http://www.twincities.com/ci_11074703?nclick_check=1
Just as Gophers athletics director Joel Maturi saw a lot of himself in Tim Brewster when he hired him as football coach, so has, apparently, Brewster in Tim Davis, whom he hired this week as running game coordinator-offensive line coach.
Davis, 50, is leaving No. 1 Alabama this weekend to join the Gophers on Monday. He's not staying for a national championship run.
"We've got to get going; we've got a bowl game to get ready for," Davis said of Minnesota. "The sooner we get started, the better. I'll tell you, this is a great deal. I'm really pumped up. My family and kids are pumped up. I'm fired up about (Brewster) coach. I can't wait. This is awesome. Let's go."
At Alabama, Davis oversaw player personnel.
"Coach (Nick) Saban has been really great to me," said Davis, who also was with Saban with the Miami Dolphins.
Davis also worked for Pete Carroll as offensive line coach for two national championship Southern California teams (2003-04) as well as Barry Alvarez at Wisconsin, where he coached the tight ends. He said he's excited about working for Brewster.
"You've got to go with guys who have a lot of energy," Davis said.
Davis' plan to improve Minnesota's running game?
"You bring an attitude, and the attitude is this: When you enable and empower kids to put their hand on the ground and get after people, it develops a toughness," he said. "If you give 'em something to put their finger on, confidence-wise, and it doesn't have to be a lot, and get 'em something to where they can see it and feel it, then they can finish it.
"It can be only one type of play. Like at SC, we put the power in, 4 yards. And it kind of snowballs. And we need to get more kids in there, obviously. And we need to get in the weight room and do all kinds of stuff. If you establish it and you do it, then the kids will go after it. They follow the coaches. It will be fun."
Davis appears to be nearly a Brewster clone.
"That's why I like him so much," Davis said. "It's contagious. That's the way I've always been. I've learned from really good guys."
Davis was reminded that the Minnesota football program is hardly Alabama or USC.
"It's how you do it; who thought Alabama would go 11-0?" he said. "Now, coach Saban has a plan. But who would have thought this? I tell you, it's contagious. You get it going and it lights a fire. It's the same thing that happened to us at USC. We got going, lit a fire, and pretty soon it starts to snowball."
Just as Gophers athletics director Joel Maturi saw a lot of himself in Tim Brewster when he hired him as football coach, so has, apparently, Brewster in Tim Davis, whom he hired this week as running game coordinator-offensive line coach.
Davis, 50, is leaving No. 1 Alabama this weekend to join the Gophers on Monday. He's not staying for a national championship run.
"We've got to get going; we've got a bowl game to get ready for," Davis said of Minnesota. "The sooner we get started, the better. I'll tell you, this is a great deal. I'm really pumped up. My family and kids are pumped up. I'm fired up about (Brewster) coach. I can't wait. This is awesome. Let's go."
At Alabama, Davis oversaw player personnel.
"Coach (Nick) Saban has been really great to me," said Davis, who also was with Saban with the Miami Dolphins.
Davis also worked for Pete Carroll as offensive line coach for two national championship Southern California teams (2003-04) as well as Barry Alvarez at Wisconsin, where he coached the tight ends. He said he's excited about working for Brewster.
"You've got to go with guys who have a lot of energy," Davis said.
Davis' plan to improve Minnesota's running game?
"You bring an attitude, and the attitude is this: When you enable and empower kids to put their hand on the ground and get after people, it develops a toughness," he said. "If you give 'em something to put their finger on, confidence-wise, and it doesn't have to be a lot, and get 'em something to where they can see it and feel it, then they can finish it.
"It can be only one type of play. Like at SC, we put the power in, 4 yards. And it kind of snowballs. And we need to get more kids in there, obviously. And we need to get in the weight room and do all kinds of stuff. If you establish it and you do it, then the kids will go after it. They follow the coaches. It will be fun."
Davis appears to be nearly a Brewster clone.
"That's why I like him so much," Davis said. "It's contagious. That's the way I've always been. I've learned from really good guys."
Davis was reminded that the Minnesota football program is hardly Alabama or USC.
"It's how you do it; who thought Alabama would go 11-0?" he said. "Now, coach Saban has a plan. But who would have thought this? I tell you, it's contagious. You get it going and it lights a fire. It's the same thing that happened to us at USC. We got going, lit a fire, and pretty soon it starts to snowball."
