Who is the next Gophers football coach going to be?
Fans of the program will spit out the words P.J. Fleck in a heartbeat but other names are worth mentioning including a favorite here—Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano.
Gophers’ athletic director Mark Coyle comes from a marketing and fund-raising background and might be attracted to someone like 36-year-old Phillip John Fleck who is (to some admirers) a charismatic leader. He gave a fiery speech before Monday’s Cotton Bowl against Wisconsin, telling his underdog Broncos they were “trailblazers” coming from the Mid-American Conference and taking on a Power Five Conference team.
Fleck upgraded Broncos football from mediocrity to this season’s 13-0 record and top 20 national ranking before losing to the Badgers, 24-16. The Gophers, operating in a pro town and confronted by a giant “purple shadow,” are going to have issues selling tickets and raising revenues in the months ahead regardless of the new coach’s name but Fleck could stir some excitement before next fall and also prompt a willingness in the marketplace to engage in product sampling early in the season.
Schiano, 50, resurrected Rutgers football, which historically has been an absolute graveyard for coaches. Schiano won more than half of his games at Rutgers and had one 11 win season, two nine win seasons, two eight win seasons and was recognized as one of America’s better coaches during a career there that started in 2001 and ended in 2012. He made a mistake in leaving the Scarlet Knights for the NFL Bucs where his disciplinary ways stirred controversy. He lasted two years and had a losing record.
Schiano recruited with success while at Rutgers, attracting players from not only the East but the talent-rich state of Florida. He offers a lot to the Gophers, including head coaching experience. Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer endorsed Schiano in the most meaningful way by hiring him last year. Schiano likely wants to be a head coach again and knows that at his age not too many big time opportunities are coming along. His age could be a plus for the Gophers because if the wins and is successful here, he might be inclined to finish out his career at Minnesota.
The same certainly can’t be said about a hotshot like Fleck. He could see the Gophers as a stepping-stone job, following a career path like Meyer who once made a splashy debut while leading Bowling Green of the Mid-American Conference before quickly moving on to Utah and after two seasons to powerhouse Florida.
There is something to be said too about considering candidates who know the state of Minnesota and this region’s people and culture. Wyoming coach Craig Bohl fits that reference. Bohl was an assistant coach at Nebraska before he built North Dakota State into a powerhouse FCS program. Bohl already has established relationships with Minnesota high school coaches. His name might interest Coyle. or current NDSU head coach Chris Klieman who is a Waterloo, Iowa native like the Gophers AD.
Coyle’s favorites list could include Boise State head coach Bryan Harsin. When Coyle was the AD at Boise he hired Harsin to replace Chris Petersen who quit to take the Washington job. Harsin has a 31-9 record in three seasons but hasn’t impressed like Petersen.
Another name that perhaps will surface is Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin. The Aggies have found the transition from the Big 12 to the SEC challenging and perhaps Sumlin, whose wife is a Minnesota native, might find the thought appealing coming back to the U where he once was a Gophers assistant coach. Sumlin is one of the few African-Americans who have been given an opportunity to be a head coach at a Power Five Conference job.
When University of Minnesota president Eric Kaler hired Coyle last year he told a prominent Gophers football booster he had brought a “superstar” to Dinkytown. Well, after about seven months on the job no one else is ready to label Coyle that way but he sure has a golden opportunity while hiring the next Golden Gophers football coach.
Who to bet on in the coaching sweepstakes? Toss a few bucks on Fleck, but perhaps there could be a Sumlin homecoming.
Mark Coyle’s Statement on Tracy Claeys
The following statement from Coyle was released yesterday regarding the termination of Tracy Claeys as Minnesota’s head football coach: “I made a difficult decision today on behalf of the University of Minnesota. With the support of Board of Regents’ leadership and president Eric Kaler, I have decided to take the Gophers football team in a different direction with new coaching leadership.
“I determined that the football program must move in a new direction to address challenges in recruiting, ticket sales and the culture of the program. We need strong leadership to take Gopher football to the next level and address these challenges.
“This decision is about the future of Minnesota football.
“Moving forward, we need a leader who sets high expectations athletically, academically, and socially.
“I also want to address the unfortunate blurring of the football suspension decision.
“On December 13, 2016, coach Claeys, deputy athletics director John Cunningham and I met to discuss 10 student-athletes.
“I informed coach Claeys of my judgment that athletic suspensions were appropriate.
“Without any objection, coach Claeys said he understood that decision to bench student-athletes.
“Coach Claeys, deputy athletics director John Cunningham, and I met with the student-athletes to advise them of our decision. Coach Claeys subsequently informed me that he agreed with the suspension decision.
“And let me be clear: this was the right thing to do.
“Coach Claeys’ tweet later that week was not helpful. I accept that coach Claeys intended it to support the boycotting players. Understandably others did not see it that way. I hope you will appreciate I cannot say more about the athletic suspensions in this case.
“I will say, as a general matter, athletic suspension decisions – essentially a decision to bench a player – are different from a prosecutor’s decision to charge someone with a crime.
“Different standards, different policies.
“An athletic suspension decision is also different from a panel decision whether there has been a student conduct code violation.
“Different standards, different policies.
“For example, we suspend student-athletes for attitude problems. We suspend student-athletes while criminal investigations are ongoing. We suspend student-athletes when University investigators present credible evidence of inappropriate conduct. What happens in a student conduct process is not for me to say. Like the U and all involved, I simply want a just and fair process. That is not determined by who prevails; if justice is done, then the University of Minnesota and the public win, no matter the outcome.
“Again, this has been a difficult decision. I thank Coach Claeys and his staff for their years of service. Coaches Dan O’Brien and Mike Sherels have agreed to remain during the coaching transition to ensure that our student-athletes have strong and active leadership in the interim.”
Hi David,
I’ve been thinking that Greg Schiano would be a good hire, too.
P.J. Fleck has certainly made an impressive showing at Western Michigan, and his high energy enthusiasm may well be the tonic to repair what ails the Minnesota football program. However, I, as you are, am concerned that his ambition might supersede any dedication he might have to staying for any extended length of time. Minnesota has experienced this previously with Lou Holtz.
Kevin Sumlin could also be a quality hire, however I am wondering as to how attractive the head coaching position at Minnesota would be in contrast to the position at Texas A&M. The support and enthusiasm for Aggie football is far greater than what presently exists at Minnesota, fundraising is at a level far greater than exists at Minnesota, and the ability to meet salary expectations has traditionally been greater than what exists at Minnesota.
It isn’t to say that Minnesota doesn’t have anything going in its behalf. The patience level at Minnesota would be higher than at A&M. A nine or ten win season would be celebrated here, as opposed to College Station where similar results would more likely result in frustration and a calling for a coaching change. A solid performance at Minnesota could certainly lead to a long run of employment. Also, there is only one Division I program in Minnesota, while there are eleven others in Texas, including four from Power Five conferences. Additionally, the head football coach at Minnesota would not need to worry about competing with a school such as the University of Texas, which carries an enormous presence throughout the state in terms of popularity, financial outreach, networking, and devotion.
I think that Schiano is interesting to consider because he is old enough to have carried with him years of experience, yet young enough to have the vitality to stay over an extended length of time; he has previously led a non-premiere program to a place of significance, he understands the challenges of being at a cold weather school, and he has been associated with a perennially successful program.
There will be others who will be considered, of course. Les Miles has been speculated as a candidate for example. Even Bo Pelini’s name has been mentioned. (God help us if he were to come here.)
But the one who will get the head coaching job will ultimately be the one who says, “Yeah, sure, I’ll take the offer.”
Cheers, Tom