The case for and against Leach

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WAGopher said:
To me Leach's philosophy is too much like Mason's, which is put all of your best players on offense and hope the other team can't score as many points. It won't fly in the defense happy Big 10, unless every team has a down year on defense.

To be sure he has some positives, but the lack of a shut down defense and his apparent ability to rub his bosses the wrong way is enough to put him under a few other coaches I'd like to see. However, if he does get the Gopher job, I'll support him 100% and hope he can field a balanced team that can play well against anyone.
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Nebraska had one of the best defenses in the country last year. Texas Tech went in to Lincoln and blew them out 31-10. In comparison Nebraska allowed 13 points to Texas, 16 points to Virginia Tech and 3 points to Oklahoma.

Leach's offense will work in the Big Ten because our defenses aren't built to stop teams like Texas Tech. We also can make sure he pays a lot for a quality D-Coordinator. I'm not sure if you're aware but Minnesota's athletic dept revenue is well in excess of Texas Tech.
 

monk10 said:
I think this would make sense if Iowa and Wiscy ran a wing T or a wishbone. However, they have shown the ability to throw the ball as well as run. The air raid has the chance of going 3 and out quickly, or throw some momentum turning pics. It is hard for the Air Raid to stop throwing and just run the ball. So the other team gets a lot of opportunities to put points back on the board.

I guess I'd rather have such a run stuffing defense that they can't even run when they want to, then try to put up enough points to try to make them stop running the ball.
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If you want to sit at the big boy table in the BT, at some point you have to play defense. The BT has always been about running the ball and stopping the run. Guys like Tiller can have a couple of good years with the right QB (Drew Brees). It also helps if you duck OSU on the schedule, but with the new alignment next year that strategy won't work anymore.

I'm not against Leach's offense. It could really give people fits, and his record of getting immediate results with downtrodden programs who are at a recruiting disadvantage is attractive. My only concern is can he score inside the 10 against a good defense. Spreading out the field doesn't work well if there isn't any field to spread out. More importantly, can he develop a defensive identity. Mason sort of had the running version of Leach's offense. How many games did we lose where we hung 400+ yards of rushing on the opponent??? One game really sticks in my mind.
 


FargoBison said:
I'd say it more of the mantra of pretty much every Big 10 team that has won a title in the past decade. You have to be able to at least run the ball a little bit, Big 10 offenses are so physical and if you can't sustain drives your defense will be beaten into submission.
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Fine point but can you name a single Big Ten team that tried to run an offense that didn't try to run the ball?

Just because nobody in the conference has tried to pass the ball 80% of the time doesn't mean it can't be successful. The Big 12 is a very good conference--for the past five years prior to this year it was considered better than the Big Ten--and Leach and Texas Tech was very success in the conference.

Don't be close minded because you've never seen somebody try the approach here.
 

Trying to imitate OSU, WI, and Iowa with less budget, less history, and retread sconny coaches is a recipe to finish in the bottom half every year. They will run their systems better than we can copy them.
Cut the cord and blaze a new trail. Make them adjust to us. We would be a very tough matchup.
 



All the Air Raid talk aside, the real reason why I want them to look at Leach is because it would prove to me that they are serious about winning. A number of the names out there would prove nothing to me. The fact the Leach has baggage actually makes him more intriguing to me. I know that is messed up but I'm sick of losing. I don't want a cheater mind you, just a guy with a little edge. A guy who people fear and tells the damn hicks to our south and east that we want to win. A coach who will scare the crap out of opposing teams coordinators.
 

drinks at Northpoint said:
Trying to imitate OSU, WI, and Iowa with less budget, less history, and retread sconny coaches is a recipe to finish in the bottom half every year. They will run their systems better than we can copy them.
Cut the cord and blaze a new trail. Make them adjust to us. We would be a very tough matchup.
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Exactly, we can't beat them at their own game. Leach has gone to #1 for me in three days.
 

glovedgopher said:
A guy who people fear and tells the damn hicks to our south and east that we want to win. A coach who will scare the crap out of opposing teams coordinators.
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That would be the best part, Leach literally wouldn't give crap about Bielema or any other coach/ program.
 



grunkiejr said:
Nebraska had one of the best defenses in the country last year. Texas Tech went in to Lincoln and blew them out 31-10. In comparison Nebraska allowed 13 points to Texas, 16 points to Virginia Tech and 3 points to Oklahoma.
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There are always exceptions to the rule. I'm just not as excited about having a one dimensional team as some are. Yes, Leach could hire a great DC, but that still wouldn't preclude him from stacking the offense by depleting the defense, just like Mason did.

grunkiejr said:
Leach's offense will work in the Big Ten because our defenses aren't built to stop teams like Texas Tech. We also can make sure he pays a lot for a quality D-Coordinator. I'm not sure if you're aware but Minnesota's athletic dept revenue is well in excess of Texas Tech.
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So what happens when weather becomes a factor and an Air Raid team has to run the ball? I guess I'm looking for a coach that will have a good defense and an offense that can attack both on the ground and in the air. Leach is very intriguing and could be that guy, but he hasn't shown it so far even while being home in a recruiting hot bed like Texas.
 

WAGopher said:
So what happens when weather becomes a factor and an Air Raid team has to run the ball? I guess I'm looking for a coach that will have a good defense and an offense that can attack both on the ground and in the air. Leach is very intriguing and could be that guy, but he hasn't shown it so far even while being home in a recruiting hot bed like Texas.
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You'd have to go into the archives and see what TT did in windy/rainy games. I'm guessing he still threw the ball.
 

WAGopher said:
There are always exceptions to the rule. I'm just not as excited about having a one dimensional team as some are. Yes, Leach could hire a great DC, but that still wouldn't preclude him from stacking the offense by depleting the defense, just like Mason did.



So what happens when weather becomes a factor and an Air Raid team has to run the ball? I guess I'm looking for a coach that will have a good defense and an offense that can attack both on the ground and in the air. Leach is very intriguing and could be that guy, but he hasn't shown it so far even while being home in a recruiting hot bed like Texas.
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They won't, thats the point. They'll just throw anyways. The offense is designed for the QB to change the play if needed to runs, etc. I don't see it happening with Gray. He may have more options for rushing because I don't Know how good his arm is/ how good he is with x's and o's
 

Leach HAS to be considered, though hiring him would be a tough decision Maturi simply doesn't have the spine to make.

Serious question: How would he embrace the history here, traditions, etc.? I have a hard time seeing him embrace the trophy games historical significance, the rich history of the program.
Maybe it's not a dealbreaker, but I think that has to be a prerequisite of the new coach, it can't be ignored.

I'm swinging towards a Leach hire being a really good thing, only because I do think the x's and o's would add up in our favor and his style of play would absolutely sell to the TC market in a positive way. His systems depend on smart kids, we do have those here in the Midwest. It's not the oregon spread that needs burners to succeed.

I have absolutely no concern for his "locking a kid up for a concussion", that was a spoiled brat getting daddy to fire the mean coach that won't play me, IMO.

He COULD fit in well here, there would need to be a seriously thorough interview with tough questions asked, again, Maturi hasn't the spine for this so this whole discussion is probably a mute point.
 



glovedgopher said:
All the Air Raid talk aside, the real reason why I want them to look at Leach is because it would prove to me that they are serious about winning. A number of the names out there would prove nothing to me. The fact the Leach has baggage actually makes him more intriguing to me. I know that is messed up but I'm sick of losing. I don't want a cheater mind you, just a guy with a little edge. A guy who people fear and tells the damn hicks to our south and east that we want to win. A coach who will scare the crap out of opposing teams coordinators.
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That is why Jim Harbaugh is #1 on my list (as unlikely as it is to land him). I feel like he would relish the opportunity to stick it to Michigan every year and remind him that they should have at least interviewed him for the job opening. Considering he went for 2 against USC while leading 48-21 I think he would relish the opportunity to beat Wisconsin and rub it in in Bielema's face.
 

grunkiejr said:
That is why Jim Harbaugh is #1 on my list (as unlikely as it is to land him). I feel like he would relish the opportunity to stick it to Michigan every year and remind him that they should have at least interviewed him for the job opening. Considering he went for 2 against USC while leading 48-21 I think he would relish the opportunity to beat Wisconsin and rub it in in Bielema's face.
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I think Harbaugh is #1 on most lists. It is hard to find anything negative about him. I think he will end up in the NFL very soon.
 

One of the more exciting things about Leach, for me, is the prospect of beating Wisconsin or Iowa something ungodly like 70-24. Screw going for 2; just keep scoring touchdowns. We could erase the whole 55-0 thing pretty quickly.
 

The biggest drawback of hiring Leach would be that Goldy would have the biggest upper body on the team from all dem pushups!
 

ruralgopher said:
The biggest drawback of hiring Leach would be that Goldy would have the biggest upper body on the team from all dem pushups!
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Or the residents around TCF Bank Stadium complaining about a cannon booming every 10 minutes for 4 hours on Saturdays.
 

im still trying to understand how many of you think the spread cant work in the big ten. who has done the full out air raid offense? texas may as well be called the "windy state" and it does rain there and somehow during all the years leach was at TT they seemed to do just fine. i dont recall to many blizzards in oct that have really affected the gophers from running or passing and i can only think of a few times when it has been below 30 degrees for a gopher game.

i do remember the gophers running the ball and some believe it was done with dominance and we still never won the big ten. so power running games dont lead to success in the big ten, scoring more points than the other teams lead to success. pretty sure leach's offense would lead to plenty of points.

i also believe guys like floyd and mcneal would be gophers in an all out pass offense and that offense would for damn sure not lose to a dakota school. im in for leach i think it could change the big ten and it could lead to something special in minnesota. lets make it happen
 


I don't know if this has been posted anywhere but Matt Hayes of SN has five guys he thinks would be good hires for Minnesota. Leach is on that list, as well as my guy Sumelin.

However, my favorite portion in this piece is commentary on Maturi at the very beginning:

That Joel Maturi is one sharp guy. Minnesota’s athletic director fired coach Tim Brewster earlier this week, then publicly stated that the next coach is not “following Vince Lombardi.”

I ask you, who knows more about class and dignity than J-Mat?

Two things immediately come to mind:

1. Um, Joel, you hired Brewster. That’s all I’ve got to say about that.

2. How in the world has Maturi kept his job?

I couldn't agree more.

http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/story/2010-10-20/minnesota
 

Sumtimegophs said:
I don't know if this has been posted anywhere but Matt Hayes of SN has five guys he thinks would be good hires for Minnesota. Leach is on that list, as well as my guy Sumelin.

However, my favorite portion in this piece is commentary on Maturi at the very beginning:

That Joel Maturi is one sharp guy. Minnesota’s athletic director fired coach Tim Brewster earlier this week, then publicly stated that the next coach is not “following Vince Lombardi.”

I ask you, who knows more about class and dignity than J-Mat?

Two things immediately come to mind:

1. Um, Joel, you hired Brewster. That’s all I’ve got to say about that.

2. How in the world has Maturi kept his job?

I couldn't agree more.

http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/story/2010-10-20/minnesota
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To be fair to Maturi the quote is taken out of context. I listened to the press conference and it wasn't directed at Brewster specifically.

He said, we haven't been to the Rose Bowl in how long? You aren't exactly following Lombardi here.

Brewster was just one of many coaches that Maturi insulted (if you choose to take it that way) or spoke accurately about in a frank manner if you are being honest with yourself.
 

Thank you and a question

Thank you for everyone participating in this thread. It has been very enjoyable wasting a work day reading your thoughts.
I have a question for all those who don't think Leach would be successful because you have to play power football in the Big Ten. I respect your position but how do we ever get past Ohio St., Wisconsin, and Iowa by playing their own game?
You could argue they have better facilities, bigger budgets, bigger and more passionate fan bases, better recruiting, and coaches who have been successful running that system for 20 years. With all those systematic dis-advantages, why would we want to play the same style?
If Ohio St was Coca Cola, and WI/Iowa were Pepsi, we would be RC cola. I say we should try to be Mountain Dew. Be totally different and unique.
We would be a very tough match up. Do you think Ohio St is real worried about coming in here next week? Would they be more worried facing the air raid?
It is very difficult to win in the Big Ten for teams like Northwestern, Purdue, and Minnesota. We make it more difficult by trying to out Wisconsin the Badgers, or out play the Buckeyes at their own game. Northwestern and Purdue have each been to the Rose Bowl and had big wins by using a passing attack. Northwestern has been giving Iowa and Wi fits lately. Look at our record the past twenty years against the best teams, we are beating our heads against the wall.
We have the opportunity to hire the coach that is the best at what he does, which is scoring lots of points. He did it at a Big 12 afterthought school like Texas Tech that didn't have the best athletes but they were smart, quick, and well coached. It just makes so much sense.
 

drinks at Northpoint said:
Thank you for everyone participating in this thread. It has been very enjoyable wasting a work day reading your thoughts.
I have a question for all those who don't think Leach would be successful because you have to play power football in the Big Ten. I respect your position but how do we ever get past Ohio St., Wisconsin, and Iowa by playing their own game?
You could argue they have better facilities, bigger budgets, bigger and more passionate fan bases, better recruiting, and coaches who have been successful running that system for 20 years. With all those systematic dis-advantages, why would we want to play the same style?
If Ohio St was Coca Cola, and WI/Iowa were Pepsi, we would be RC cola. I say we should try to be Mountain Dew. Be totally different and unique.
We would be a very tough match up. Do you think Ohio St is real worried about coming in here next week? Would they be more worried facing the air raid?
It is very difficult to win in the Big Ten for teams like Northwestern, Purdue, and Minnesota. We make it more difficult by trying to out Wisconsin the Badgers, or out play the Buckeyes at their own game. Northwestern and Purdue have each been to the Rose Bowl and had big wins by using a passing attack. Northwestern has been giving Iowa and Wi fits lately. Look at our record the past twenty years against the best teams, we are beating our heads against the wall.
We have the opportunity to hire the coach that is the best at what he does, which is scoring lots of points. He did it at a Big 12 afterthought school like Texas Tech that didn't have the best athletes but they were smart, quick, and well coached. It just makes so much sense.
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great post, i compare it to the vikings when we drafted randy moss. the bears and the packers had to draft 6'+ corners to match up. and with the divisions i like our chances a lot more with the air raid compared to pound the rock. if we pass the ball 60+ a game our student section would never be empty either!
 

drinks at Northpoint said:
Thank you for everyone participating in this thread. It has been very enjoyable wasting a work day reading your thoughts.
I have a question for all those who don't think Leach would be successful because you have to play power football in the Big Ten. I respect your position but how do we ever get past Ohio St., Wisconsin, and Iowa by playing their own game?
You could argue they have better facilities, bigger budgets, bigger and more passionate fan bases, better recruiting, and coaches who have been successful running that system for 20 years. With all those systematic dis-advantages, why would we want to play the same style?
If Ohio St was Coca Cola, and WI/Iowa were Pepsi, we would be RC cola. I say we should try to be Mountain Dew. Be totally different and unique.
We would be a very tough match up. Do you think Ohio St is real worried about coming in here next week? Would they be more worried facing the air raid?
It is very difficult to win in the Big Ten for teams like Northwestern, Purdue, and Minnesota. We make it more difficult by trying to out Wisconsin the Badgers, or out play the Buckeyes at their own game. Northwestern and Purdue have each been to the Rose Bowl and had big wins by using a passing attack. Northwestern has been giving Iowa and Wi fits lately. Look at our record the past twenty years against the best teams, we are beating our heads against the wall.
We have the opportunity to hire the coach that is the best at what he does, which is scoring lots of points. He did it at a Big 12 afterthought school like Texas Tech that didn't have the best athletes but they were smart, quick, and well coached. It just makes so much sense.
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That is a post! One of the best I've seen on Hole.
 


lakesgopher said:
great post, i compare it to the vikings when we drafted randy moss. the bears and the packers had to draft 6'+ corners to match up. and with the divisions i like our chances a lot more with the air raid compared to pound the rock. if we pass the ball 60+ a game our student section would never be empty either!
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drinks at Northpoint said:
Thank you for everyone participating in this thread. It has been very enjoyable wasting a work day reading your thoughts.
I have a question for all those who don't think Leach would be successful because you have to play power football in the Big Ten. I respect your position but how do we ever get past Ohio St., Wisconsin, and Iowa by playing their own game?
You could argue they have better facilities, bigger budgets, bigger and more passionate fan bases, better recruiting, and coaches who have been successful running that system for 20 years. With all those systematic dis-advantages, why would we want to play the same style?
If Ohio St was Coca Cola, and WI/Iowa were Pepsi, we would be RC cola. I say we should try to be Mountain Dew. Be totally different and unique.
We would be a very tough match up. Do you think Ohio St is real worried about coming in here next week? Would they be more worried facing the air raid?
It is very difficult to win in the Big Ten for teams like Northwestern, Purdue, and Minnesota. We make it more difficult by trying to out Wisconsin the Badgers, or out play the Buckeyes at their own game. Northwestern and Purdue have each been to the Rose Bowl and had big wins by using a passing attack. Northwestern has been giving Iowa and Wi fits lately. Look at our record the past twenty years against the best teams, we are beating our heads against the wall.
We have the opportunity to hire the coach that is the best at what he does, which is scoring lots of points. He did it at a Big 12 afterthought school like Texas Tech that didn't have the best athletes but they were smart, quick, and well coached. It just makes so much sense.
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two of the reason why not to hire Leach. gone down this road before. wacker tried to throw it all over the place. maybe the football program should try to play defense for the first time in 25 years. just a thought.
 

scools12 said:
two of the reason why not to hire Leach. gone down this road before. wacker tried to throw it all over the place. maybe the football program should try to play defense for the first time in 25 years. just a thought.
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did you just compare wacker to leach? are you serious? really? WOW is all i can say
 

drinks at Northpoint said:
Thank you for everyone participating in this thread. It has been very enjoyable wasting a work day reading your thoughts.
I have a question for all those who don't think Leach would be successful because you have to play power football in the Big Ten. I respect your position but how do we ever get past Ohio St., Wisconsin, and Iowa by playing their own game?
You could argue they have better facilities, bigger budgets, bigger and more passionate fan bases, better recruiting, and coaches who have been successful running that system for 20 years. With all those systematic dis-advantages, why would we want to play the same style?
If Ohio St was Coca Cola, and WI/Iowa were Pepsi, we would be RC cola. I say we should try to be Mountain Dew. Be totally different and unique.
We would be a very tough match up. Do you think Ohio St is real worried about coming in here next week? Would they be more worried facing the air raid?
It is very difficult to win in the Big Ten for teams like Northwestern, Purdue, and Minnesota. We make it more difficult by trying to out Wisconsin the Badgers, or out play the Buckeyes at their own game. Northwestern and Purdue have each been to the Rose Bowl and had big wins by using a passing attack. Northwestern has been giving Iowa and Wi fits lately. Look at our record the past twenty years against the best teams, we are beating our heads against the wall.
We have the opportunity to hire the coach that is the best at what he does, which is scoring lots of points. He did it at a Big 12 afterthought school like Texas Tech that didn't have the best athletes but they were smart, quick, and well coached. It just makes so much sense.
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How can we be different on defense, or would we just try to be the same.

The current model is have an assignment defense that has a dominating front 4 that has the ability to disguise what their assignments are.
 

lakesgopher said:
did you just compare wacker to leach? are you serious? really? WOW is all i can say
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I didn't compare them as coaches I compared their systems.

You seem to think Leach will just be able to show up, plug in his system, recruit the same type of players to run the system as he did at TT and suddenly the Gophers are going to start putting up 60 a game. That is a huge assumption many are making with Leach.

IMO Leach would be a terrible hire. The fact that so many on this board want Leach makes me even more convinced it would be terrible hire. Hopefully Maturi goes in a completely different direction.
 

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