Source tells Chad Hartman that Flip Saunders has now emerged as the leading candidate

Donate To GopherHole
Bob_Loblaw said:
I'd rather be 40 than 58.
Click to expand...

Tell me that when you are almost 66 if you are as fortunate as I have been (And I hope you are...) You see, Bob_Loblaw: each stage of life has it's positives and negatives...BUT each stage of life is GREAT. I think Flip seems to be a very "young" 58 and with his communications skills he will do just fine. In the recruiting game, with at least SOME of the kids, their parents...Moms...Dads and even Grandparents are VIP's to the kids. Flip will hold his own with anyone. And, man, if you think that some 35 year old can really communicate with a kid HALF his age, I think you had better check that out. And, any coach that doesn't have some discipline with his players has lost the battle already.

IF you are too hung up on age Bob_Loblaw, you had probably better get out there and hire a 19 year old to run the show. I really don't think anyone would think that would be a good idea...

And, NEVER forget the importance of this: Flip has kids that are still in college. You don't think he might be as "in tune" as some 35 year old who graduated from college 13 years ago. I'd say Flip can communicate with college kids...and...these hoops players WILL be student athletes...NOT just hanging around AAU gyms playing basketball all day long. Flip has a LOT of advantages over some 35 y.o.... Being older HAS it's advantages...

; 0 )
 

Someone watch Dan Barreiro at 3:30 to see what he says. Dan Cole is pretty stupid and thus unreliable, though I have more faith in Chad Hartman.
 

Let's say I was a junior in high school and the Gophers were looking for a new coach. I was being recruited by them and was a key target. I'm not certain that hiring a guy who played at the U when my dad was 9 and that got fired by the Wolves when I was 9 is going to excite me all that much.

I can put myself in this situation pretty easily. I was a JR in high school when Clem was fired. I was 9 when the Wolves fired Bill Musselman. No part of me would have been getting my chili hot about Bill Musselman. He was roughly Flip's age, he had deep ties to the U and to the state, he was a succesful coach across many levels. Sign him up.

I get the pro-Flip arguments. He's undoubtedly got a passion for the U, has the support of a lot of alumni and is a solid coach, but from the recruiting side, I don't know that his story is going to sell any better than any other coaches story, especially with kids outside the state. Is a kid from California going to commit on the spot because the coach at the U of M also played there in the 70's? If Maturi made this hire, I'd be all over it because it was a HR for Joel, but Norwood is supposed to be taking this program to new heights. If Flip is the answer, why aren't other schools begging to hire interview him?
 

SaintLouisGopher said:
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

I have no idea who this dude is but I got a kick out of his tweet. For the record I would love to see Flip get a shot if he wants it.
Click to expand...

That tweet is hilarious, but I think that 'stache disqualifies that guy as any type of source.
 

dpodoll68 said:
How many different ways do I have to explain it?

What's the single most important facet of the job for any college coach in any sport at any level?

If you said anything other than "recruiting", you're wrong.

How much recruiting has Flip done since 1986?

The same amount as I have.

Couple that with his jump-shot offense, and I'm tingly all over.
Click to expand...

Seems we went that route with Brewster. How'd that work out? How do you know he can't recruit? Prove he can't. He could be a better recruiter than everyone on the list. How do we know Shaka Smart could recruit at the Big Ten level?

Christ, the guy knows how to coach and has a passion for the team. Can we give him a chance? Saying it is a sad day for Gopher sports is over the top hyperbole. Stick to your 'facts' please.
 


Bad Gopher said:
It seems that a key selling point of Saunders is that he already has a sizable bloc of haters on this board, so we can hit the ground running in that regard. No awkward honeymoon period.
Click to expand...

Excellent point. Let's draw a line right now. Haters on the left, non-haters on the right.
 

WilliamsArenaGuy said:
Seems we went that route with Brewster. How'd that work out? How do you know he can't recruit? Prove he can't. He could be a better recruiter than everyone on the list. How do we know Shaka Smart could recruit at the Big Ten level?

Christ, the guy knows how to coach and has a passion for the team. Can we give him a chance? Saying it is a sad day for Gopher sports is over the top hyperbole. Stick to your 'facts' please.
Click to expand...

Why do people assume that the being a good recruiter means you can't be a good X and O coach?

And I agree, Why do people assume he can't recruit? He seems to have great relationships with a lot of the MN kids.
 

Asst coaches - maybe Tucker, Q. Lewis, Thorson, E Musselman, others????
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
That must be it. . . (when the numbers to fit your argument, the numbers LIE)

No, you're just spouting out nonsense. I'm not even ripping on Flip. I'm ripping on your take about Steph Marbury. There isn't a single person who watched the Wolves under Flip who wouldn't concede that his offense was based on the jump shot. That's not a rip on him, it's a fact.
Click to expand...
\

I would say if Filp does get the job his jump shot offense just might play out well in college basketball as the 3 point shot is such a huge part of the game. Of course you need shooters for this to work. Hoiberg's offense is basically taking a bunch of 3s. That seens to have wokred out ok for Hoiberg at ISU.
 





16 years as an NBA head coach will warm the recruits Chilli. Flip is a wallking PR machine for Minnesota, and once recruits meet him they will be engaged to his manner and passion for the game.

It is true, that the people who know Flip's story best are in his age group, or older. They are also the people most able to donate to facilities face lift etc.
 




WilliamsArenaGuy said:
Seems we went that route with Brewster.
Click to expand...

Where did I say that I want someone whose only skill is recruiting?

WilliamsArenaGuy said:
How do you know he can't recruit?
Click to expand...

Where did I say he can't?

WilliamsArenaGuy said:
Prove he can't.
Click to expand...

Prove he can.

WilliamsArenaGuy said:
How do we know Shaka Smart could recruit at the Big Ten level?
Click to expand...

We don't. We also don't know that Flip can. I'd rather take my chances with someone who's recruited more recently than the Reagan administration.

WilliamsArenaGuy said:
Christ, the guy knows how to coach
Click to expand...

I'd much rather have Christ.

WilliamsArenaGuy said:
and has a passion for the team
Click to expand...

So do I. So do you. Should we be legitimate candidates for coach? This is #115 on the qualifications list for me, right behind "alumnus".

WilliamsArenaGuy said:
Can we give him a chance?
Click to expand...

I'll give him a chance. I'm also allowed to voice my displeasure with the notion, or am I not allowed to have my own opinion?

WilliamsArenaGuy said:
Saying it is a sad day for Gopher sports is over the top hyperbole.
Click to expand...

I disagree. We fire Maturi to bring in Teague, and things were supposed to be different. Amateur hour was supposed to be over. Hiring Flip is a hire Maturi could've made. Hell, it's a hire my 6-year-old son could make. If we're excited about this kind of hire, what did we get rid of Maturi for? And not only that, we fire a future HOF coach coming off the most successful Gopher season in 23 years (paying him $2.5 MM on his way out the door) to hire a guy in his late 50s who hasn't coached at the college level in 27 years? It is sad on a number of levels.
 

scools12 said:
\

I would say if Filp does get the job his jump shot offense just might play out well in college basketball as the 3 point shot is such a huge part of the game. Of course you need shooters for this to work. Hoiberg's offense is basically taking a bunch of 3s. That seens to have wokred out ok for Hoiberg at ISU.
Click to expand...

Flip runs a two-point jumper offense. The worst possible strategy to score. Hoiberg jack's 3s. Huge difference.
 

From the Barn said:
Flip runs a two-point jumper offense. The worst possible strategy to score. Hoiberg jack's 3s. Huge difference.
Click to expand...

Why are people convinced Flip won't adjust his offense to the college game and to the players he has? The guy is a smart basketball coach.
 

From the Barn said:
Flip runs a two-point jumper offense. The worst possible strategy to score. Hoiberg jack's 3s. Huge difference.
Click to expand...

So your saying Flip couldn't come up with a strategy to move his offense out 5-8 feet. You are reaching way too hard to discredit Flip.
 


Everybody remembers Garnett, Sprewell and Cassell going to the line under Flip but they weren't the only ones. Hudson, Wally, Billups, and even Joe Smith went to the line over 200 times each in various seasons under Flip. Wally went to the line over 300 times in 04-05. They certainly weren't all fouled taking jump shots.

"Stop 'n Pop" wasn't the entire Offense.
 

dpodoll68 said:
Where did I say that I want someone whose only skill is recruiting?



Where did I say he can't?



Prove he can.



We don't. We also don't know that Flip can. I'd rather take my chances with someone who's recruited more recently than the Reagan administration.



I'd much rather have Christ.



So do I. So do you. Should we be legitimate candidates for coach? This is #115 on the qualifications list for me, right behind "alumnus".



I'll give him a chance. I'm also allowed to voice my displeasure with the notion, or am I not allowed to have my own opinion?



I disagree. We fire Maturi to bring in Teague, and things were supposed to be different. Amateur hour was supposed to be over. Hiring Flip is a hire Maturi could've made. Hell, it's a hire my 6-year-old son could make. If we're excited about this kind of hire, what did we get rid of Maturi for? And not only that, we fire a future HOF coach coming off the most successful Gopher season in 23 years (paying him $2.5 MM on his way out the door) to hire a guy in his late 50s who hasn't coached at the college level in 27 years? It is sad on a number of levels.
Click to expand...

We got rid of Maturi for reasons way beyond coaching hires.
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
You're missing the point, I can name some coaches who have done well with a younger team. There are plenty of coaches that take a younger team and develop them into really good NBA teams. Flip had 4 really good NBA teams. Those teams were the MV3 year (all veterans, most of them traded for or through FA) and the Detroit teams (all inherited veterans)

Teams of all rookies might NOT start out good but there are plenty of coaches who have developed young teams into being really good teams.

Flip's really good teams have been built via free agency/trade or he inherited the players.

In his defense, he has never had chance to develop a lot of young talent, outside of his stint in Washington.
Click to expand...

Come again, Marbury, Garnett, and Gugliotta made the playoffs two years in a row as 20, 21,22 year olds. Unfortanately the team disintegrated when Marbury and Gugliotta left, pretty good job when the bulk of your stars were basically college age kids.
 

jaymil said:
Why are people convinced Flip won't adjust his offense to the college game and to the players he has? The guy is a smart basketball coach.
Click to expand...

I agree. Flip is going to be a coach that actually changes his game plan between games and doesn't just sit on the bench looking frustrated when things aren't going quite his way.
 

I am also willing to predict that Flip has in-bound plays in his play book.
 

JMWZ said:
I agree. Flip is going to be a coach that actually changes his game plan between games and doesn't just sit on the bench looking frustrated when things aren't going quite his way.
Click to expand...

Don't forget "and then throws his players under the bus in the post-game press conference".
 

St Paul Gopher said:
I get the pro-Flip arguments. He's undoubtedly got a passion for the U, has the support of a lot of alumni and is a solid coach, but from the recruiting side, I don't know that his story is going to sell any better than any other coaches story, especially with kids outside the state. Is a kid from California going to commit on the spot because the coach at the U of M also played there in the 70's? If Maturi made this hire, I'd be all over it because it was a HR for Joel, but Norwood is supposed to be taking this program to new heights. If Flip is the answer, why aren't other schools begging to hire interview him?
Click to expand...


You know what, just like any other coach at the U of M Flip is going to have to use his communications skills, his intellect and the wealth of experience he has had in being around basketball players who have already proved they could play some in the NBA. He is going to have to use his ability to assess each individuals physical skills, psyche, levels of motivation, that player's ability to communicate and educational motivation...does the kid WANT to be in school? He will have the University of Minnesota to sell. He will have to assess the family situation. What is important to the young man's parents, family? What is the relationship like between the young man and his family? He will have to know his current players and how many of them he can count on to help sell the University of Minnesota Program to the young men he will be recruiting. Recruiting is about so VERY many things. Each individual is unique. Each recruit will need to be treated as an individual in the recruitment process. However, the "team approach" will always be essential to a player. And, the Assistant Coaches will matter very much too. They will need to have many of the same highly developed abilities to assess, form an interpersonal relationship with each recruit they deal with and find ways to sell the University of Minnesota Basketball Program, the University of Minnesota as an educational institution and they have ALL these positive aspects of their situation to sell. They MUST be committed to the University of Minnesota themselves to be able to honestly sell these factors though. They have to be REAL. They need to be genuine. They need to be honest. And we fans NEED to realize that the University of Minnesota may NOT be for every recruit. This is about selling and matching people up with the right fit for that recruit. You can NOT just baffle a recruit with b.s. and expect it all to work out. Recruits have a pretty good b.s. meter in most cases...as do the family members of the recruits. A coach also has to have a good b.s. meter as well. And in the end it boils down to being real...being honest...believing in your program...believing in your school and honestly caring about what is good for each individual recruit.At least, that's my perception of the way it "ought" to be... A 58 year old coach can do that just as well as a much younger person...maybe even better in some cases...

; 0 )
 





Flip's coaching history did not start in the NBA with the Timberwolves. He was an even better coach with lesser talent down in the CBA prior to that - his teams were very good. He knows how to coach, recruiting will not be an issue for a former NBA-guy, and he loves the U. What else do you want?
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom