East with budgets quite comparable to most anyone in the nation.
 

It’s def a crazy idea on the surface, but we shouldn’t just think it doesn’t have a chance. With this being NIL era, selling NBA connections and opportunities to play early for a coach who can have his guys stop by may be beneficial. He has experience even tho it wasn’t the greatest, but if he gets real vets as assistant which Ben wasn’t able to do, this would definitely be more productive than Ben era
 



It’s def a crazy idea on the surface, but we shouldn’t just think it doesn’t have a chance. With this being NIL era, selling NBA connections and opportunities to play early for a coach who can have his guys stop by may be beneficial. He has experience even tho it wasn’t the greatest, but if he gets real vets as assistant which Ben wasn’t able to do, this would definitely be more productive than Ben era
The idea of moving to a pro sports type of organization for college sports - at least the big ones - might be inevitable. MN could be on the forefront by bringing in a basketball GM between now and the end of the season. Won’t probably happen, but would be ahead of the curve.
 

Still looking at the names being thrown out there and wondering if you all are on drugs. What would make this an attractive job?
 


Still looking at the names being thrown out there and wondering if you all are on drugs. What would make this an attractive job?
Big Ten job, that alone is going to attract a lot of candidates. With revenue sharing starting up that may open some streams for getting and retaining players as well.
 

This.

Joan Gabel is gone, so I’m willing to give Coyle another chance. He needs to call the shot this time. No one else. Screw the search committees and politics. Absolutely have to get it right this time.
Great post. I agree, but.... My beef with Coyle is A) that he allowed her to roll him. He should have stood up for the program. B) That he was a reluctant entrant into NIL and missed an opportunity to get out in front of this. Instead he fell fatally behind. He let the elites hire the rookie and then he failed to support the coach with the current arms of war.
 


Utah, South Carolina and Iowa State are P4 schools, and Creighton and Marquette are considered Power Five being in the Big East with budgets quite comparable to most anyone in the nation.
Yea, I realized that after posting. Point being that some guys would love to be in B10 money. Amir Abdur-Rahim is another name, but he's locked up under contract until 2030 making $11M/yr.
 



Exactly! Why the hell do we even have the Carlson School of Management if it's of no help to Gopher sports?!
When it's my time to meet God (Jesus)....I wouldn't want to have to explain why I built a statue of myself.

As for U of MN sports boosters....what are the requirements to get that title?
 



Yea, I realized that after posting. Point being that some guys would love to be in B10 money. Amir Abdur-Rahim is another name, but he's locked up under contract until 2030 making $11M/yr.

Dude, are you just trolling now? That's in poor taste, if so.

For the record, the total of his contract was worth $11 million, over six years.
 








Top Bottom