Sources with knowledge about the University of Minnesota basketball coaching search have been saying school officials are setting an April 1 deadline for selecting a head coach but Athletic Director Joel Maturi told Sports Headliners earlier this week the time frame has some flexibility. Maturi, though, made it clear he wants and expects to have a coach hired by some time in April, likely earlier in the month than later.
That timeline will allow Minnesota to act with expediency when reviewing candidates. Minnesota needs to move on its preferred candidate before another school hires that coach.
Maturi doesn’t want to wait a long time on a candidate who might indicate an interest, then change his mind, leaving the Gophers without a solid second choice. The timeline seems problematic for hiring an NBA coach such as Flip Saunders.
“I would allow a professional coach to coach out the year but I don’t know how I could not announce the professional coach being our coach prior to some time in early April,” Maturi said. …“Because if I don’t have a coach by let’s just say…April 15, what are you going to be thinking? Why didn’t I hire coach Smith, coach Jones or coach so-and-so by that time? There won’t be a lot of easy answers.”
Saunders, the public’s runaway favorite for the job, has more than two years remaining on his contract to coach the Detroit Pistons and his team will be a popular pick to advance out of the Eastern Conference playoffs to the NBA finals. The Pistons’ regular season doesn’t even end until April 18.
“I can’t see how it’s going to work,” said a source with close ties to the basketball program. Another source said Saunders’ dream is “to win an NBA championship” and while the former Gopher player and assistant coach has long talked about coaching a college team, the timing isn’t right to leave the NBA.
The vision of a Saunders led Gopher program provides fans with an adrenaline rush. His hire would be expected to sell out Williams Arena for the entire 2007-2008 season. Long term his presence would mean millions of additional dollars for the University in basketball and fund raising revenues. He brings instant credibility nationally and locally. News of his hiring could be a lead story on ESPN SportsCenter.
A Saunders staff might include interim Gopher coach Jim Molinari, former Gopher and Chicago Bull Trent Tucker, and Brian Dutcher, a top recruiter and assistant for Steve Fisher first at Michigan and now at San Diego State. “That staff puts you on the national map,” a source said.
Maturi was asked if a high profile coach is more desirable rather than an unknown such as Tim Brewster who he hired as Gopher football coach.
“Yes, on the front end,” he answered. “I don’t know if Tim Brewster would be accepted on the basketball end and that’s certainly not a knock on Tim Brewster because we’re excited to have him. …In saying that, I do believe I need to make a long term decision. I can’t be fearful of hiring another Tim Brewster. … I can’t be impatient and not hire who I believe is the best long term person for Minnesota.”