New Gopher football coach Tim Brewster is an intriguing hire. The former Denver Broncos assistant coach is known as a superb college recruiter. Before going to the NFL for the 2002 season with San Diego, Brewster coached under Mack Brown at North Carolina and Texas. It was at Texas where Brewster’s recruits are said to have included all-American quarterback Vince Young who led the Longhorns to the 2005 national championship.
In 2004 Brewster was a candidate at Illinois, his alma mater, for the head coaching job. Scout.com had this quote about Brewster from nationally acclaimed recruiting analyst Tom Lemming, “He’s the best recruiter I’ve ever seen… he has a drive. It’s almost like he has a chip on his shoulder. When he loses a kid, he gets upset.”
If Brewster is that effective as a recruiter, you know he has charisma. Personality, pep and a positive outlook are qualities that the ticket buying public needs to see, too. Expect Brewster to work 24-7 to rally everyone behind the Gopher program.
At 46, this is Brewster’s first head coaching position. He must prove he can assemble a talented staff of assistants. Then Brewster and his assistants will need to show they can coach in practices and games. The better their talent, the better the coaching will look.
Bet on this: as the seasons go by the Gophers will no longer “gift wrap” a game almost every year as in the past. The meltdown era that ripped the heart out of the program needs to end.