What is your definition of a success as a coach for Minnesota?

Yep. And those who have NEVER managed (successfully) usually have no comprehension of how to measure either of those. So their expectations are all over the board, change almost daily with their emotions. And they have no idea how to think in terms of "results". Sound like Gopherhole after losing to a #5 team?

I think that is really the theme of this whole thread. This staff did exactly what was originally expected of them in their first year. Maybe even better.

It is only NOW, after the season, in a fit of infantile rage, that some claim they expected a win over a #5 ranked team, or that they expected 10 wins. A rare few even admit that they changed their expectations. But that's not how it works. That's not how ANY of this works.

Can we please stop with the notion that this is the staff's first year? By and large this staff has been here for six years. The only reason Claeys kept the job after Kill stepped down is so that we could keep the continuity and momentum that we had going under Kill.

Have we kept that momentum? I don't know. For me personally we went from being a good team in 2014 to an average team in 2015 and 2016. Recruiting doesn't seem to be going as well since Kill left. Granted, we may find out that the staff has found a slew of players that were underrated by the recruiting services. I guess we're going to get the chance to find out.

Getting back to the topic of the thread, just beat Wisconsin once again before I die and I'll consider the coach a success.
 

Can we please stop with the notion that this is the staff's first year? By and large this staff has been here for six years. The only reason Claeys kept the job after Kill stepped down is so that we could keep the continuity and momentum that we had going under Kill.

Have we kept that momentum? I don't know. For me personally we went from being a good team in 2014 to an average team in 2015 and 2016. Recruiting doesn't seem to be going as well since Kill left. Granted, we may find out that the staff has found a slew of players that were underrated by the recruiting services. I guess we're going to get the chance to find out.

Getting back to the topic of the thread, just beat Wisconsin once again before I die and I'll consider the coach a success.

I don't think it is fair to hold them to the standard of the past staff with all the new people and moving of roles and etc.... and at the same time not give them a high five for being better than 2015 where we eeked out wins vs Kent St...
 

My hope is to get to a point where we are in the running for the west championship most years with an occasional trip to Indy (once every 4-5 years or so).
 

I don't think it is fair to hold them to the standard of the past staff with all the new people and moving of roles and etc.... and at the same time not give them a high five for being better than 2015 where we eeked out wins vs Kent St...

Agreed. But also not fair to act as though its a whole new outfit that was brought in.

I guess I've been jaded by tasting the success of making it to the Citrus Bowl and seemingly not being able to build on it. The 4th quarter collapse against the heathens to the east really, really hurt my spirit regarding how things are going. I need to move past it but the wasted opportunities of this year are really grinding on me. Hopefully I'll have recovered by next August.
 

Can we please stop with the notion that this is the staff's first year? By and large this staff has been here for six years. The only reason Claeys kept the job after Kill stepped down is so that we could keep the continuity and momentum that we had going under Kill

I like how people think that if they keep SAYING this isn't a new staff that somehow it will make it true. Tracy is A 1st year HC. The coordinators are new.

Claeys may have gotten the job mostly because he offered continuity to an institution whose AD left revenue-generating athletics a complete and total mess.

That's not his problem. He met his expectations.

IMO, most of you are just butt-hurt that WI had their best season this year in their 120+ years, and Iowa pretty much did last year. Our rivals' ability to have avoided Mason-firing-type emotionally -driven decisions and the inevitable fallout is ALSO not Tracy's problem.

I'm sure a lot of you hear a lot of crap from Hawkeyes and Badger fans, who are generally horrible gloating, nimrods. But they all openly lust for Minnesota to have a dysfunctional coaching-carousel. It is the sure recipe for creating a bottom-feeder.
 


I like how people think that if they keep SAYING this isn't a new staff that somehow it will make it true. Tracy is A 1st year HC. The coordinators are new.

Claeys may have gotten the job mostly because he offered continuity to an institution whose AD left revenue-generating athletics a complete and total mess.

That's not his problem. He met his expectations.

IMO, most of you are just butt-hurt that WI had their best season this year in their 120+ years, and Iowa pretty much did last year. Our rivals' ability to have avoided Mason-firing-type emotionally -driven decisions and the inevitable fallout is ALSO not Tracy's problem.

I'm sure a lot of you hear a lot of crap from Hawkeyes and Badger fans, who are generally horrible gloating, nimrods. But they all openly lust for Minnesota to have a dysfunctional coaching-carousel. It is the sure recipe for creating a bottom-feeder.

Ok. You're right. Its an all new staff. Its the exact same thing as hiring a new coach and bringing in a whole new staff. Good grief.

I'm glad you're certain that everything is headed in the right direction. I'm not. I guess we'll get to see who's right in the coming years.
 

Can we please stop with the notion that this is the staff's first year? By and large this staff has been here for six years. The only reason Claeys kept the job after Kill stepped down is so that we could keep the continuity and momentum that we had going under Kill.

Have we kept that momentum? I don't know. For me personally we went from being a good team in 2014 to an average team in 2015 and 2016. Recruiting doesn't seem to be going as well since Kill left. Granted, we may find out that the staff has found a slew of players that were underrated by the recruiting services. I guess we're going to get the chance to find out.

Getting back to the topic of the thread, just beat Wisconsin once again before I die and I'll consider the coach a success.

I'm not sure that is the only reason. I think it was mainly because it was an easy pick at a time when the athletic dept had no AD.
 


I'm not sure that is the only reason. I think it was mainly because it was an easy pick at a time when the athletic dept had no AD.

Fair point. If 2014 had been a dumpster fire though I doubt they would have removed the interim tag after 2015.
 




IMO, most of you are just butt-hurt that WI had their best season this year in their 120+ years, and Iowa pretty much did last year. Our rivals' ability to have avoided Mason-firing-type emotionally -driven decisions and the inevitable fallout is ALSO not Tracy's problem.

This year is probably in the top three this century, so far. It could be their best season if they win out, but 2010 (11-1, #5 ranking heading into the bowls) and 2006 (12-1, #6 ranking heading into the bowls) are probably as good at this point. And that's what probably sucks most of all, to me, as a Gopher fan.

It seems our chief rival has surpassed us so greatly that we can't expect to compete with them at the current rate, and they're showing time and again that's the case. There is no "regression." They are an exceptional program with exceptional expectations. They are just a step down from the Ohio State's and Alabama's of the world. They should, frankly, no longer consider us a serious "rival" in the classic sense of the word because we are nowhere close to that. And, in my opinion, that is just a really crappy feeling and I wish I felt like we at least had the right pieces in place to get us there. Maybe we do, maybe we don't, but time will tell that story.
 

Claeys is a plan B of a plan B. That's why people aren't excited.
 

Wisconsin and Iowa should absolutely be the comparisons. Over the past 20 years or so, I consider them to be on pretty equal footing with sustained success, some big "ups" and some slight downs. I'm too lazy to look at the exact numbers, but I suspect they somewhat mirror what's already been said in this thread about what we "expect" for MN:

1) Consistent 6 - 8 wins
2) Compete for West most years (3 out of 4?), win it once every 4
3) "Magical" season once every 8 years (Win B1G, NY6 Bowl, etc.)

I don't care if you think it's Year 1 of the Claeys regime or Year 6 of the Kill/Claeys regime. Either way,

1) We've accomplished this. There are many programs across the country who have not.
2) We've seriously challenged for the West twice. Have yet to win it, so we're behind schedule on that part of the goal. If we don't win it in the next 2 years, then perhaps change is called for.
3) Obviously haven't accomplished this. Again, if it's not approached in the next 2 years, perhaps a change is called for.

I think this staff can do it.
 




So 2-10 sounds better as long as they are rivalry wins? Or maybe 5-7 if Gophs win the non-conf games? Don't think the 13 year drought with WI or the 2 wins in 25+ years against MI is on Claeys as HC.

Yes, I think many would take that. A win over Wisconsin would feel better than our streak over Ill, Rutgers, Maryland, etc. I think many would gladly take 5-7 if those wins came over Wisconsin or Iowa, just to gett the monkey off the back. Then, firm it up.
 

Yes, I think many would take that. A win over Wisconsin would feel better than our streak over Ill, Rutgers, Maryland, etc. I think many would gladly take 5-7 if those wins came over Wisconsin or Iowa, just to gett the monkey off the back. Then, firm it up.

Many, or Most? Gladly? I doubt it. We've been there, it's not fun getting beat by mid tier mid-major conference teams. No thanks, I'll take 8-9 wins every time.
 

9 regular season wins now and then, maybe even a 10 win rs once. Win the Big Ten West. Go to the Rose Bowl. Don't even need a BT championship. This should happen within 7 years. Beat upper echelon BT teams 1 to 3 times every year (I could give a pass on this for 1 season. Beat WI once every 3 or 4 years at least.


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