Links: Nolen Expected To Play

Most importantly today, we learn via GopherGold and Myron Medcalf that Al Nolen practiced Tueseday and is expected to play against Ohio State. This is a very good development. The Gophers still should have been able to win against Michigan State on Sunday, but it was obvious that without him the Gophers lack any real point guard. Lawrence McKenzie can fill this role well in stretches, but when he needs a breather the point guard play became rather hard to watch.

Hopefully Nolen will be at or near 100 percent. They'll need him in a hostile environment.

Now, on to a few other interesting tidbits.

** For a good laugh, you really ought to check out this photoshopped image of Tubby Smith that RandBall found while perusing the Internets. It's very well done.

** This same-day feature piece by John Millea in the Star Tribune is a must-read. Millea chronicles the football and basketball recruitment of Cretin Derham Hall's sophomore Seantrel Henderson, a 6'7", 305 pound offensive lineman (and apparently power forward). Millea reports that Seantrel's recruitment could be higher profile than what we just witnessed with Notre Dame bound Michael Floyd. Also, Jon at TNABACG gushes over Henderson and suggests the big man is "the official Next Big Thing in the state of Minnesota."

** Starting a new blog isn't easy. But your readership grows instantly when you knock one of your first pieces out of the park. That's what the blogger at The Legion of Cats did with this look back at Tubby Smith's departure from Kentucky. Many bloggers, columnists and television pundits have tried to lay out the complicated situation Tubby was involved in at UK, and in just the second post in the blog's history, The Legion of Cats succinctly has accomplished that feat. I'm not going to quote the post extensively here, because it's worth a read in its entirety if you are at all interested in the UK back story.

** Speaking of UK, the Wildcats pulled the upset over a very talented Tennessee team last night. Tru at A Sea of Blue has more. I'll give you a taste:

"The very best victories are the ones you don't expect. That's true in life, for sure, but nowhere is it more axiomatic than in sports. An unanticipated win against a superior opponent just causes those little endorphin thingys to run wild, giving you a wonderfully sated sensation."

While many of us have quietly enjoyed UK's struggles in the early portion of the season, I'm somewhat happy for the UK fan base today. They've been through quite a bit since March and they very much needed a win like this to keep their spirits high.

** The Pioneer Press' Charley Walters has a handful of University of Minnesota tidbits in his column of tidbits today. But, most interesting is his lead to the piece talking with Glen Mason. The coach who came to be known as "Mediocre Mason," suggests that Marion Barber III and Laurence Maroney weren't appreciated in Minnesota by "local people." I'm going to assume Mason is referring to the media and fans. I'm not sure I agree with that. I think most everyone looked at the Barber/Maroney tandem (combined with the power running game in general) as one of the best in the nation. But Mason's players didn't get the ink the professional sports teams in Minnesota do because, simply, they weren't winning enough at a high enough level. This seems like a strange comment for Mason to make. What do you think?

** Lastly, I'd like to bring your attention to a blog I've added during the last couple months on the sidebar titled Hoopraker. First, the site is aesthetically pleasing. But more importantly to me, the writing is top-notch. Take this lead to a post from Jan. 14 for instance:

"Sometimes lost in the premature and tunnel visioned emphasis on the NCAA tournament as the only metric of a team’s worth is the appreciation for the moments at hand. Obscured in the bid or bust equation, betrayed by the singular emphasis on the March endgame is an enjoyment of the season as a journey where each individual game, whether win or defeat, whether RPI bolstering or not, tells its own set of compelling stories."

Very well stated point. I check out this site often, and because many blogs get lost on my sidebar, I wanted to take a moment to highlight these guys because they're doing a fantastic job.

Year In Review: Maturi Hires Some Guy He's Never Heard Of

A little more than two weeks after Glen Mason was shown the door, Athletic Director Joel Maturi and University of Minnesota President Robert Bruininks found the man they wanted to bring a new vision to Gophers football. The new coach was a new name to the vast majority of Gophers fans.

On a blustery Minnesota morning in mid-January, we learned Tim Brewster would be having a press conference to announce he had agreed to terms with the University. In unison, much of Gopher Nation scratched their heads. Who is Tim Brewster? Why did we hire someone with no head coaching, or coordinator experience? If Brewster has never been anything more than a tight ends coach, why is he the best coach to take a high-major, middle-of-the-pack football program and oversee its ascension to the top of the Big Ten?

In short, Gophers fans were stumped. Maturi finally stepped up and pulled the plug on the Glen Mason era. But with the AD's first big hire at the University, he goes for a no-name coach, one we later learn our AD had never even heard of himself. A startling decision to say the least.

There were some positives. Brewster was pegged as a top-notch recruiter. He had landed Vince Young while on staff for Mack Brown at Texas. And under Brown at North Carolina, Brewster took some credit for landing Julius Peppers. There were others too: Brewster was tight ends coach for the NFL's Chargers during Antonio Gates' rise to stardom. He had most recently worked under one of the NFL's most respected gurus in Mike Shanahan. While his resume lacked in some areas, it looked good in others.

So, the decision makers told us that Brewster would work to build a fence around the state of Minnesota. We would no longer lose homegrown products to Notre Dame, Ohio State, Wisconsin and Michigan. Here is Maturi, via Chip Scoggins at the Star Tribune, introducing Brewster to his new fanbase:

"Coach Brewster has a great reputation as a man of integrity, vision and energy," Maturi wrote in an e-mail. "He is known as a tireless recruiter and he wanted to be a Gopher. From the dozens of people we talked to around the nation, Coach Brewster stood out as a person that could take us to the next level."

Later on January 16th, Brewster took to a podium in Minneapolis, Maturi cheerleading at his side, and professed that this was the beginning of a new era in Minnesota football. He talked of the storied history of the program only our grandfathers can recall. He talked about how this current team can win now, and he talked about taking "Gopher Nation To Pasadena."

Brewster immediately set the bar very high:

"My expectations from Day One is that we are going to win the Big Ten championship," he said. "We're going to take the Gopher Nation to Pasadena (the site of the Rose Bowl)." He was asked if he had concerns about his lack of head coaching experience. "I don't have fear. I don't have anxiety. I have total exhilaration," he said in a mild Texas accent despite having been born in New Jersey. "If you aren't prepared, then you have anxiety. ... For 19 years I've been an assistant coach [and] I've always made great decision on who I worked for. ... What I chased was knowledge [rather than] what my title was."

The man entered the Minnesota sporting world with bravado.

Later in the Year In Review, we'll look at how Brewster performed during his first season on the sidelines. But for now, I want to concentrate on the coaching search. As I suggested in the previous post about the dismissal of Glen Mason, the coaching search was made to be hurried by the poor timing of Mason's dismissal. Had Mason been fired at the end of the regular season--before the Insight Bowl debacle--the Gophers would have had a month or more to find a coach instead of two weeks. But a quick decision had to be made because the early signing period was imminent.

As in any coaching search there was rampant speculation about who would be the next coach. The names varied from the never-going-to-happen (think Tony Dungy) to the PLEASE! department (Think the degree-less Mike Tice and Eden Prairie High School coach Mike Grant). But other names were out there: former USC coordinator now Oakland Raiders Coach Lane Kiffin, UCLA Defensive Coordinator DeWayne Walker (former Gopher), Wisconsin Offensive Coordinator Paul Chryst and North Dakota State Head Coach Craig Bohl. Each of those five names appealed to me for different reasons.

Each of those names had something Brewster doesn't: big-time coaching experience. Bohl has built a program. Kiffin has been part of greatness at USC. Chryst has run a Big Ten offense (for our arch rival, another plus). Walker brings a BCS track record and a Minnesota tradition. Brewster, well, Brewster had coached tight ends and been a recruiting coordinator. Suffice to say, the name Tim Brewster came out of left field.

I might be overly skeptical, but I fail to see why Maturi and Bruininks couldn't have sought a coach with both a coaching and recruiting track record. But I already know the answer to that. They weren't so much looking for a coach. They were looking for a salesman. They were looking for someone who could boost ticket sales and interest as the University pushed to raise millions of dollars for its new outdoor, on-campus, football stadium.

The Star Tribune's excellent columnist Jim Souhan made this point the day after Brewster was hired:

As the search began, the U braintrust had a rare epiphany. What this program needed was not a play diagrammer or a retread. What this program needed was a credible and persuasive salesman. Someone who could sell tickets and raise stadium funds, who could promote the program 12 months a year and attract recruits from Hibbing to Houston. The anti-Mason.

Let me suggest that the "U braintrust" was at least partially wrong. What the U needed was a salesman who could light a fire under a disinterested fan base AND diagram plays. So, Maturi and Bruninks went with a coach who they knew could do the one thing they felt they needed most: influence public relations in the short term, nevermind the longterm consequences. So, they hired a man who they had never heard of.

Maturi admitted that during the press conference introducing Brewster. Maturi said:

"Quite frankly, I'd never heard of Tim Brewster," he said. But as he checked around "everybody had great things to say about Tim Brewster. Kids love to play for him."

Never heard of your new coach!?!!??!!

To me that is astonishing. The University of Minnesota is in a big-time athletic conference. Yet when the search began for a new football coach, our athletic director hadn't even heard of the man now leading our progarm! Time may vindicate Joel Maturi but with a year behind us to look at this, the decision to hire Brewster clearly appears to be one that was A) rushed and B) made with one overriding priority in mind: finding the anti-Mason. It appears that Brewster was sold to Maturi, by a search committee, by high profile coaches and by Brewster himself.

It's too early to know if Brewster will be a failure as head coach at Minnesota. But with 20-20 hindsight, I think we can agree that Joel Maturi--by all accoutns a good man--put himself in position to take some criticism for this hire whether it works out or not.

This was Joel Maturi's first big coaching search as AD. And I sumbit he failed the test.

Year In Review: The Mason Firing

Even the most staunch Glen Mason haters were caught a little bit by surprise when on the eve of the new year Joel Maturi axed the coach who became to be known as "Mediocre Mason" during his decade long stint as Minnesota's football coach.

Here's what FireMason.com wrote on Dec. 31, 2006: The loss to Texas Tech in the Insight Bowl in classic Mason fall-from-ahead fashion has apparently led to the coach's dismissal. The late-season three game rally that qualified the gophers for the bowl had admittedly and obviously left me lacking motivation, as I assumed that the coach's future was secure for another year. The firing is a welcome and surprising holiday gift. Kudos to everybody who took the time to write to Joel Maturi and the other big-shots. This could have and would have gone on longer if we had let it.

I was watching that game in the comfort of my living room last year, watching with joy as the Gophers piled up a tremendous lead. Eventually, the girlfriend said "Charlie, this game is over. Let's watch a movie." I agreed, and suffered through some painful romantic comedy. After it ended, I flipped on the 4-letter (ESPN) and saw coverage of the biggest collapse in college bowl history.

It was typical Glen Mason football: show some signs of life, before falling hard. And that epitomized the Gophers of 2006 (and the Mason era for that matter). The Insight Bowl debacle opened up old wounds: Think 4th quarter of Michigan 2003, for instance. But as we now look back almost one year later, we have to ask was it the right move?

I will say now that it looks in retrospect like a panic move. Had Maturi wanted to fire Mason all along, he should have done it prior to the bowl game. The dismissal after the Insight Bowl smacks of desperation--an AD who was getting hammered with e-mails suggesting he should have fired Mason earlier. An earlier dismissal would also have allowed a more thorough coaching search process. The late dismissal forced the Gophers athletic department into near panic mode to find a new coach, as national signing day was less than 40 days away at the time. We ended up with Tim Brewster, who has excelled in the recruiting department and sputtered on the sidelines. And Maturi had cause to fire Mason earlier. The Gophers started 3-6, and 0-5 in the Big Ten. What's more striking about Maturi's decision making is that he fired Mason almost exaclty one year from the day he signed the coach to a contract extension. That meant that Mason received a $3.6 million parting gift. There's something to be said about giving an embattled coach a vote of confidence, it's something far different to give him that type of security without earning it.

Overall, I think I can speak for the majority of Minnesota fans in saying that Glen Mason's firing was a welcome developement. Could it have been handled better? Yes. Earlier? Yes. Did Maturi make the right decision? Yes. Did it look like a decision made out of panic? Absolutely. Are we better off now? That jury is still out. But I'll say this. As a Gophers fan, I was tired of Mason's excuses and the fact that he was apparently OK with mediocrity. Maturi and University President Robert Bruininks said they felt the football program needed a "new voice."

As the year in review continues, I'll take a look at their replacement for Glen Mason and examine whether or not they hired the right "voice."

BTB Roundtable -- Reviewing The Season That Was

Our friends at Boiled Sports have done the legwork to put together one last Big Ten Bloggers roundtable for the 2007 college football season. The Gophers season, as we all know, was one to forget. But the questions posed below will give an opportunity for both positive and negative reaction.

Here we go ...

1. What was your biggest surprise of the season (positive)?

By the end of the season, the Gophers were playing competitive football. A close loss at Iowa and at home against Wisconsin ended a forgettable 2007 season. But there seemed to be some progress from a player and coaching standpoint. Also, freshman quarterback Adam Weber learned on the job and performed admirably.

2. What was your biggest disappointment of the season?

Not winning one Big Ten game was highly disappointing. I'm not sure many Gopher fans expected such a regression, from the mediocrity of the Glen Mason era to the putridness (is that a word) of the first installment of Brewster-ball. Time will tell if this past season was a sign of things to come, or simply a typical down year when a new coach arrives with new systems.

3. What are you excited about for the '08 season?

The progression of Adam Weber, the younger receivers, and a recruiting class that by all accouts has exceeded anything Glen Mason ever put together.

4. What are you least looking forward to in the '08 season?

Getting excited listening to Brewster talk about roses but then failing to win a conference game.

5. What effect, if any, will a bowl have on Minnesota's football program?

Well, we're at home now. A bowl this season would have been nice. Some Gopher fans will say they tired of the AAA-Popeye's Chicken bowl games. A return to a bowl next season will show immense progress.

6. How and when will Tim Brewster's career end at Minnesota?

Brewster still is enjoying a honeymoon of sorts. While a Fire Tim Brewster site has emerged, most Gopher fans are still pleased Mason is gone. He'll have three to four more years to prove he can coach. He's recruited well so far, despite a one-win season. If he can't win with these players down the line, he'll be kicked to the curb and talked about often in the same breath as Jim Wacker in Gopher football lore.

7. Who frustrated you the most this season?

Tim Brewster. His rhetoric needs to be adjusted to reality. On a national scale, Kirk Herbstreit falls into this category.

8. What team and/or player opponent of Purdue this season was least impressive to you?

They were all sweet. We won one game in overtime against a MAC school. We sucked, they didn't.

9. Despite all the grousing we do, is Minnesota football on the right track (If not, what would get the program back on track)?

Recruting wise, yes. Coaching wise, I think the jury is out. But if I was forced to answer, at this point I'd say no. Brewster needs to show some maturity (not going into Big Ten media day next year talking like he's the next coming of Lou Holtz. Quiet confidence anyone?

10. Looking at next year's schedule, what's your early thought on critical games?

The Florida Atlantic Owls come to the Metrodome in Week 4 next year. Avening that embarrassment in Miami from this season should be considered critical.

11. Does it ever get old making fun of Fat Charlie the Manatee?

If by this question you are referring to Charlie Weis, no. Tim Brewster is good at that, reportedly.

12. Will Minnesota win a football national championship in our lifetime?

Now you're just upsetting me with these questions.

13. What is more likely for the Gophers and why: a football championship or a basketball championship?

A basketball championship. Why? Tubby Smith. Also, it wasn't too long ago Bobby Jackson and company were in the Final Four. Granted, we cheated to make that happen. But still, Gopher basketball has a much better track record.

14. After Brewster retires (or is fired), would you rather get a coach that is a better recruiter or is a better game day coach?

I'm leaning towards game-day coach. Glen Mason was neither. So Brewster at least is an improvement in the recruiting department. Is the combination of good game-day coach and good recruiter too much to ask?

15. If you had to choose another coach from the Big Ten to coach Minnesota, who would you pick?

A sentimental choice, I'd choose Joe Paterno. Love him. Respect him. Always have. As the saying goes, he's forgotten more about football than our current coach may ever know. But since he's 104 years old, it's not anything more than sentimental. Aside from JoePa, I'd agree with the boys at Boiled Sports in suggesting that if Ron Zook can turn around Illinois, he could do the same at Minnesota.

Eavesdropping On Glen Mason's BTN Interview

What follows was leaked from a very inside source. This is a conversation that you likely would have heard had you been lucky enough to get entrance into negotiation talks between the Big Ten Network and Glen Mason. As I'm sure you are aware, our former gridiron leader has a new gig with the Big Ten Network.

Big Ten Network: So, Glen, what can you bring to the Big Ten Network?

Mediocre Mason: Clearly, guys, I have a record. I’ve competed in the Big Ten. And if it weren’t for that damn Metrodome, I probably would have won a Big Ten title. The Metrodome really hurts recruiting, you know.

BTN: That’s a debatable point, Glen …

MM: Recruiting is even tougher now in Minnesota, with the open-air stadium on its way. Kids don’t want to play outside a climate-controlled facility.

BTN: Glen, you’re not the Minnesota coach anymore, there’s no need for excuses.

MM: Right. Sorry.

BTN: Anyway, we’re more interested in what insight you can give viewers.

MM: I can give color commentary from a coach’s perspective. If a team has a big lead in the fourth quarter, and is punting inside its 20, I’ll be able to relay from experience what the punter should do in the event all hell breaks loose.

BTN: Undoubtedly you have a good sense of the Minnesota program, but the others?

MM: Ohio State was going to hire me before they went the popular Division 1-AA route to hire Jim Tressel. Lots of programs are going the no-name coach route these days.

BTN: Sounds like a pot-shot at Tim Brewster.

MM: Not at all. Timmy will do fine if he can circumvent the tough academic standards at the U.

BTN: Hasn’t that theory been debunked?

MM: It’s hard to recruit at Minnesota.

BTN: OK, Glen. As a color analyst or in-booth guy, you’ll be a member of the media. But you seem to have a certain disdain for the media. How will that work?

MM: I have a record of being open and personable with Minnesota fans. They didn’t call me PR Glen for nothing. The media loved me. Ask Sid Hartman.

BTN: They called you what?

MM: PR Glen. You know, because I did a yeoman’s work pumping up the media and public at large. The Minnesota media and fan base loved me. Honestly.

BTN: How will you react if you are calling a game and the student section offers up a “Fire Tressel” chant?

MM: I’ll give them a cursory glance. Then I’ll probably run quickly to the AD’s office to drop off my resume.

BTN: What were some of the high points of your tenure in Minnesota?

MM: If you didn’t notice, I installed one of the most high-octane running attacks in the country. We put up 424 rushing yards against Michigan and 411 against Wisconsin. That’s good work for one Saturday afternoon.

BTN: Didn’t you lose those games?

MM: I didn’t lose those games. It was bad luck. It’s not my fault. Look at the numbers. I’m God’s gift to football. I know it and, well, I know it.

BTN: What was the best part of being in Minnesota?

MM: The $3.6 million stipend I received on my last day didn’t hurt.

BTN: You have any reservations about accepting a job with us?

MM: Not really. But don’t expect miracles. This is a new network. It will take time to build this program up. I am God’s gift to broadcasting. But I can’t work miracles with a program that has no record of success. Expect mediocrity for about 10 to 20 years. In the interim, don’t be surprised if you hear my name bandied about at CBS or ESPN. I’m coveted. It’s my personality, I think.

BTN: We’ll let you know, Glen.

Pulling Defeat From The Jaws Of Victory

For those Gopher fans worried about Tim Brewster's coaching ability, look no further than the video below as one reason to be relieved that somebody, anybody other than Glen Mason will be walking the sidelines in 2007. If Brewster does nothing else, hopefully he will not pull defeat from the jaws of victory, something his predecessor was great at.

The video, a compilation of the 2006 Insight Bowl, includes the halftime speech of Texas Tech's coach. I wonder what Mason said?

A hat-tip to Double-T-Nation for finding the video.

Florida Atlantic, Not International.....Sheesh

A quick glance at the 2007 Golden Gophers football schedule leaves much to be desired. To be fair to Brew's Crew, the former administration—known as the Mediocre Masons—are to blame.

The conference schedule is what it is. And while the Big Ten has went away from a balanced schedule, Gopher fans can't do much complaining about facing Ohio State, Penn State and traditional rivals Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan.

What we can complain about is the nonconference schedule. The highlight, to this observer, is playing in Dolphins Stadium. Any chance to revel in Daunte Culpepper's failures is worthwhile. But it's not like the Gophers are facing Miami, Florida State or even Daunte's alma mater, Central Florida. Nope, our rodents are heading south to play Flordia Atlantic. This would steer some viewers away from an Ultimate Fighting Championship event had it been against Florida International of brawl with Miami U. fame.

Two weeks earlier, during the Gophers' home opener, as the perhaps excited fan base feeds off the momentum that Tim Brewster has brought to the team, our rodents face none other than perennial BCS contender Bowling Green. In week two at the dome, the maroon and gold face another team that is sure to get Gopher Nation off its collective rear ends: Miami ..... of Ohio.

Yawn.....

Look forward to 2008, you say?

A to be determined MAC opponent opens the season at the dome. A week later, the Brew Crew will renew our longstanding rivalary Bowling Green. But wait, Gopher fans, it gets better. To round out the 2008 nonconference grind, our lads will face always-tough Montana State before rounding out the home-and-home with Florida Atlantic.

In 2009, the first season at TCF Bank Stadium, and presumably the first season Brew's Crew can be credited or blamed for the nonconference schedule, our rodents will host California. Decent, I suppose. Then again, the Gophers have also scheduled a mid-November tilt with border rival .... North Dakota State. For a second I thought I had called up the men's hockey schedule. Alas, I was wrong.

As a die hard Gopher fan who admittedly has suffered from waning interest in Gopher football—based almost solely on lackluster performances and poor coaching (note: punting mishap against Wisconsin, Texas Tech embarrassment etc....)—it would be nice if Brewster would schedule some intriguing opponents. It's been reported he has tried to convince Notre Dame to open the season in TCF Stadium. That isn't happening. Keep trying, Tim.

The out years of the football schedule show some improvement. The lads will face Colorodo and Washington St and Oregon St. But those tilts are a half-decade or more down the road.

For Brewster to really turn a bored Gopher football fanbase into a rabid one headed for Pasadena, we need to see more BCS schools on the schedule, less second-tier Ohio teams and please, please, no teams from North Dakota or Montana. And if we're going to schedule an also-ran Florida school, can we at least make it the brawlers from International instead of the Owls of FAU?