Gophers Coaching Staff Looking Good

Yahoo sports seems to be praising the new Gophers coaching staff.

Yahoo - "...The spring game will also give fans a first look at Brewsters' staff, including defensive coordinator Everett Withers and offensive coordinator Mike Dunbar.

Withers will get his first taste of coordinating Saturday after spending the past five years as a defensive backs coach for the Tennessee Titans.

Dunbar joined the Gophers after serving as California's offensive coordinator last season when the Golden Bears averaged 32.8 points per game -- ranking Cal 11th in the country."

We get the man who led Pac Man at Tennessee and the man who led Marshawn Lynch the Pac10 Offensive Player of the Year at Cal.

For the first time in my life I'm actually excited to see how good this Gopher team will be in 3 years once this coaching staff gets some of their recruits in place.

Gophers men’s basketball makes a big move!

ESPN's Andy Katz is reporting that the Gophers will sign University of Kentucky men's basketball coach Tubby Smith. The deal is said to be made official tomorrow and to be worth $1.8 million dollars per year. Finally, a step in the right direction, and a big step at that! Sky-U-Mah Tubby! Sky-U-Mah!

See link for article on ESPN.com

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2808406

Gophers just miss at-large bid for NCAA Tournament

With an RPI of 190, the University of Minnesota men's basketball team narrowly missed out on making the field of 64 today.  Their outstanding record of 9-22 put them as the 9th seed in this weeks Big Ten conference tournament.  After their first round loss versus Michigan, Athletic Director Joel Maturi needs to do something to change the direction of a once proud, err, I mean middle of the pack program.

The first task on his list should be directed towards finding a new coach.  Whether he decides to stick with current coach Molenari or go in a different direction a decision needs to be made.  Currently the players have said that their choice to be head coach next season is Molenari.  This simply cannot happen in my opinion.  The Gophers need to build buzz around the program.

The easiest way to do that would be to get Flip Saunders or Bobby Knight to leave their respective teams to roam the sidelines at Williams Arena.  This will be difficult.  Maturi will need to back up the money truck to get Knight to leave the Texas Tech Raiders.  The problem with Flip lies in timing.  I believe that if offered the opportunity (and a large sum of money) that he would come back to Minneapolis to lead the Gophers.  The problem has to do with the NBA season.  Currently his Detroit Pistons squad is in line to make the playoffs.  We all know that this process can take FOREVER.  Maturi NEEDS to hire someone in the next month.  Waiting for Flip is a bold move and if he is in the end not interested, wating for him could jeopardize them from hiring another top coach.

So, who will the Gophers hire?  It's anyone's guess.  I believe that the Gophers will take a chance on another low to mid-major coach with a history of winning (a la Munson).  Will he be successful?  Who knows.  Let's hope that the new coach can make changes, recruit in-state players and bring some pride back to the University of Minnesota.

The State of Football, err, Hockey!

Following the comments of the "Paper Champs", I too have noticed that hockey is running rampant through the "state of hockey", and it could not come at a better time. Vikings fans have been eagerly awaiting free agency because of the amount of money available to spend on players. Now that it is here, fans have had little to be excited about, AGAIN!! With the exception of Steve Hutchinson and a couple others, the Vikes have made some less than spectacular moves during free agency in recent years. With the fan base slowly creeping out the door, one would think the Viking's brass would want to make some sort of blockbuster signing or create some buzz with an exciting draft pick, but no. I have a sinking feeling that fans will be left with a bitter taste in their mouth again.

I could continue to rant about my beloved Vikes, or even the T-wolves (that would be too easy), but I would rather bring the positivity and mention that we are the "State of Hockey" and we are smack in the middle of hockey playoff heaven. The Wild are ranked 13 in ESPN's power rankings and are on the brink of making the playoffs, the Gopher men's hockey team is entering the playoffs as regular-season champs, and the state high school hockey tournaments are under way.  Unfortunately, I currently am living out-of-state, so I am unable to watch the storied state high school hockey tournament. I love watching the uncomfortable faces of the cheerleaders when the camera hits them, or hearing every single player say "Hi Mom" with a big smile on their faces thinking they are all that and a bag of chips because they made it to the tourney. Every year, you see a player you can't help but get excited about and hope they choose to go play for our beloved Gophers. Growing up in the state of hockey, if you are a hockey fan,  almost nothing beats the high school tounaments,  ALOMST nothing!

The only thing that could mean more right now would be the Gopher's pursuit of a national title. The Gophers have repeated as WCHA champs  and are looking to avenge a early exit from the Frozen Four last year courtesy of Holy Cross. The Gophs have reached some road blocks recently, but hopefully Lucia skated that out of them with his rare Sunday morning practice following the loss to Michigan Tech.  The Gophers will face Alaska Anchorage on Friday in the best of a three game series which the Gophers should sweep. The last time the Gophers faced the Seawolves they beat them handedly the first game 8-2, and then only beat them 2-1 in the second game. Hopefully, we will see the team that beat them 8-2 and not the team we have seen lately. In the weeks to come, most of my attention will be on the Gophers and watching them in tournament action.

This may be the last time we see some of these kids in a Gopher uniform, for sure Erik Johnson who has said he is leaving to play in the NHL next year. Johnson has publicly stated that he wants to "make the jump to the next level so I can keep developing the way I want to" next year and will play for the St. Louis Blues who made him the number one overall draft pick  in the 2006 NHL draft.

He is good and his presence will be missed on such a young team, but I say "don't let the door hit ya" because after making comments like this, "I think here at Minnesota, I could have been used more effectively in the system, so that has been frustrating" he is not leaving any room for return.  Somehow, I doubt that he was used ineffectively when he has played on the first line and has had the most shots on goal of any player on the team. He has a great shot which Lucia knows and uses to their advantage.  Effectively used or not,  I will be watching Johnson and the rest of the Golden Gophers take it to the ice Friday, watching and praying that we will return to mid-season form in the upcoming tournaments.  Sky-U-Mah my friends, Sky-U-Mah!

College Recruits Head South

You have to be happy with Tim Brewster and his last minute efforts to recruit a top 50 class. If the coach can correct that 113th ranked Defense the Gophers have a shot at winning 7-8 games next year.

But one thing really caught my eye with the 2007 recruiting class nation wide. Everyone is heading south. Notre Dame, Michigan and the Illinois upset class are the only 3 cold weather schools in the top 18 ranked by ESPN. Notre Dame and Michigan are rated #8 and #10. Sure Butch Davis at North Carolina helped, but South Carolina and North Carolina in the top #11? Has to be the weather.

Imagine back a few years and you are a top High School football recruit. You have scheduled visits to Michigan and North Carolina. You visit Michigan and it's 10* degrees outside, the football field is covered in snow, and all the girls are bundled up in parkas. Then you head to North Carolina the next week. It's 60* degrees outside, the football stadium looks beautiful in the sun light, and all the girls are wearing that sweet baby blue. What school do you choose?

Cold weather schools know that can't win the Jan/Feb recruiting trail so they try to bring in players during the football season in the fall. But playing that game can be risky. Think of all those Notre Dame recruits watching Notre Dame get crushed at home and thinking maybe this place isn't all it's cracked up to be. A great example of this risk game happened last fall. The University of Minnesota brought in one of the top MN recruits to watch the Gophers take on D-1AA North Dakota State University. By the end of the game the gopher recruit decided to go to NDSU because they absolutely manhandled the gophers.

Bottom line, when recruits visit southern schools in Jan/Feb right before they decide who to sign with...sunny weather and unbundled girls on campus' help.