Congratulations to Bob Hughes and other Goal Line Club leaders for yesterday’s outstanding Gopher Football Banquet at TCF Bank Stadium. The emotion-filled event included a celebration of Minnesota’s 27-24 upset win over Iowa on Saturday. The Floyd of Rosedale trophy was a focus of picture taking along with the Gophers players including the team’s seniors and those honored with awards. Interim coach Jeff Horton fought back tears when he made a surprise presentation of an honorary M to Connor Cosgrove, the wide receiver who had to leave school this year because of leukemia.
Adam Weber, the Gophers three-year captain and four-year starter at quarterback, was the Bronko Nagurski Award winner, the team’s MVP. He received a standing ovation from the audience yesterday. Wide receivers MarQueis Gray and Da’Jon McKnight were co-winners of the Bruce Smith Award given to the team’s outstanding offensive player. The Carl Eller Award for the outstanding defensive player was won by linebacker Gary Tinsley.
Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi was in San Diego last week. San Diego State coach Brady Hoke has acknowledged that he’s conversed with another school about its football opening.
Sports Headliners believes Maturi might pay over $5 million in salaries to his head coach and new assistants. He’s determined to make the Gophers very competitive in compensation.
The new Big Ten football title game starting in 2011 is expected to provide each conference school with about $2 million of additional revenue and will certainly help Maturi’s football budget.
In 2007 the Gophers were the first conference school to offer multiyear contracts to coordinators.
Horton and the other assistants hired by ex-coach Tim Brewster will see their contracts end on February 15. The new coach will be under no obligation to retain any of the coaches.
The Gophers’ season record of 3-9 is the worst in the Big Ten but Horton believes there’s reason for optimism about a better future program. “It’s not as far away as people think,” he said last week.
The areas where the Gophers need the most upgrade in talent and experience for next season are offensive line, wide receivers and defensive backs. The new coaching staff is likely to be in pursuit of junior college players.
Gophers running backs DeLeon Eskridge and Duane Bennett will be seniors next fall, plus younger runners Devon Wright, Donnell Kirkwood and Lamonte Edwards will make that position a team strength. “I think the competition at running backs is going to be off the charts,” Horton said.
Horton talking about Brewster who was 6-21 during three-plus seasons in the Big Ten: “He’s a good person. He’s a good football coach.”