Top 5 Candidates Lists (Be Realistic)

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6 Nov 1999 said:
but I am not opposed to a coach who tells somebody to go stand in a dark place and later refuses to apologize to the student (a horrible crime). Woody Hayes was not given to apologize either. You want "Minnesota Nice" or do you want a football coach who generates some controversy from time to time and in the process occasionally lights a fire under his team? Seems to me we are badly in need of a coach who will light a fire under the team.
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But, the dumbest move, the new coach showing Gordy Shaw the door after trying to hold all the recruits together.
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SKI-U-MAH!
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In agreement with these points.
 

1. Jim Harbaugh
2. Jim Harbaugh
3. Jim Harbaugh
4. Jim Harbaugh
5. Jim Harbaugh

Love his tenacity. Just pay the guy. I would think he'd love to get back to the Big Ten (maybe not, what do I know). But this would be the slam dunk we've been waiting for since Holtz.

8 year contract at around 2.2 million per season.

He has the name....the experience....the work ethic. SLAM DUNK!

Now let's fire Lucia and get Dean Blais behind the bench. Blais wins 2-3 National Championships in first 5 years here.
 

Weddings and Steak Frys said:
Thanks for posting Mrs. Mason. Seriously, if you really think that is why Coach Mason was fired, you really need a reality check. Glen was fired plain and simply because of his own lack of work ethic and care about the results on the field. When you are laughing and joking around your boss (President Bruininks) following the largest collapse in bowl history, it will get you canned. I appreciate all that Coach Mason brought to the table, but he wasn't going to take the program any further. If you think that the Gopherhole had something to do with Coach Mason's termination, I have some oceanfront property just outside of Lubbock, Texas to sell you.
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I disagree. I remember Dave Christianson as being one of the ring leaders of the "Lynch Mason" charge. We were not a great program, but we were well respected throughout the Big Ten and and the rest of NCAA Division 1A under Glen Mason. We punched out offensive linemen to the NFL with regularity. We were known for our rushing attack and for putting runningbacks into the NFL. I sat in Beaver Stadium on 6 Nov 1999, Ohio Stadium on 14 Oct 2000, and Michigan Stadium on 8 October 2005. It will be a long time before these feats will be duplicated by a Golden Gopher coach again. Remember, Glen won these games at their house. Not our house. Truth is, we did not have a house when we were playing games at the HHH MetroBowel Chamber of Horrors. We won the Rimington Award and the Outland Trophy.
 

6 Nov 1999 said:
I am not sure we can throw the football around like Mike Leach is predisposed to in November, but I am not opposed to a coach who tells somebody to go stand in a dark place and later refuses to apologize to the student (a horrible crime). Woody Hayes was not given to apologize either. You want "Minnesota Nice" or do you want a football coach who generates some controversy from time to time and in the process occasionally lights a fire under his team? Seems to me we are badly in need of a coach who will light a fire under the team. By the way, many thanks to all the @$$h01e$ on GopherHole who were so quick to tar, feather, and lynch the best football coach we had since Cal Stoll because we lost by a last second field goal to the Red Raiders, who went on to contend for the national title. If you all had been born a little bit earlier, you would have had the opportunity to follow Reverend Jim Jones to Guyana to drink Kool Aid with him. Instead you all force fed the "Kool Aid" to the University of Minnesota Football Program and set it back a decade. Imagine what Glen could have done at TCF Bank Stadium (which he built) with DCs who were paid $350,000 / year instead of $130,000 / year, which is what I think David Lockwood was making before they all got shown the door. But, the dumbest move, the new coach showing Gordy Shaw the door after trying to hold all the recruits together. Try as I might, I don't think I can forgive you @$$h01e$ who were part of the "Fire Mason" contingent. In several years, maybe. SKI-U-MAH!
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I was only trying to say I don't want Leavitt, Leach, or Mangino in a clever way.
I'm sorry it offended you so much.
I just think it would be hard to go into a living room and tell a parent to send their child to a coach who was fired the way they were. Just my opinion.
And just for the record...wow. It's been four years, let it go.
 

gophermartin said:
Just my opinion...I don't think people care that much about football. Look at their attendance last year and this. They just recently started to sell out a stadium...with his success. Same is true at TCU....brutal support for a winning team.

GM
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TCU routinely draws 35,000 to games. Sometimes 40,000; sometimes a sellout at 45,000. I don't think that's too bad for a school of 8,000 students.

By the way, Gary Paterson would be a good choice. It might be possible to lure him away to a BCS school. Of course, he's closer at TCU to achieving that national championship he wants so badly than he would be at the U of M--at least for the foreseeable future, or my lifetime...which ever lasts longer.
 


What about troy Calhoun? i dont want a coach who comes with baggage like some of the coaches on these list do. The minneapolis media would eat some of these coaches alive with their troubled past.
 

1. Golden A long shot but possible if the indications are that Bradley will be the next Penn St HC.
2. Richt Also a long shot but the conditions are such that, a Tubby type deal, could be possible.
3. Frazier His experience at an NAIA school should help him make the transition. He would need a plan that includes experienced college coordinators.
4. Venables A good DC ready to become a HC. He would be ironic, Bud Wilkinson didn't get the job at MN, left and founded a dynasty at OK, perhaps they could return the favor.
5. Terry Bowden A proven coach he needs to answer some personal character questions.
 

Weddings and Steak Frys said:
Thanks for posting Mrs. Mason. Seriously, if you really think that is why Coach Mason was fired, you really need a reality check. Glen was fired plain and simply because of his own lack of work ethic and care about the results on the field. When you are laughing and joking around your boss (President Bruininks) following the largest collapse in bowl history, it will get you canned. I appreciate all that Coach Mason brought to the table, but he wasn't going to take the program any further. If you think that the Gopherhole had something to do with Coach Mason's termination, I have some oceanfront property just outside of Lubbock, Texas to sell you.
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Amen. Mason should have been gone the year before when he was jacking around Maturi over salary. The guy thought he was Woody Hayes.

Mason put together some good offenses, but his quality victories were rare and when I was watching Blake Sorenson making plays all over the field last night for Wisconsin, I could only think "Thanks again Glen."

As per the subject of this thread, it pretty much starts and ends with Golden for me. I'm really hoping they get an up-and-coming college guy this time around.
 

Well we can be sure about two things. Mason nor Brester will coach our team this year or next. So there is not much reason to keep debating whether either firing was a mistake. They are over. Now the question is who we can lure here. We need a killer hire.
 



Sparlimb said:
Well we can be sure about two things. Mason nor Brester will coach our team this year or next. So there is not much reason to keep debating whether either firing was a mistake. They are over. Now the question is who we can lure here. We need a killer hire.
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Agreed sparlimb. It's time to look forward.
 

6 Nov 1999 said:
I am not sure we can throw the football around like Mike Leach is predisposed to in November, but I am not opposed to a coach who tells somebody to go stand in a dark place and later refuses to apologize to the student (a horrible crime). Woody Hayes was not given to apologize either. You want "Minnesota Nice" or do you want a football coach who generates some controversy from time to time and in the process occasionally lights a fire under his team? Seems to me we are badly in need of a coach who will light a fire under the team. By the way, many thanks to all the @$$h01e$ on GopherHole who were so quick to tar, feather, and lynch the best football coach we had since Cal Stoll because we lost by a last second field goal to the Red Raiders, who went on to contend for the national title. If you all had been born a little bit earlier, you would have had the opportunity to follow Reverend Jim Jones to Guyana to drink Kool Aid with him. Instead you all force fed the "Kool Aid" to the University of Minnesota Football Program and set it back a decade. Imagine what Glen could have done at TCF Bank Stadium (which he built) with DCs who were paid $350,000 / year instead of $130,000 / year, which is what I think David Lockwood was making before they all got shown the door. But, the dumbest move, the new coach showing Gordy Shaw the door after trying to hold all the recruits together. Try as I might, I don't think I can forgive you @$$h01e$ who were part of the "Fire Mason" contingent. In several years, maybe. SKI-U-MAH!
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Mrs. Mason, this is by far the dumbest thing I have read on here in a while. Please remove your bunched up panties and take a step back. Your husband blew nuts and everybody knows it accept you. I am sorry that your husband lost his crest deal when he was fired and had to switch to colgate. Mrs. Mason please refrain from posting garbage on gopherhole again that speaks of how good Mason was. He is bar far the lamest coach we had. I am glad I didnt get to see Mason in our TCF stadium.
 

I have been watching Golden Gopher football since I was a freshman living in Territorial Hall in September 1971. I was only 17 and pretty stupid. Confession: I was sucked into joining the chants to "Fire Murray" in Memorial Stadium back in October 1971. Can't remember which game, probably Michigan because we lost 35-7. I am convinced that we are all doing penance now for the sins we committed against Murray back in Fall 1971. Please forgive me Murray and the rest of my classmates in the 1971 student body who joined those jeers! We love you Murray! Please absolve us of our sins!
 

1. Al Golden
2. Leslie Frazier
3. Kevin Sumlin
4. Troy Calhoun
5. Paul Chryst

I wouldn't be opposed to Harbaugh, Leach, Richt or Chris Peterson either, I just don't think they are very realistic.
 



1. Mike Leach-The Adam James incident is filled with questionable allegations from both sides. Put that aside--he won, and recruited pretty well, in a place that is decidedly the #3 program in Texas. If you have ever been to Lubbock (or the TX Panhandle in general), it makes his efforts there even more impressive. And, despite that his players sometimes looked like thugs on the field, he had the third highest grad rate in the Big XII. It would be very entertaining to see him work with the Mpls media as well. They would be on him from the day he started, but he has the experience and attitude to tell them where to go. That would be fun.

2. Gary Patterson-TCU-Perhaps he is out of reach, but worth a shot.

3. Paul Johnson-Georgia Tech-Probably a lateral move (at best) for him, but his running game would be fun to see here. He was the guy I hoped we would get back in '07.

4. Kevin Sumlin-Houston-The connection to Texas would help with recruiting. If he is the guy, hopefully we would open up the pocket book for a top-notch DC. I guess the same could be said for all of these candidates.

5. Chris Peterson-Boise State-See G. Patterson. I am not real thrilled about this guy, as I wonder if some of the players he gets into Boise would be able to get in here.

I would have no problem with a number of other candidates already mentioned, such as Leslie Frazier, Al Golden, and certainly Jim Harbaugh, but these are my top 5 that I think would be attainable.
 

GopherBeef said:
1. Mike Leach-The Adam James incident is filled with questionable allegations from both sides. Put that aside--he won, and recruited pretty well, in a place that is decidedly the #3 program in Texas. If you have ever been to Lubbock (or the TX Panhandle in general), it makes his efforts there even more impressive. And, despite that his players sometimes looked like thugs on the field, he had the third highest grad rate in the Big XII. It would be very entertaining to see him work with the Mpls media as well. They would be on him from the day he started, but he has the experience and attitude to tell them where to go. That would be fun.

2. Gary Patterson-TCU-Perhaps he is out of reach, but worth a shot.

3. Paul Johnson-Georgia Tech-Probably a lateral move (at best) for him, but his running game would be fun to see here. He was the guy I hoped we would get back in '07.

4. Kevin Sumlin-Houston-The connection to Texas would help with recruiting. If he is the guy, hopefully we would open up the pocket bool for a top-notch DC. I guess the same could be said for all of these candidates.

5. Chris Peterson-Boise State-See G. Patterson. I am not real thrilled about this guy, as I wonder if some of the players he gets into Boise would be able to get in here.

I would have no problem with a number of other candidates already mentioned, such as Leslie Frazier, Al Golden, and certainly Jim Harbaugh, but these are my top 5 that I think would be attainable.
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Just what the U needs in the PR department if they hire Leach: an on-going piXXing match between the coach and the press.

Watson, the OC at Nebraska, might be an interesting candidate. Problem there is one more bad Saturday and Pelini may have him drawn-and-quartered.
 

50PoundHead said:
Just what the U needs in the PR department if they hire Leach: an on-going piXXing match between the coach and the press.
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Yes, this may happen, but on the other hand perhaps the media would take (initially, at least) it as the U finally making an effort to get a top-notch coach. I think it is time the U quits trying to be so politically correct and thinks about who might be the best person to help this program win.

Besides, I think our smarter-than-thou media will criticize any hire who has the gall to think he can win here, so what does it really matter?
 

50PoundHead said:
Just what the U needs in the PR department if they hire Leach: an on-going piXXing match between the coach and the press.

Watson, the OC at Nebraska, might be an interesting candidate. Problem there is one more bad Saturday and Pelini may have him drawn-and-quartered.
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In my humble opinion we need a coach who will engage in verbal warfare against the Minneapolis / St. Paul media when they attack the program, and they attack our program with alarming frequency, no matter who the football coach is. It has been that way for as long as I can remember. Some competence on the gridiron, in conjunction with a running verbal battle with Reusse and his ilk, would be good for the program, and help sell tickets and interest. People were always interested in Bobby Knight. People like controversy. Of course, Bobby delivered the goods. So did Mike Leach. I guess their personalities are very similar, and this is why Bobby went to TT when IU fired him. They complemented each other, and perhaps they fed off each other. In the end TT got rid of them both. Will be interesting to see how Red Raider football and basketball fare going forward now that the "bad boys" are gone. We could use a "bad boy." I like the old Holtz era Golden Gopher, not the one that followed with female hormone replacement therapy.
 

Bad PR will just keep us spiraling further downward. What high school kid wants to come to a university where the program is always going to be under the microscope? And don't think that won't be pointed out by those recruiting the same kids we're recruiting. Leach had his chance and crapped the bed in an environment that is far more tolerant of guys like him.

I don't want an on-going feud with the press. I want a program that's going to move forward.
 

6 Nov 1999 said:
In my humble opinion we need a coach who will engage in verbal warfare against the Minneapolis / St. Paul media when they attack the program, and they attack our program with alarming frequency, no matter who the football coach is. It has been that way for as long as I can remember. Some competence on the gridiron, in conjunction with a running verbal battle with Reusse and his ilk, would be good for the program, and help sell tickets and interest. People were always interested in Bobby Knight. People like controversy. Of course, Bobby delivered the goods. So did Mike Leach. I guess their personalities are very similar, and this is why Bobby went to TT when IU fired him. They complemented each other, and perhaps they fed off each other. In the end TT got rid of them both. Will be interesting to see how Red Raider football and basketball fare going forward now that the "bad boys" are gone. We could use a "bad boy." I like the old Holtz era Golden Gopher, not the one that followed with female hormone replacement therapy.
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Couldn't agree more. It would be great to see a coach have enough of an attitude to stand up to his detractors. This would be a nice change from a coach who buddied up with the media (Mason), or gave them more fuel for the fire (Brew). Most of all, though, it would be great to have a coach who could shut them up by winning!
 

50PoundHead said:
Bad PR will just keep us spiraling further downward. What high school kid wants to come to a university where the program is always going to be under the microscope? And don't think that won't be pointed out by those recruiting the same kids we're recruiting. Leach had his chance and crapped the bed in an environment that is far more tolerant of guys like him.

I don't want an on-going feud with the press. I want a program that's going to move forward.
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I guess we just have to disagree on this subject. I sincerely believe that the Minneapolis / St. Paul media will always defecate and urinate on our football program regardless who is coach. They always have. They are bought and paid for by corporate sports enterprises in the Twin Cities. Their mission is to vector all disposable income allocated by a family or person for sports entertainment away from the University of Minnesota and into the bank account of the professional corporate sports enteprises in the Twin Cities. It is all about money folks, not "fair and balanced," and not Pulitzer prizes.
 


50PoundHead said:
Bad PR will just keep us spiraling further downward. What high school kid wants to come to a university where the program is always going to be under the microscope? And don't think that won't be pointed out by those recruiting the same kids we're recruiting. Leach had his chance and crapped the bed in an environment that is far more tolerant of guys like him.

I don't want an on-going feud with the press. I want a program that's going to move forward.
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What high school kid wants to come to a university that is always under the microscope? Well, RichRod is certainly under the microscope, and seems to recruit pretty well. Same can be said for Les Miles, Mark Richt, Mike Gundy and many others. Extenuating circumstances, I know, but my point is that many, if not most, coaches at successful programs are "under the microscope", and in many of these places the media and coaches are not great friends.

I, too, want a program that's moving forward. With our recent history, the media will criticize any coach that comes in here, and will assume that any coach that comes here is making a mistake. With that said, I think it will be very important to have a coach that can overcome this negativity and convince recruits, players, and fans that we can win.
 

6 Nov 1999 said:
I am not sure we can throw the football around like Mike Leach is predisposed to in November, but I am not opposed to a coach who tells somebody to go stand in a dark place and later refuses to apologize to the student (a horrible crime). Woody Hayes was not given to apologize either. You want "Minnesota Nice" or do you want a football coach who generates some controversy from time to time and in the process occasionally lights a fire under his team? Seems to me we are badly in need of a coach who will light a fire under the team. By the way, many thanks to all the @$$h01e$ on GopherHole who were so quick to tar, feather, and lynch the best football coach we had since Cal Stoll because we lost by a last second field goal to the Red Raiders, who went on to contend for the national title. If you all had been born a little bit earlier, you would have had the opportunity to follow Reverend Jim Jones to Guyana to drink Kool Aid with him. Instead you all force fed the "Kool Aid" to the University of Minnesota Football Program and set it back a decade. Imagine what Glen could have done at TCF Bank Stadium (which he built) with DCs who were paid $350,000 / year instead of $130,000 / year, which is what I think David Lockwood was making before they all got shown the door. But, the dumbest move, the new coach showing Gordy Shaw the door after trying to hold all the recruits together. Try as I might, I don't think I can forgive you @$$h01e$ who were part of the "Fire Mason" contingent. In several years, maybe. SKI-U-MAH!
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As long as we're imagining, let's imagine what Glen could have done if:

A)He bothered to recruit full time, instead of just from November to January

B)He didn't pizz off every HS coach in the state

C)He had occasionally made an in-game adjustment. Cue flashback to SCum running the same pass play to Perry over and over again in the 2nd half of the '03 game

D)He hadn't been flashing those pearly whites in the locker room after the TTEch game when Prexy B walked in.

Yeah, paying a DC $300 large would help, except that he'd quit in disgust when you move all the best defensive athletes over to offense every year.
 

Sparlimb said:
Here's a guy I'd at least send a feeler out to:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Bowden

Finally getting back into coaching and already having success where he's at. He has the name to recruit the south...
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Great minds on the same wave length. Any search that does not include Bowden, is no search. He has all the credentials, he loves a challenge, and as I have said the man can flat out coach!
 

Have no enthusiasm for Sumlin (pass happy, little defense, only three years as HC) or Trestman (54, only three years, including this one, as HC). Offer a ton of money and go after Richt, Harbaugh, Petersen, Patterson - that level. Exhaust that level before going for older guys, assistants, pro coaches, lower level, etc. Go for the very best and see what happens. We might be surprised.
 

Great Plains Gopher said:
Have no enthusiasm for Sumlin (pass happy, little defense, only three years as HC) or Trestman (54, only three years, including this one, as HC). Offer a ton of money and go after Richt, Harbaugh, Petersen, Patterson - that level. Exhaust that level before going for older guys, assistants, pro coaches, lower level, etc. Go for the very best and see what happens. We might be surprised.
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Im pretty sure we tried that before with Patterson. Harbaugh & Petersen definetly should get calls to check their interest level, hopefully we make those calls in private without the media finding out and blowing those stories up.

Why would Mark Richt leave UGA for Minnesota? It kind of caught me by surprise to see his name mentioned so frequently.
 

Gopher Fan said:
Why would Mark Richt leave UGA for Minnesota? It kind of caught me by surprise to see his name mentioned so frequently.
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He's been on the hot seat there, unfairly IMO. But Georgia football has a very high 'entitlement factor' -- much like Minnesota Hockey and..... Kentucky Hoops.

Speaking of Kentucky Hoops, Tubby Smith's name on lists to replace Monson would have surprised people as well. Why would Tubby leave Kentucky to come to the U?

Maturi said in the press conference that he is looking for the next "Tubby Smith hire" for the football program.
 

1. Leslie Frazier
2. Al Golden
3. Kevin Sumlin
4. Randy Edsall
5. Troy Calhoun

I don't think Harbaugh or Richt who would otherwise make my list are realistic options.
 

GopherBeef said:
1. Mike Leach-The Adam James incident is filled with questionable allegations from both sides. Put that aside--he won, and recruited pretty well, in a place that is decidedly the #3 program in Texas. If you have ever been to Lubbock (or the TX Panhandle in general), it makes his efforts there even more impressive. And, despite that his players sometimes looked like thugs on the field, he had the third highest grad rate in the Big XII. It would be very entertaining to see him work with the Mpls media as well. They would be on him from the day he started, but he has the experience and attitude to tell them where to go. That would be fun.
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I really would love to see them hire Leach. I think the whole issue with James was overblown, and a result of his father being in a position of influence. The problem is, he's still involved with litigation with Tech, and there may be issues with him taking another coaching job while that's hanging out there. I actually think he's probably a decent guy, considering that he insisted the money the public raised to help pay a fine for criticizing officials, go to buy food for needy families instead.

After Leach, I guess my list would go:

2. Richt (if he becomes available)
3. Bowden (Why is he coaching at D2 North Alabama? That's like coaching at Bemidji State.)
4. Trestman (it does seem odd he's never been a head coach outside the CFL, especially when you look at some of the stats of the guys he's coached, and they are impressive).
5. Frazier (but we'd have to wait to hire him, which would result in a late start, and a wasted season next year).
6. Sumlin (not a bad choice by any means)

The only person I couldn't handle them hiring (other than some of the idiotic suggestions like Craig Bohl or Glenn Caruso) would be Mangino. The guy is a total a-hole, and has been at every single place he's been. I don't want that guy around.

I can't imagine why Patterson would leave TCU. They're ranked in the top five in the BCS poll right now. (and remember the last time we hired the coach from TCU - how'd THAT work out).

I don't think Harbaugh would come here. I think he's perfectly happy at Stanford, where he's got a winning program, little pressure, gets to live in a great area, and never has to worry about having illiterate meatheads on his team, because they can't get into Stanford. His diatribe about Michigan letting unqualified players into college is going to make him a tough hire for any big public school (most of which have to let illiterate meatheads in to play ball).
 

1. Richt
2. Bellotti (I'd put him #1 if he weren't 60)
3. Golden
4. Edsall
5. Shiano

Wildcard: Frazier
 

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