What We Can Do to Keep Brewster in Minnesota

[BrewsterBooster]

Why would Tim Brewster want to leave Minnesota? Well, how about the feeling he probably has at times that he must carry the lethargic fans, the incredibly negative press, the undermanned team, the football staff, the responsibility to build enthusiasm for Gopher football program.....the whole flippin' thing on his back. Friends, it's not like this at a place like Tennessee. There is pressure, but the support is there as well. Have you ever been to a game at Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, Nebraska, Michigan, Ohio State or a whole host of other schools? Then you know why he might eventually leave.

Brewster thrives on pressure, but he wants that enthusiasm from supporters. Minnesota simply doesn't support their team. Tim Brewster does. He works his arse off to make Gopher football big time. He says positive things about the state, the university, where the program is headed, and on and on. And what does he get for his efforts from many.....they make fun of his enthusiasm and optimism. How would you feel about staying at place like that? While he is not focused on the touchy feely stuff of who likes him and doesn't, he is aware of it. The level of support he would get at a host of other schools would be far surpass Minnesota.....and he knows it because he has been a coach in some of those programs. We can give full support to our team and coaches without acting like some of the crazies of other programs.

Some of us like to take a coach apart when he doesn't meet our expectations or a game goes poorly. It is kind of like "well, we are going to sink back into mediocrity and I am afraid to get all revved up about this program because it will eventually fall apart again anyway." Do we teach that cynical attitude to our children? I hope not. What kind of garbage is that? Maybe we need to take ourselves apart instead of the coach. I know we are generally the supporters of the football program here on this board, and I may be preaching to the choir here. But is Minnesota a stepping stone or a destination? The difference is in attitude and support. Support this guy. He is the right guy to be a program builder who works his tail off for Minnesota football. He has made a personal commitment to give it everything he's got.

Now let's make our own personal commitment to the program and our coach. Show up at events. Keep the faith when things go badly. And TELL Brewster how much we appreciate him and he is one of us. Send him an email once in a while to buck him up or congratulate him for a job well done. Those little things mean a lot. Make Brew and his coaches feel like we appreciate them. These coaches have moved here from all over the country with their families and they work incredible hours. It is not always an easy life. Yes, we pay them pretty well to do their jobs, but have you seen what coaches at the stronger programs are being paid these days? It still makes coaches feel great about what they are doing to know we want them here and appreciate their efforts. And let's make sure Brew doesn't feel like he is carrying the whole effort to build Gopher football on his back. We should make sure he knows we HAVE his back. And every once in a while it wouldn't hurt to tell the hypercritical press to back off from OUR coach. Then I think he will fall in love with this place. And because he is human like you and me, he just might want to stay.

Tim Brewster - [email protected]

 

[Schnoodler]

He knew what he was up against. He got the job partly because of where the program is at. The team isn't the only things that needs development. I'm sure it wears on him, but I think he hopes the support grows with the program. I think it will, but it's been a long time since we've had a consistently good program. Over 40 years ago.

It all takes time.

 

[From the Barn]

How much is he getting paid again?

 

[tjgopher]

I hope he takes us to a level where we have to worry about him leaving. Right now, this shouldn't be a concern. Right now, it is up to him to concern himself with winning football games and not give a second thought about what the fans or media think of him. Ultimately, it is up to him, not us. If he never wins, he'll be gone. If he wins, the fans will absolutely show up, and then it will be his decision on whether he stays and builds something special, or whether he chooses to bolt.

 

[tjgopher]

Why would Tim Brewster want to leave Minnesota? Well, how about the feeling he probably has right now that he must carry the lethargic fans, the incredibly negative press, the undermanned team, the football staff, the responsibility to build enthusiasm for Gopher football program.....the whole flippin' thing on his back. Friends, it's not like that at a place like Tennessee. You ever been to a game at Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, Nebraska, Michigan, Ohio State or a whole host of other schools? Then you know why he might eventually leave. Minnesota simply doesn't support their team.

He knew what he was getting in to. As did Hayden Fry at Iowa, Barry Alvarez at Wisconsin, Bill Snyder at Kansas State, Joe Tiller at Purdue, Gary Barnett at Northwestern...all coaches who entered situations worse than what he took over. Those coaches all showed up at non-football schools and turned them into football schools. They all had barriers - as does Brewster. They were able to break through. As I said, ultimately, it is up to Brewster as to whether he has what it takes to fight through all the things that stand in his way to make the program a winner. If Brewster wanted it to be easy, then he chose the wrong school to come to.

 

[calminnfan]

He may be a candidate for TN, but he really has not accomplished a lot at MN record wise yet. TN May want someone who is a little more proven. Also, if MN is bad for all the reasons you mentioned above, which I agree are basically true, why is the thought that the grass is always greener somewhere else. Other then maybe a more desireable school to recruit players to, I doubt there is a whole lot of difference otherwise.

 

[Bronko Nagurski Gopher]

a lot of truth here - some fans/media need to look at themselves in the mirror

Why would Tim Brewster want to leave Minnesota? Well, how about the feeling he probably has right now that he must carry the lethargic fans, the incredibly negative press, the undermanned team, the football staff, the responsibility to build enthusiasm for Gopher football program.....the whole flippin' thing on his back. Friends, it's not like that at a place like Tennessee. You ever been to a game at Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, Nebraska, Michigan, Ohio State or a whole host of other schools? Then you know why he might eventually leave. Minnesota simply doesn't support their team. Tim Brewster does. He works his arse off to make Gopher football big time. He says positive things about the state, the university, where the program is headed, and on and on. And what does he get for his efforts from many.....they make fun of his enthusiasm and optimism. How would you feel about staying at place like that? The level of support he would get at a host of other schools would be far surpass Minnesota.....and he knows it because he has been a coach in some of those programs.

We like to take a coach apart when he doesn't meet our expectations or a game goes poorly. It is kind of like "well, we are going to sink back into mediocrity and I am afraid to get all revved up about this program because it will eventually fall apart again anyway." Do we teach that cynical attitude to our children? I hope not. What kind of garbage is that?

Maybe we need to take ourselves apart instead of the coach. Is Minnesota a stepping stone or a destination? The difference is in attitude and support. Support this guy. He is a really good guy who works his tail off for Minnesota football. He has made a personal commitment.

Now let's make a personal commitment to the program and our coach. Show up at events. Keep the faith when things go badly. And TELL Brewster how much we appreciate him and want him to stay. Send him an email once in a while to buck him up or congratulate him for a job well done. His email address is - [email protected].

Make Brew and his coaches feel like we appreciate them. These coaches have moved here from all over the country with their families and they work incredible hours. It is not always an easy life. It sure makes the coaches feel great to know we want them here and appreciate their efforts. And make sure Brew doesn't feel like he carrying the whole effort to build Gopher football entirely on his own back. Tell the hypercritical press to back off from OUR coach. We don't have to put up with that crap.

Then he will fall in love with this place. And because he is a good guy and human like you and I, he just might want to stay.

Tim Brewster - [email protected]

well said....agree with a lot of what you said here. let's support our team, our coach & our program always people, not just when it is convenient, or easy, or fashionable to do so........

gopher pride always and forever!

 

[Goldmember]

Friends, it's not like that at a place like Tennessee. You ever been to a game at Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, Nebraska, Michigan, Ohio State or a whole host of other schools?

Yes. The fans are mentally ill. There is real danger that they may physically harm the players or coaches at times. These four loses would not have been tolerated at any of the schools you mention. An ugly firing would have occured at about half of all the BCS-conference schools folowing such an end of a regular season.

I like Brewster. I support Brewster. And I think he is still building a new kind of program. However, he still has TRUCKLOADS left to accomplish here before any sort of overall victory can be claimed. The 7-1 start, as it turns out, is a solid step in the right direction. No more, no less.

If I actually believed he was feeling sorry for himself right now (as you seem to) I would have no confidence in him at all. People who win don't have that kind of attitude.

Head Coach of the University of Minnesota Football Team is the highest paid public position in the state of Minnesota. I would expect that any person holding the position would "work his arse off." And just because it's expected does not mean it isn't appreciated.

 

[From the Barn]

Friends, it's not like that at a place like Tennessee. You ever been to a game at Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, Nebraska, Michigan, Ohio State or a whole host of other schools?

Yes. The fans are mentally ill. There is real danger that they may physically harm the players or coaches at times. These four loses would not have been tolerated at any of the schools you mention. An ugly firing would have occured at about half of all the BCS-conference schools folowing such an end of a regular season.

I like Brewster. I support Brewster. And I think he is still building a new kind of program. However, he still has TRUCKLOADS left to accomplish here before any sort of overall victory can be claimed. The 7-1 start, as it turns out, is a solid step in the right direction. No more, no less.

If I actually believed he was feeling sorry for himself right now (as you seem to) I would have no confidence in him at all. People who win don't have that kind of attitude.

Head Coach of the University of Minnesota Football Team is the highest paid public position in the state of Minnesota. I would expect that any person holding the position would "work his arse off." And just because it's expected does not mean it isn't appreciated.

Bingo. He has a tough job, but he is also making enough to buy a small (ok, tiny) island. If he can't handle expectations here (Outback Bowl or bust!!) he should find a new profession.

 

[goldenboy]

Salary

Brew is making half of what Mase made. This is actually one of the things that impressed me last year when he was hired. He took less of the pie and actually paid competitive salaries for offensive and defensive coordinators. Mase always pocketed the big cash and settled for what he could get in terms of a coaching staff on what was left. The difference between head coaching pay and coordinators is much less of a gap now. I'd agree with this initial post whole-heartedly. Our local media is the worst in the country. They don't seem to get the idea that they are part of the college football entertainment package, and would directly benefit if the team did well and the fans were excited about it. Who is inspired to buy a paper with the sports editorials the ST and PP provide? It wouldn't be quite so bad if the local radio and TV stations didn't recycle the same newspaper losers for their programming. Ugh.
Our fans are bandwagon fans, by and large. We like a winner but don't have the passion to back the team when the chips are down (granted, they have been down for a long stretch... the only gopher fans that remember the glory years are in their own retirement years). Minnesota fans (in all sports except baseball - for two great seasons anyway... and those were twenty years ago) have been disappointed so many times that they never truly believe things are going to turn out well. Brewster's optimism and positive attitude are such a contrast to the prevailing attitude, but it's just what we need. I believe the glass is half full. We will be better each year and the talent level being recruited will provide for more success in the future. Go Gophers.

 

[Schnoodler]

Being realistic of where we are, and being optimistic of where we are going are not incompatible notions.

There is a reason the fan base is the way it is. It is not inherent to this state.

I've seen supposed good fans in other areas turn rabid on a downturn too.

I agree the media in this town sucks. And I certainly agree that sports is not hard news requiring objectivity in reporting. Being Pro local sports is good for everybody. Being Anti is bad for everybody.


My objection to this thread isn't that we shouldn't be supporting Brewster and the Gophers. I whole heartedly agree that we should be. It's the implication that we need to coddle Brewster or he'll take his ball and go home. I think he knows what the challenges are and is quite willing to fight that fight.

It's still a product, and as such it will sell better as the value grows. I hate the folks that go out of their way to tear the program down, but I understand the people who aren't as colored by the Kool Aide as I am.

Outside = better value
On Campus = better value
More wins = better value
realistic chance of BCS or Rose Bowl = Better Value
Winning a trophy game = better value
Hot Cheerleaders = better value
you get the idea

 

[calminnfan]

If a few people like Ruesse, Sid's kid and Burrito are enough to drive him off, even though none of those mentioned are even listened to any more, then does Brewster have what it takes to be a Div. 1 coach. Not at all. I think he has a little thicker skin than that.

I also think he has a little to much of himself invested into this effort to simply pull up stakes now, without it being an outstanding opportunity that is.

 

[Gold Rush]

After weighing in all the variables, I gave Brewster a C- this year for the job he did coaching, up from the D that he got for the previous year. It was the last 4 games that really brought his grade down this year, but it just might be those last 4 games that keep him here instead of places such as Tennessee or Notre Dame.

I thought he got outcoached by Fitzgerald in the Northwestern game and that was a major reason we lost. We did not show up to play vs. Michigan, but we did give Wisconsin a good game and almost won. Then vs. Iowa, Brewster looked like a high school coach and we looked very outmatched. I thought many other Big Ten teams improved as the season went on but we actually got worse. Stupid mistakes and penalties have killed us and we aren't getting any better. OK, we are a young team -- I get that -- but we should be improving by the end of the season.

I like Brewster and he does bring a lot of positive things to the table. I like his passion, his motivational skills and his recruiting and he gets an A for all those things. He does need to get better in some areas and those last 4 games showed we still have a lot of work to do. I am sure he will look like a better coach when he can recruit a few more classes just like Ron Zook, but just like Zook found out this year, good recruiting will only take you so far.

One last thing -- I am not buying this "he had to take this all on his back from a stateful of apathetic fans" argument, either. Right now there is a waiting list to buy tickets for next season and fans have supported this team through a horrific 1-11 season last year and have patiently waited for the team to get better. Most of us were here before Brewster got here and will still be here when he moves on, too.

 

[Handsome Pete]

Get your chili hot, people

Why would Tim Brewster want to leave Minnesota? Well, how about the feeling he probably has right now that he must carry the lethargic fans, the incredibly negative press, the undermanned team, the football staff, the responsibility to build enthusiasm for Gopher football program.....the whole flippin' thing on his back. Friends, it's not like that at a place like Tennessee. You ever been to a game at Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, Nebraska, Michigan, Ohio State or a whole host of other schools? Then you know why he might eventually leave. Minnesota simply doesn't support their team. Tim Brewster does. He works his arse off to make Gopher football big time. He says positive things about the state, the university, where the program is headed, and on and on. And what does he get for his efforts from many.....they make fun of his enthusiasm and optimism. How would you feel about staying at place like that? The level of support he would get at a host of other schools would be far surpass Minnesota.....and he knows it because he has been a coach in some of those programs.

We like to take a coach apart when he doesn't meet our expectations or a game goes poorly. It is kind of like "well, we are going to sink back into mediocrity and I am afraid to get all revved up about this program because it will eventually fall apart again anyway." Do we teach that cynical attitude to our children? I hope not. What kind of garbage is that?

Maybe we need to take ourselves apart instead of the coach. Is Minnesota a stepping stone or a destination? The difference is in attitude and support. Support this guy. He is a really good guy who works his tail off for Minnesota football. He has made a personal commitment.

Now let's make a personal commitment to the program and our coach. Show up at events. Keep the faith when things go badly. And TELL Brewster how much we appreciate him and want him to stay. Send him an email once in a while to buck him up or congratulate him for a job well done. His email address is - [email protected].

Make Brew and his coaches feel like we appreciate them. These coaches have moved here from all over the country with their families and they work incredible hours. It is not always an easy life. It sure makes the coaches feel great to know we want them here and appreciate their efforts. And make sure Brew doesn't feel like he carrying the whole effort to build Gopher football entirely on his own back. Tell the hypercritical press to back off from OUR coach. We don't have to put up with that crap.

Then he will fall in love with this place. And because he is a good guy and human like you and I, he just might want to stay.

Tim Brewster - [email protected]

I've emailed brewster a couple of times. He responded with a fairly lengthy reply the first time. Anyway, I know he reads his email so I like to let him know I appreciate his efforts. As I've said since he was hired, I don't care if we ever make the Rose Bowl, 10 wins, etc. on his watch. I know he wants to do that, it is his expectation, he is trying his damndest to get there, and that's all I care about. Brewster has given us what we haven't had for years- hope and the knowledge that Minnesota deserves to be more than middle of the pack. For that he has my undying loyalty (even though I occasionally get frustrated.) Hope this helps.

 

[Gold Rush]

Yeah, I agree with you Pete, I think it is possible to enjoy a football season without winning the Rose Bowl or national championship, but I do need to see that we are at least making an honest effort in getting better and we aren't satisfied with mediocrity.

One of the things I really like about Tim Brewster is that he is doing everything he possibly can to improve any deficiencies that we have. He is taking weakness by weakness and trying to make corrections for them. He is recruiting as hard as humanly possible and he simply will not be outworked. He kind of reminds me of some of those NFL coaches that will look at film and work 20 hours a day to try to get to the Super Bowl. Those are usually the most successful coaches, but they do tend to burn out faster than average.

I kind of get the feeling that if he can't win here, then who can because I do not think we will ever be able to get another coach that will be able to recruit quite like he can. This team has a lot of potential for next season and has a chance to be greatly improved in 2009 if it can correct a few problems.