The hardest jobs in college football (Other notable P5 vote-getters: Minnesota: They think they can win BTW every year but they’re so far away)

[btowngopher]

Was any coach really instrumental in getting a stadium on campus? Seems like it would’ve happened eventually and how would a coach have any say or pull on the matter?

 

[Gilthorp57]

Minnesota is a pro town?

If it was phrased right, still doesn't make sense. No pro basketball, no pro football, no pro hockey. Baseball can be considered pro sometimes.
I'm joking. I get it the point trying to be made, but there are enough people to like the college football and/or everything to go to a handful of home Gopher games (I know its expensive and not worth it to some), once the winning starts to be consistent, Gophs will bring them in. "If you build it, they will come".

Rather go to a Gopher game bar none over the Vikings.

 

[BTChamp]

Rather go to a Gopher game bar none over the Vikings.

That's the way I feel. Pro sports are so out of touch to the people. Where as PJ is doing his best to make the Gophers part of the community and "real people". He knows that is the way to be different than the multi millionaires that live in the equivalent of Beverly Hills or better.
And that is one way to take attention from the big hitter pro sports.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

Was any coach really instrumental in getting a stadium on campus? Seems like it would’ve happened eventually and how would a coach have any say or pull on the matter?

Yeah, seems like it had to happen.

Maybe Mason? Without even getting to mediocrity, maybe there wouldn't have ever gotten steam. But, yeah, I agree with you, I think it would have happened regardless.

 

[gopherdudepart2]

There's also the issue of Minnesota High School football being a below average talent producing state.

This right here is our extreme challenge to winning any titles, or just competing. High School football is not very good here and limited from a D1 talent pool. That and we don't have long seasons, no Spring football and our biggest City's produce limited talent. This premise that Minnesota fans think we should challenge for BTW titles every year is a joke.This fan base has never had that expectation, or belief, We would be very happy with one title, and you know occasionally beating Iowa or Wisconsin a little more often. We are not the arrogant fan base this author claims. I think most long time Gopher fans understand the built in challenges we have, if anything we are very self aware of not being contenders, and used to being thought of as less than or mediocre. That is why our current coach is so different then what we are used to, he not only thinks he can win he knows and believes he will do it. To be honest that is quite the refreshing change and great thing from coach Fleck, belief is half the battle. This is why our rivals hate Fleck, he is building our brand and making the Gophers football team matter.

 

[gopherdudepart2]

WREN HAS IT RIGHT,, we owe Coach Mason a lot, he took the initiative and made the administration actually beleive we needed to return to campus even though they tried to silence him about it. He spearheaded that whole thing and without him we are still sharing with the Vikings or playing at Fairgrounds. From the testimony at the legislature at the commitees to him and Lou Nanne convincing Bill Cooper of TCF to kick start the starting donation,, to all of tge private fundraising, to making connections with the original donors, coach Mason did a lot. Still a dang shame we have never honored him in person at the stadium for a return to campus. The President and the VP Motten Brown at the time even told him to shut up about needing an on campus stadium.

 

[Nax5]

if gopher football becomes a program where 2019 is a normal year, gopher football will be the hot ticket

I would be so happy if this happened.

I remember after the 2019 Penn State game, there were so many people calling into the radio to express their joy and thanks that a Minnesota team finally didn't shit the bed. It was a good feeling.

 

[EG#9]

We can say otherwise, but this is a tough job. It's why the job Fleck has done here is Elite. He's changed the culture and brought Game Day here for gosh sakes.

So this is supposedly a job where the fans thinks they can win the B1G West every year. Stan (not picking on you) says that Fleck has done an "Elite" job at Minnesota and at least 5 people who post here agree. Since 2019, the Gophers have been embarrassed at home in 2 primetime showcase games and have been 0-3 in said showcase games overall (all at home). They have lost two more times to Iowa and Wisconsin briging Fleck's record in rivalry games to 1-7. They have lost a home game as 30 point favorites and absolutely gave away a game to Maryland as well.

Not only are the fans not talking about Fleck, some are still VERY happy with his performance. Then you have the media who definitely has a percentage of its members that mocks him for the RTB stuff, but very few are asking any questions about the direction of the program. At how many power 5 schools would this be true 4.5 years in to a tenure? This job is one of the easiest in the country from the standpoint of actually having to produce on the field. Coach O could be OUT at LSU after this year...2 years after winning a National Title.

I don't know anyone who thinks Minnesota should win the West every year, so I am not sure who this agent is referring to "they" as? The fans? Not the case here. The administration? PJ getting raises/extensions suggests otherwise. I think a reasonable expectation is to win the West every 3 or 4 years and win at least 1/2 the rivalry games. Many fans expect less (even much less) than that.

Minnesota is always going to be around these lists (notice it's not actually on it) as long as the record continues to be horrific. It is frustrating to read the same narratives: 1.fans don't show unless they "win"-show me more than a handful of schools that would draw better than Minnesota has when fans in their 50's have never seen so much as a conference title and fans much younger than that have seen rivalry wins about as frequently as most teams beat top 10 programs. 2. pro sports town- the Gophers are basically the Timberwolves in both basketball and football and the Wolves are always one of the lowest attendance teams in the league. It's not about pro vs college, it's about people not wanting to spend their time/money to watch a product that has more often than not been very poor over multiple decades.

Despite achieving far less on the field, both Fleck and Brewster have recruited (at times) at/near/better than Iowa or Wisconsin so I feel like there are things to sell at Minnesota. From my perspective, we haven't had a coach get the strength and conditioning part of the equation down (which you can draw you own conclusions from) like the border schools have. They both find walk ons and lowly recruited guys and completely transform their bodies in to not just starters but B1G impact players and NFL draft picks.

 

[Boomtime]

and you are who...? Sounds like another know-it-all.

Exactly what do you disagree with?

Be specific, please.

 

[WriterGoph]

The Athletic just regraded all the 2016-17 coaching hires and gave PJ a B+. I can definitely agree with that, but a lot hinges on how this year plays out. Could go up to A or maybe even down to a C+

 

[RememberMurray]

“They think they can win the Big Ten West every year but they’re so far away from that."

I know I, for one, do not expect to win the B1G West every season.

I do, however, go into each season believing we have a decent chance to win the B1G West in that particular season. So do Iowa fans, so do Wisconsin fans, so do Nebraska fans, so do Northwestern fans. My God, that should be our expectation, shouldn't it? That we have a chance to win the B1G West in any given season?

It's undeniably true that we haven't won it — yet. But to say we're "so far away from that" is absurd. In 2014 we finished second, and had Wisconsin on the ropes in Madison before the wheels came off in the second half. In 2019 we actually tied for the West title, but lost the tiebreaker. That is definitely not the same as being "so far away".

 

[TheCasualGopher]

We can say otherwise, but this is a tough job. It's why the job Fleck has done here is Elite. He's changed the culture and brought Game Day here for gosh sakes.

You had me until 'Elite.' Let's win the West before we start throwing around terms like Elite. Let's also see it for more than a single season. Fleck is better and has a lot more substance than a lot of people gave him credit for. But elite ...

 

[TheCasualGopher]

That's the way I feel. Pro sports are so out of touch to the people. Where as PJ is doing his best to make the Gophers part of the community and "real people". He knows that is the way to be different than the multi millionaires that live in the equivalent of Beverly Hills or better.
And that is one way to take attention from the big hitter pro sports.

Until we can consistently sell out our 50k capacity stadium, there's no argument this is a pro sports town. There's no coincidence that the Gopher's slide from National football power happened right as the Twin Cities got pro football and pro baseball. The idiots running Minnesota also seemed to think being great at football also meant you seemed less academic. No one thought to consider the examples of Michigan, OSU, and Notre Dame as clear contradictions to this.

Fleck's biggest hurdle will always be institutional alignment like they have at Iowa, Wisconsin, OSU, Michigan, PSU, etc.

 

[RememberMurray]

You had me until 'Elite.' Let's win the West before we start throwing around terms like Elite. Let's also see it for more than a single season. Fleck is better and has a lot more substance than a lot of people gave him credit for. But elite ...

Spot on.

Fleck, to me, has done a very good job, and I'm still happy he is our coach. But 'elite' is an actual word in the English language, and it has an actual definition: superior in quality, rank, skill, etc.

Let's win a championship, and thereby earn being called "elite".

 

[Ski U Mah Gopher]

Until we can consistently sell out our 50k capacity stadium, there's no argument this is a pro sports town. There's no coincidence that the Gopher's slide from National football power happened right as the Twin Cities got pro football and pro baseball. The idiots running Minnesota also seemed to think being great at football also meant you seemed less academic. No one thought to consider the examples of Michigan, OSU, and Notre Dame as clear contradictions to this.

Fleck's biggest hurdle will always be institutional alignment like they have at Iowa, Wisconsin, OSU, Michigan, PSU, etc.

See also: Stanford

 

[TheCasualGopher]

See also: Stanford

Now, yes. but back when the admin was pulling the carpet out from under the Gophers, Stanford wasn't Exhibit A for great academics and great athletics

 

[Ski U Mah Gopher]

Now, yes. but back when the admin was pulling the carpet out from under the Gophers, Stanford wasn't Exhibit A for great academics and great athletics

Ranked in 1969, and conference & Rose Bowl Champs & top-10 the next 2 seasons.

 

[noamfromm]

One word: hockey.

If all the Anders Lee's, Zach Budish's, Nick Bjugstad's, Paul Martin's, etc, etc played football we would be dominant. If we counted as a country we would have the fourth most players in the NHL.

 

[imthewalrus]

Yeah, seems like it had to happen.

Maybe Mason? Without even getting to mediocrity, maybe there wouldn't have ever gotten steam. But, yeah, I agree with you, I think it would have happened regardless.

The ground was broken in 2006. The prospect of a new stadium at Minnesota made the job one heck of a lot more attractive. Without Mason, it wouldn’t have happened then. If not then, when?

also, it showed some commitment on the part of the administration to football. The state also kicked in with the ability of the project to be bonded.

Also, it helped take SOME of the heat off the Haskins hoops scandal and was a positive.
Some of you youngsters certainly are not recalling that period of time and all that was happening.

Once again, THANK YOU Glen Mason for the impassioned presentation to the State legislators Coach Mason made. And Prexy Y was a real hero, too.

Thank you Prexy Y!

The next coach after Mason never would have gotten a stadium and benefited from the promise of a stadium. Would Kill have gotten a stadium? Would Fleck have come here without the BANK in place?

 

[GoldGoldGold]

The ground was broken in 2006. The prospect of a new stadium at Minnesota made the job one heck of a lot more attractive. Without Mason, it wouldn’t have happened then. If not then, when?

also, it showed some commitment on the part of the administration to football. The state also kicked in with the ability of the project to be bonded.

Also, it helped take SOME of the heat off the Haskins hoops scandal and was a positive.
Some of you youngsters certainly are not recalling that period of time and all that was happening.

Once again, THANK YOU Glen Mason for the impassioned presentation to the State legislators Coach Mason made. And Prexy Y was a real hero, too.

Thank you Prexy Y!

The next coach after Mason never would have gotten a stadium and benefited from the promise of a stadium. Would Kill have gotten a stadium? Would Fleck have come here without the BANK in place?

I think you are 100% correct. In addition, I believe that if that stadium hadn't been built when it was, the Gophers would be playing in US Bank Stadium as the little step brother again....

 

[PMWinSTP]

I don't really think Gopher fans think they can win the BTW every year. The only two years in my lifetime where Gopher fans thought we had a legit chance were in 2019 and this year.

The only reason it is a tough job is because it's a pro sports town. There are a lot of folks here who don't understand how long and difficult it is to turn around a college football program. With the NFL, everyone can spend the same and they spread the new talent via the draft. Could you imagine how long it would take NFL teams to turn around a franchise if the best teams got all the 1st and 2nd round picks and a significantly higher salary cap?

On the other hand, there aren't many jobs in the country with higher salaries and more realistic/long leashes.

2014.

 

[PMWinSTP]

mason had the luxury of Gordy Shaw as the OL coach. Kill didn’t retain him. He lost my favor with that decision. Mason and Gordy put 5 OL in the pros. No one has come close since.

?

 

[stocker08]

Minnesota's heart belongs to whomever can win a championship next, college or pro.

I don't have definitive data but when you consider the size of the U student body and the relatively large number of students who remain in the area after graduation -- Minnesota might have more alumni living within an hour's drive of the stadium than any other FBS school. It's at least in the top 5. That can be worked with.

Correct. In 2019, the Gophers were getting quite a bit of love. Of course.....the Vikings were pretty good a couple years ago too. Fact is.....if the Gophers get into the top 25....the casual fan will take notice.

 

[fmlizard]

The in-state recruiting, population, academic, climate, and competitive realities of the Minnesota job are about the same as Wisconsin and probably better than Iowa or Nebraska.

The Gophers play in a relatively new stadium and practice and eat and train in almost brand new facilities. Newer than those other schools have.

The only things those schools have on us are more people consistently coming to the games. Which is a small part of overall revenue. And of course this comes from winning.

I guess that's why we think we can finally win the Big Ten West some year. Those teams can do it with the same or less, so why not us?

 

[Gilthorp57]

I think you are 100% correct. In addition, I believe that if that stadium hadn't been built when it was, the Gophers would be playing in US Bank Stadium as the little step brother again....

We'd be Pitt. There is grumbling about them playing at Heinz Field and not on campus.

 

[PMWinSTP]

The in-state recruiting, population, academic, climate, and competitive realities of the Minnesota job are about the same as Wisconsin and probably better than Iowa or Nebraska.

The Gophers play in a relatively new stadium and practice and eat and train in almost brand new facilities. Newer than those other schools have.

The only things those schools have on us are more people consistently coming to the games. Which is a small part of overall revenue. And of course this comes from winning.

I guess that's why we think we can finally win the Big Ten West some year. Those teams can do it with the same or less, so why not us?

They are basically THE sports in town in those cities.

 

[fmlizard]

I think you are 100% correct. In addition, I believe that if that stadium hadn't been built when it was, the Gophers would be playing in US Bank Stadium as the little step brother again....

Good point. It's interesting to think of the Gophers at US Bank Stadium. It's off campus (but close to campus) and probably too big to fill without feeling like low interest. It's obviously heavily Vikings branded.

That all said, it's far nicer than the Metrodome and would be the nicest stadium building in all of college football, so there would be that going for the Gophers.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

MN fans are bandwagon jumpers. in '91, people were standing in line just for a chance to get standing-room tickets to watch a North Stars playoff game. A few years later, the attendance had dropped to a point that the team was moved to Texas. The Twins have led the American League in attendance - 1st team ever over 3-million fans - and now back to a low season-ticket base and fans who show up just to eat and drink.

If the Gophers can ever put two really good seasons back-to-back, they will get their turn as the "hot" team. but the up-and-down routine won't do it.

 

[PMWinSTP]

Good point. It's interesting to think of the Gophers at US Bank Stadium. It's off campus (but close to campus) and probably too big to fill without feeling like low interest. It's obviously heavily Vikings branded.

That all said, it's far nicer than the Metrodome and would be the nicest stadium building in all of college football, so there would be that going for the Gophers.

I would take the Goph's stadium over Viking's stadium every time.

 

[TheCasualGopher]

The in-state recruiting, population, academic, climate, and competitive realities of the Minnesota job are about the same as Wisconsin and probably better than Iowa or Nebraska.

The Gophers play in a relatively new stadium and practice and eat and train in almost brand new facilities. Newer than those other schools have.

The only things those schools have on us are more people consistently coming to the games. Which is a small part of overall revenue. And of course this comes from winning.

I guess that's why we think we can finally win the Big Ten West some year. Those teams can do it with the same or less, so why not us?

Agree with this. If comparing the Gophers with OSU, then yes, we are at an in-state recruiting disadvantage. But not compared to the rest of the B1G West. HS FB has all but died in Chicago. And MN HS FB has equal or better talent than WI, IA, IN, and Neb.