Tim Brewster a candidate at FAU?

[Stan The Caddy]

I hope Brewster does get another head job, and I think in a lower FBS league he'd do well. His personality would be a nice colorful addition to the college football world.
He never deserved the personal hatred he got around here. He wasn't a bad guy, a jerk, or a demon. He was underqualified and unprepared for this type of job.
All it would take at FAU is a handful of top caliber recruits to come aboard.
Imagine Marquis Gray running through the sun belt schedule.

Huh? Marquis Gray was BCS School caliber talent. He was going to a BCS Conference school whether Tim Brewster was coaching at one of them or not. Why in the world would you say this or make this comparison? Are you suggesting that if Brewster was the coach at FAU, he would get guys like Gray to go there? If you believe this, I have some swampland in Florida that might interest you. Please note, this is not anti-Brewster. I just fail to understand the logic of that statement.

 

[dpodoll68]

This argument is akin to saying "Don't tell me you can't win with a Freshman QB, look at Johnny Manziel.". i.e. It's the exception to the rule, not the rule.

I'd say that's starting to become the rule rather than the exception now. Look at all of the freshman QBs all over the country doing very well.

You and I agree - the only reason people rip on Brewster's personality and his supposedly being unqualified for the job is because he didn't win enough. People wouldn't have cared about those things if he did win big - they're just crutches that have nothing to do with the main criticism. Because he didn't win enough, he's a dolt, unqualified, and obnoxious. If he did win big, he's eccentric, colorful, and "a natural". Anyone who has spent 20 years as a coach in major college and NFL football is qualified for the position of head coach. That is no guarantee they will do well. There are plenty of coaches with mountains of experience who sucked, and plenty supposedly "unqualified" (Ferentz is far from the only approximate analogue) who did just fine.

 

[Stan The Caddy]

To expand on DPO's point with a more recent example...Chip Kelly. He was the offensive coordinator at New Hampshire, then the OC at Oregon for 2 years before being named Head Coach. His first head coaching job ANYWHERE. I think he did OK...

 

[dpodoll68]

To expand on DPO's point with a more recent example...Chip Kelly. He was the offensive coordinator at New Hampshire, then the OC at Oregon for 2 years before being named Head Coach. His first head coaching job ANYWHERE. I think he did OK...

Kliff Kingsbury
David Shaw
Doug Marrone


The list goes on. It's not an exception.

 

[Maximus]

Kliff Kingsbury
David Shaw
Doug Marrone


The list goes on. It's not an exception.

Former Offensive Coordinator
Former Offensive Coordinator
Former NFL Offensive Coordinator
Lifelong tight ends coach who never called a play in his life above high school


Of those three you listed and Brewster, guess which one is unlike the others.

Just one year as an OC makes that person more qualified.

 

[Costa Rican Gopher]

The fact that his crowning achievement, the massive 2008 recruiting class, did not include one single freakin' offensive line recruit (not counting transfer Carufel) set this program back years. This is probably the first year the line looks to be Big Ten quality.

Agree & disagree. Mason had already failed to recruit the OL to the point that we were already set back years & Brewster continued it.

This was the starting OL Brew was left with (to the best of my recollection) which isn't bad, but certainly not the Eslinger/Setterstrom days.

OT Steve Shidell-Sr
G John Jakel Sr
C Tony Brinkhaus Sr
G Ryan Rucksdashel So
OT Dom Alford R-Fr

Look at the depth Mason behind them though. Half these guys were walk-ons....


OT Andy Brinkhaus R-Fr
C DJ Burris R-Fr
OT Matt DeGeest Jr
OT Jason Meinke So
OT Chris Mensen So
G Jimmy Snyder R-Fr
G Jeff Tow-Arnett So
G Nick Weber Jr

So Mason had let the cubbard run dry & had scrambled to reload by signing 4 OL. I understand Brew was told by Maturi to honor their scholarships despite not fitting the system at all.

G Chris Bunders Fr
OT Eric Kottom Fr
C Ryan Orton Fr
OT Ryan Wynn Fr

* Edit: Eric Kottom was not a scholarship player. My point is Brew should have taken a pass on those guys and signed OL who would have fit the system he was trying to run.

 

[imthewalrus]

That Brewster's qualifications for a Big Ten Coaching job sucked on paper AND his overall Big Ten Conference Game record totally backed up the fact that he should NEVER have been offered the job as the Head Coach of the University of Minnesota Football Program. They finally had to fire him mid-season to try to stop the Big Ten bleeding the Program was experiencing under his leadership...or perhaps because of his lack of leadership and coaching skills and abilities while he was at the U of M. Defend him all you want. His 3 1/2 season stint in Minneapolis was EXACTLY what it was. In the end, the administrators who hired him had to pull the plug on him. It was NOT pretty...it was messy and destructive to the program.

 

[Costa Rican Gopher]

That Brewster's qualifications for a Big Ten Coaching job sucked on paper AND his overall Big Ten Conference Game record totally backed up the fact that he should NEVER have been offered the job as the Head Coach of the University of Minnesota Football Program. They finally had to fire him mid-season to try to stop the Big Ten bleeding the Program was experiencing under his leadership...or perhaps because of his lack of leadership and coaching skills and abilities while he was at the U of M. Defend him all you want. His 3 1/2 season stint in Minneapolis was EXACTLY what it was. In the end, the administrators who hired him had to pull the plug on him. It was NOT pretty...it was messy and destructive to the program.

You say he was destructive? Where exactly was the program in your mind when he took over? In my mind Mason had been mailing it in for a while. He left behind the least talent of any Gopher team in my lifetime, a sex scandal & had been so lazy that he was signing guys wanted for bank robbery. This is why I contend Brew left the program in better shape than when he found it, even if that bar wasn't very high.

 

[UpnorthGo4]

Agree & disagree. Mason had already failed to recruit the OL to the point that we were already set back years & Brewster continued it.

This was the starting OL Brew was left with (to the best of my recollection) which isn't bad, but certainly not the Eslinger/Setterstrom days.

OT Steve Shidell-Sr
G John Jakel Sr
C Tony Brinkhaus Sr
G Ryan Rucksdashel So
OT Dom Alford R-Fr

Look at the depth Mason behind them though. Half these guys were walk-ons....


OT Andy Brinkhaus R-Fr
C DJ Burris R-Fr
OT Matt DeGeest Jr
OT Jason Meinke So
OT Chris Mensen So
G Jimmy Snyder R-Fr
G Jeff Tow-Arnett So
G Nick Weber Jr

So Mason had let the cubbard run dry & had scrambled to reload by signing 4 OL. I understand Brew was told by Maturi to honor their scholarships despite not fitting the system at all.

G Chris Bunders Fr
OT Eric Kottom Fr
C Ryan Orton Fr
OT Ryan Wynn Fr

* Edit: Eric Kottom was not a scholarship player. My point is Brew should have taken a pass on those guys and signed OL who would have fit the system he was trying to run.

Gopher's starting line-up against Michigan in 2007 - Brewster's First Year

Pos ## Offense

WR 1 Wheelwright, E. - Senior
WR 7 Decker, Eric - Sophmore
LT 64 Shidell, Steve - Senior
LG 52 Tow-Arnett,Jeff - Sophmore
C 77 Brinkhaus, Tony - Senior
LG 53 Burris, D.J. - RS Freshman
RT 76 Alford, Dominic - RS Freshman
WR 81 Spry, Ralph - True Freshman
WR 6 Herndon, Tray - True Freshman
QB 8 Weber, Adam - RS Freshman
RB 22 Bennett, Duane - True Freshman

Pos ## Defense

LE Henderson, Ray - Sophmore
LT Allen, Neel - Senior
RT Meisel, Todd - Senior
RE Campbell, Lee - Sophmore
SLB Davis, Steve - Junior
MLB Hightower, Deon - Junior
WLB Mannion, Kevin - Junior
CB Theret, Kyle - True Freshman
FS Thomas, Curtis - True Freshman
SS Barber, Dom - Senior
CB Collado, Ryan - True Freshman

 

[Ole]

Huh? Marquis Gray was BCS School caliber talent. He was going to a BCS Conference school whether Tim Brewster was coaching at one of them or not. Why in the world would you say this or make this comparison? Are you suggesting that if Brewster was the coach at FAU, he would get guys like Gray to go there? If you believe this, I have some swampland in Florida that might interest you. Please note, this is not anti-Brewster. I just fail to understand the logic of that statement.

IMO yes. There are tons of super talented kids in FAU's backyard that a top end recruiter like Brewster could convince to stay nearby. It's been done other places at that level. It doesn't work like that in BCS conferences because the overall talent is better, but a guy like Gray, just for an example, would be a monster against most of the teams they play.

 

[Maximus]

Gopher's starting line-up against Michigan in 2007 - Brewster's First Year

Pos ## Offense

WR 1 Wheelwright, E. - Senior
WR 7 Decker, Eric - Sophmore
LT 64 Shidell, Steve - Senior
LG 52 Tow-Arnett,Jeff - Sophmore
C 77 Brinkhaus, Tony - Senior
LG 53 Burris, D.J. - RS Freshman
RT 76 Alford, Dominic - RS Freshman
WR 81 Spry, Ralph - True Freshman
WR 6 Herndon, Tray - True Freshman
QB 8 Weber, Adam - RS Freshman
RB 22 Bennett, Duane - True Freshman

Pos ## Defense

LE Henderson, Ray - Sophmore
LT Allen, Neel - Senior
RT Meisel, Todd - Senior
RE Campbell, Lee - Sophmore
SLB Davis, Steve - Junior
MLB Hightower, Deon - Junior
WLB Mannion, Kevin - Junior
CB Theret, Kyle - True Freshman
FS Thomas, Curtis - True Freshman
SS Barber, Dom - Senior
CB Collado, Ryan - True Freshman

Hmm...wonder why you picked the Michigan game?

Ned Tavale (started all 13 games the year before) and Ryan Ruckdashel started the first seven games at left guard. I see you picked game nine.

Junior Matt DeGeest started the first seven games at right tackle. I see you picked game nine.

Burris was a redshirt freshman that started 11 of 12 games. Not unheard of. Mase had a few of those...even true freshmen.

That's sure a lot of wide receivers....where's redshirt junior Jack Simmons and sophomore Nick Tow-Arnett at tight end?

Duane Bennett???? You forgot senior Amir Pinnix, a 1000 yard rusher in 2006 and starter in the first four games? Sophomore Jay Thomas who started before game nine?

Senior Duran Cooley started three games in 2006 and four of the first five games in 2007. I see you picked game nine.

Senior Jamal Harris started the first eight games in 2007. I see you picked game nine.

The secondary you list is also missing Dominic Jones and Keith Massey, a junior and a sophomore.

Maybe the head coach saw a team that had one win winding down a forgettable season and wanted to get his young players some experience. As you can see, he had plenty of veteran options he used earlier in the year.

 

[Ogee Ogilthorpe]

Huh? Marquis Gray was BCS School caliber talent..

MG was a BCS caliber athlete, no doubt about it. To say he was a BCS caliber TALENT, I would want to know what position. If he had started at WR or TE and stayed there, he could have carved out an amazing career for the Gophers, without question.

 

[wait!what?]

kill shot

 

[dpodoll68]

Former Offensive Coordinator
Former Offensive Coordinator
Former NFL Offensive Coordinator
Lifelong tight ends coach who never called a play in his life above high school


Of those three you listed and Brewster, guess which one is unlike the others.

Just one year as an OC makes that person more qualified.

Most would argue that NFL position coach is the equivalent (at least) of a major college coordinator. Hell, DeWayne Walker left a job as an FBS head coach to become a position coach in the NFL (I know he would've been fired shortly anyway). Play-calling experience for a head coach is overrated, especially since most head coaches don't call plays anyway. Kirk Ferentz most likely (I don't know about Maine) has never called plays in his life. People don't care because he's been successful at Iowa.

I've also never argued that those guys weren't more experienced. I will, however, say that Kingsbury was far less experienced than Brewster. The other two were comparable. People don't care because those coaches have been successful. How many people from Iowa whined "we hired a lifelong OL coach"? I'm guessing zero, because he's been successful. It's all a minor nitpick compared to the core issue.

 

[Stan The Caddy]

IMO yes. There are tons of super talented kids in FAU's backyard that a top end recruiter like Brewster could convince to stay nearby. It's been done other places at that level. It doesn't work like that in BCS conferences because the overall talent is better, but a guy like Gray, just for an example, would be a monster against most of the teams they play.

Wow, just wow. How many 4 Star kids are going to Sun Belt schools? Exactly ZERO of the Rivals 250 for 2013 went to schools outside of the BCS Conferences & Notre Dame. FWIW Gray finished as #112 on the Rivals 250 in 2008. Guys like Gray do not end up in the Sun Belt right out of High School. Time to discuss that swampland Ole.

I guess we will agree to disagree on this one.

 

[oak_street1981]

You say he was destructive? Where exactly was the program in your mind when he took over? In my mind Mason had been mailing it in for a while. He left behind the least talent of any Gopher team in my lifetime, a sex scandal & had been so lazy that he was signing guys wanted for bank robbery. This is why I contend Brew left the program in better shape than when he found it, even if that bar wasn't very high.

Brewster is never going to be head coach of an elite program, ever. No self respecting AD will ever put himself in the position of being held accountable for the hiring of a loose cannon with the record Brewster carries around.

And for the record the "sex scandal" being tossed around as a Mason problem happened months after Mason was fired. Mason was known for dropping the hammer relatively quickly on discipline problems, while Brewster was lax and the players knew it.

Nice try at revisionist history, though.

Lastly Brinkhaus, Shidell and the O line were least of the problems a Mason team would have had in 2007 had he not been fired. With a solid line, and Adam W at QB 2007 would have been way better than 1 - 11. That team would have gone 4 and 0 during the creampuff time of the year like alamost all Mason teams, and won at least 6 games, so the program could not have been in that bad of shape. Cal and USC were not the 2007 NC challenges.

Recently Mason has referenced Gary Russell and the "ridiculous" way the U of M handled his eligibility. If Gary Russell had remained on the team 99 percent of us still never would have heard of that epic bag of gas, T Brewster.