University of Minnesota Rushes Football Coach Hiring

[MineralMan]

http://www.twincities.com/2017/01/06/p-j-fleck-to-be-named-gophers-head-football-coach/

See the link above for reference to my comments.

After a scandal involving a sexual assault by as many as 10 players, the U of M fired its football coach, just a year after hiring him. It was not a surprise move, really, since the whole thing had seriously damaged the school's reputation and pissed off a lot of people for whom football is not their first priority.

Typically, hiring a new coach to replace a fired one at a Big 10 university is a long, drawn-out process, with candidates streaming in for interviews and a constant barrage of speculation on who would be hired. Not for the U of M. Not this time. Within a few days, the University's President announced the hiring of a relatively unknown coach from Western Michigan University. Signed to a 5-year, $18 million contract, it was a major raise for this young coach, who had received about $800,000 per year at WMU.

No big press coverage of the selection process happened. One day, the previous coach was fired and a new coach hired. The new guy, P.J. Fleck, of course, was presented in a press conference, where he sounded and looked like every motivational speaker you've ever seen, tossing words like "elite" around the room in a blaze of optimism. He was promising Big 10 championships and a National Championship as his goals. And yet...

In today's paper, we learned that he had recruited a kid at WMU who had a long history of sexual assault charges and put him on the team there. While he did turn the WMU team into a Cotton Bowl contender, he has little history of success, really. He'll be the highest-paid person at the University of Minnesota, now, and has a 5-year contract, despite being untested. Why?

Because the prime goal was to shed the scandal-ridden previous coach and hire a new face immediately. Football is, apparently, so important that putting on a good face is the top priority. Now, we wait to see what accomplishments this young newcomer brings. The hapless U of M Golden Gophers haven't done so well in recent years. Now, we can expect them not to do so well for some more years. But, they have a fast-talking, slogan-dropping, unknown quantity in place as head coach.

What could go wrong? It's gotta be good, right? This will surely change the patriarchal nature of football at the U of M, right? I mean, this guy is sure to erase the stain of scandal that has damaged the entire school's reputation, no doubt... When will we learn to put college sports into its proper secondary position? When will we focus on academics at our major universities, rather than season ticket sales? That's what I want to know.

[brush]

1. The fired coach actually had turned the program around. He went 9-4 this year and a bowl game win

He made a fatal mistake (:sarcasm in backing his players who threaten a boycott in support of their team mates accused in the sex scandal. They wanted details of the allegations.

Coaches often get skewered for not backing their players.

This coach did and they ditched him.

[MineralMan]

6. Yes, that's true, but the scandal was too much and he chose

the wrong side in terms of what the U wanted him to do. It was embarrassing for more than one person, and the current coach was the sacrificial lamb. Frankly, I think the entire athletic department is pretty much of a disaster. Too many scandals, and too much attention paid to the major men's sports. OTOH, the women's teams at the U of M are doing very nicely, thank you, but are ignored, pretty much.

[tableturner]

2. The factor driving a speedy hire is the upcoming football recruiting signing day in early February.

They had to get their guy in quickly, or else their recruiting class would suffer greatly. That would take a one or two year problem and turn it into a four or five year problem, which is especially important for a football program already not doing so well.

That is not an excuse for any negative elements in the equation, but it is the simple truth. The new coach, already behind in recruiting, only has about three weeks to secure a signing class.

[MineralMan]

5. According to one story in today's paper, he's going to

bring some of his recruits from WMU with him. However, players already recruited by the previous coach are uncertain of their fates. I don't see the new coach as really helping much for the next season with regard to recruiting, frankly. His WMU recruits may not be up to Big 10 standards, and some of the previous recruits may decide or be forced to go elsewhere.

I don't really think the speed of replacement will really make much difference, really.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

3. Ohio State replaced their offensive coordinator and QB coach just days after...

a stinker offensive performance in a playoff game, so I guess there's "worse" out there. The new OC is the recent Indiana head coach who left their program after supposedly abusing players. He produced lots of points there, however, so the abuse stuff is overlooked.

I didn't see anything negative about their new QB coach (from the 49ers and previously the Eagles) other than some conservative tOSU fans attaching him to Kaepernick for taking a knee during the national anthem. Lol, good grief.

At least the Big Ten conference has stronger academic concerns than most. They don't want any schools unless they're members of the AAU, an organization for schools that have strong scientific research. It's partly why, in addition to new TV markets to pursue the almighty dollar, Rutgers and Maryland were invited but not other schools with better athletic programs. Nebraska only recently lost their AAU membership (after they were invited to join the conference).
https://www.aau.edu/about/default.aspx?id=16710

[FarCenter]

4. The University of Chicago has the right kind of varsity football program

[MineralMan]

7. Well, Division III teams...we have some of those

in the Twin Cities, too. It's really not the same thing at all.

[FarCenter]

8. I was actually thinking more of their leaving the Big Ten in 1939 and abolishing their program.

Since then they have backslid some.