Sports Huddle: Coach Kill, 7/10/11

DL65

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Today's Sports Huddle summary of coach Kill's responses to Sid and Dave's queries:

1) Brainerd visit: "It was great." Met with a lot of fans Thursday evening and the next day for a golf outing. "We have passionate fans in the area." Brainerd coach, Ron Stolski, is head of the state high school coaches association. We have great relationships with the coaches and must continue to develop relational foundation.

2) Spring high school football: Southern states are deeply involved in spring ball, whereas Midwest and northern states it's non-existent (culture thing). Killl went on to say, during the home game schedule and after they've finished pre-games preparations, assistant coaches will attend Friday night games to scout potential recruits (reportedly that hasn't been done at Minnesota in the past).

3) Coach Kill is visiting several state locations this month, however, he'll devote four or five days with his staff to script two-a-day practices and what they want to do during fall camp. Coaches taking turns for vacations this month . . . recharge their batteries for the upcoming season.

4) Bill Miller: Most of Kill's coaching staff followed him to the U. However, he wanted to hire a coach that was familiar with Minnesota and recruiting. Bill Miller fits that bill, and Kill has known Miller for a long, long time. "Not too many in the coaching profession who don't know Bill Miller."

5) Coaches will spend the last two weeks of July preparing for two-a-days. In truth, two-a-days for the coaches wiill start the last two weeks of the month. Coach Kill doesn't expect too many changes for the returning players; however, there could be position changes for incoming freshmen . . . finding a place for each player. 105 players will be in for the two-a-days. "A lot of work to do before the start of two-a-days." And, "We'll find out who's committed during two-a-days."

6) Recent verbals: "So far, so good." " What happens in February is most important. Who wants to play and be at the University of Minnesota."

7) Early signing period: "Two signing periods could be a good thing, but then recruiting would go out earlier." Need to make changes for the good of the game, but, more importantly, what's good for the kids. "We sometimes forget about the kids."

8) Open practices: Kill in his travels around the state has indicated that some of his early sessions of two-a-days may be open to the public. Kill said he'll be meeting with staff and then decide the issue. Kill wants the state to know that the Golden Gophers is their team!

9) High school coaches helping the U recruit: Kill wants the state's high school coaches calling each other talking up Minnesota and top players should stay in Minnesota. "We want to keep the best players in state."

10) JC player signed: John Raabe had a great spring at tight end in the classroom (3.8 GPA).
G'Shaun Harris has work to do - work habits must change. Malcom Moulton - two-a-days will show what he can do." "Josh Campion (prep school) had an outstanding spring and worked hard in the classroom. He had a ton of reps in spring - looks to be a great asset."

Go Gophers!!
 



Without DL65 I would not get any updates on Coach Kill's Sports Huddle visit. Thanks, gazillions, DL. You have lots of free beers coming when people meet you in person. You, my friend, deserve it.

Thanks again.

Doc
 

Thanks "65"

Would love to buy you a coctail at the Alumni Center this fall. Your updates have been great.
 


Thanx DL. I always look forward to your Sports Huddle summaries.
 

I'm in agreement with all the posters and all the people who view your post. Great job!
 

Thanks to all that enjoy the Sports Huddle summaries

Thank you for your many gracious remarks. I'm glad you appreciate and find the updates interesting.

A tall cool one sounds great, especially on sweltering days such as this weekend.

Go Gophers!!
 

A tall cool one sounds great, especially on sweltering days such as this weekend.


Count me in for a free one as well......love the updates. Great to see some of the passion you've expressed througout the years! Thanks for your efforts......
 




not my strong point, nor internet etiquette. :)
 

Today's Sports Huddle summary of coach Kill's responses to Sid and Dave's queries:

2) Killl went on to say, during the home game schedule and after they've finished pre-games preparations, assistant coaches will attend Friday night games to scout potential recruits (reportedly that hasn't been done at Minnesota in the past).
I don't know about anybody else but this is disturbing. Anybody know why in the past Minnesota didn't scout potential recruits?
 

I don't know about anybody else but this is disturbing. Anybody know why in the past Minnesota didn't scout potential recruits?

The U couldn't afford to rent multiple helicopters every Friday night...
 



I don't know about anybody else but this is disturbing. Anybody know why in the past Minnesota didn't scout potential recruits?

Not distrubing at all. I am not sure it's the best use of the coaches time to have them out at a high school game "scouting" unless the purpose is to "show love" ie Brewster's helicopter ride. The staff will have access to video footage of most potential recruits games which allows them to focus in on a player, rewind, rewatch, etc. Depending on the school, this will be "all 22 footage" which is shot from up high and allows the coaches to see the entire play develop. Further, the vast majority of local kids are available for camp in the summer where the coaches can put the kids through various drills. Minnesota has always scouted potential recruits, they just didn't send coaches out on Friday night's prior to Gopher home games to look at kids.
 

My choices are:

A. Listen to Coach Kill on The Sports Huddle.
B. Read DL65's recap.

I choose B.
 


I don't know about anybody else but this is disturbing. Anybody know why in the past Minnesota didn't scout potential recruits?

Not disturbing in the least. This is MN, not Florida. There are very few HS games here with more than one or max 2 players that are B10 level players that the Gophers would be interested in. Its understandable that you don't want to send an assistant out the night before a game to go watch 1 guy unless as someone already said the purpose is just to show your face/colors. It may be good for relationship building but for actual scouting purposes its probably not all that efficient unless you really need to see a guys body language or attitude throughout the game
 

That's what makes good relationships with HS coaches so important. The Gophers coaches can't scout every school. But in principle, even the smallest 9-man school could have players with D-I talent. If so, the Gophers need to know about it. If there are good lines of communication between the Gophers and HS coaches, the Gophers coaches will hear about this talent.
 

Minnesota has always scouted potential recruits, they just didn't send coaches out on Friday night's prior to Gopher home games to look at kids.

I know with 100% certainty that assistant coaches for both Mason and Brewster attended Minnesota high school games on Friday nights when NCAA rules permitted. I believe there are some NCAA restrictions that won't allow coaches to attend games at certain times on the in-season calendar. But, when allowed, assistants were at games all over the region. Brewster even had staff members attend high school games on occasion when the team was on the road (i.e. coaches attended high school games in Florida the night before we played Florida Atlantic).
 

Brewster even had staff members attend high school games on occasion when the team was on the road (i.e. coaches attended high school games in Florida the night before we played Florida Atlantic).

When they drove off and left all the players stranded alone at the airport without supervision or transportation, right?
 

My take/conecture . . .

regarding assistant coaches attending Friday night games: a) (See item 1 - We have great relationships with the coaches (high school) and must continue to develop relational foundation.) By scouting the games in person they are showing the coaches that they are truly interested in Minnesota high school football and what the coaching fraternity is doing, as well as potential recruits (A sound way of building a relationship is showing you're truly interested in the other party). If your asking the coaches to talk up Minnesota Gopher football, they need to show reciprocal interest. b) Additionally, maybe the coaches will be focusing on the little things that are not caught on film, i.e., how the players react on the sidelines with teammates and coaches (chemistry). Are they focused on the game and connected to their teammates? Are they aloof "doing their own thing?" Coach Kill, in an earlier Sports Huddle segment, related how the coaches try to ascertain a player's attitude to the team concept.

Kill: "We'll find out who's committed during two-a-days." When he made that comment, yesterday, I immediately thought back to last week's Sports Hudddle when he said he expected to have the full allotment of scholarships to tender this recruiting season. Of course, he's probably sending a message to all scholarship and walk-ons that there are no guarantees when it comes to who will see the field - only the committed need apply.

Go Gophers!!
 

Even the Minnesota High School Coaches have GOT to realize that...

getting the Gophers ready to WIN Big Ten Football games is the MOST important thing the Coach and his Coaching staff can EVER do. For Big Ten football coaches, if they do not win enough Big Ten games it will not matter in the least what kind of relationship with the high school coaches they have.

A Big Ten Coach has to be ALL about Big Ten Football all week long during Big Ten Football Season.

Losing too many Big Ten Football Games will get a Big Ten coach fired really quickly. The high school players and coaches need to be put in perspective here. IF their egos need to be stroked too much...maybe things are not in perspective.

Run a completely clean program, graduate ever increasing numbers of student athlete players and WIN Big Ten Football Games and the rest will take care of itself.

; 0 )
 

When they drove off and left all the players stranded alone at the airport without supervision or transportation, right?

I think the unsupervised portion of the night actually came at the team hotel, not the airport, but I don't recall the entire story, other than the seniors weren't exactly thrilled about it.
 

I think the unsupervised portion of the night actually came at the team hotel, not the airport, but I don't recall the entire story, other than the seniors weren't exactly thrilled about it.

Oh, so you mean that dinkything was lying when he told us that the coaches drove off and left the players standing alone in the airport as soon as the plane touched down? I find that hard to believe.
 




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