Tim Brewster told Sports Headliners on Sunday he hasn’t signed his contract as University of Minnesota football coach, but agreement is “imminent.” He said there’s some “dotting of the i’s and crossing of the t’s” required but he expects the contract to be finalized within 30 days. The agreement will not include an escape clause allowing Brewster to leave the University for another school such as Texas. His ambitions for the Gophers include some day winning a national championship.
Brewster has been working as the Gophers new coach since January 17. It’s not unusual for a coach to work initially without a contract. Former coach Glen Mason hadn’t signed his contract in the fall of 1997, his first season as Gopher coach.
Brewster is expected to sign a five year, $1 million contract. The absence of an escape clause was discussed on Sunday with the 46-year-old Brewster who became a head coach after many years of being an assistant in the NFL and for college teams. While he is months away from coaching his first Gopher game, Brewster has brought optimism and expectations to the program not seen here since Lou Holtz was resurrecting Minnesota football in the 1980s. Those afflicted with paranoia, or just good memories, recall Holtz had a clause in his Minnesota contract allowing him to leave for Notre Dame.
So let’s assume that during the next few years Brewster has his Gophers challenging for a Big Ten Conference title and playing in New Year’s Day bowl games. And let’s assume his former boss at Texas, 55-year-old Mack Brown, decided to retire. Would Brewster gallop off for cowboy country or other places where talent is plentiful and college football is a religion?
“This (coaching the Gophers) is a dream come true for me,” Brewster said. “The University of Minnesota meets all the needs that I have, all the goals that I had to be a head coach at a tremendous state university in the Big Ten. So I look to have a long, long stay at the University of Minnesota.
“I would love to put down roots here with my family. It’s a wonderful place. … Most importantly are the people. The people I have met here at Minnesota have been just phenomenal to me and my family.”
But wouldn’t a place like Texas, where Brewster helped recruit players who led the Longhorns to the national championship, be tempting? “My focus and attention is reclaiming the status (18 conference titles, six national championships) here at the University of Minnesota with the football program,” he said. “I’ve got my hands full with this job and I am just totally excited about this opportunity. To be honest with you, I have no thought or consideration whatsoever of thinking about another (place). I’ve got a big, big job to do. I want to win a national championship here at the U. I believe we can and that’s going to take some time. I am committed to that time. …”