Too bad Tim Brewster and his staff weren’t on the sidelines in Ann Arbor last Saturday to experience the Gophers 58-0 humiliation. The “Brew Crew” was responsible for recruiting most of the players on the Minnesota roster that was dismantled by Michigan.
If Brewster hadn’t been fired during the 2010 season he would now be in year five as Minnesota’s head coach. A five-year tenure is almost always enough time to fairly judge a coach and his staff.
Even though the “Brew Crew” is no longer wearing maroon and gold sweaters on the sidelines, we can issue the final grade: Flop.
What first year coach Jerry Kill inherited was a football team lacking not only playmakers, but physical and mental toughness. The Gophers are probably the worst team in the Big Ten and not even capable of beating schools from low level conferences such as the Missouri Valley and WAC.
Brewster hardly prepared us for this back in his early years on the job. He criticized the talent Glen Mason left him, although the rearview mirror now shows that players he inherited from the former Gophers’ coach were the ones that produced some success in 2008 and 2009.
As for Brewster’s own recruiting, he was frequently over the top in exaggerating the talent he attracted. Brewster’s players were solidly entrenched last year and also this season. The record is 4 wins, 13 losses and counting including embarrassing defeats to South Dakota, North Dakota State and Michigan.
Brewster recruiting hype? Quarterback MarQueis Gray was similar to former Texas All-American Vince Young, Brewster said. Playmaker David Pittman, who hardly got on the field at Minnesota, was reminiscent of Antwaan Randle El.
Not able to land yet another top Minnesota prep headed for a better college program? Didn’t seem to bother Brewster who said he had a better stud coming from out east.
There was often the “sizzle” but not the “steak.” And Brewster didn’t even secure his much hyped high school son Nolan who landed at the University of Texas where dad built a reputation as a slick recruiter working for coach Mack Brown.
Hiring Brewster ─ never a coordinator or head coach at the major college level ─ was a colossal mistake. The program is so down right now that it could take three more seasons to pull it up to the Mason level of 2006. Mason was let go after compiling a 64-57 overall record, but was 16 games under .500 in the Big Ten.
Losses to USC, New Mexico State, and North Dakota State were by a combined 22 points. Last Saturday in Ann Arbor the Gophers lost to Michigan by the worst score in their Big Ten history.
After the game KFAN Radio named punter Dan Orseske Minnesota’s Offensive Player of the Game. The punter? Honest.
Building a major college football program requires coaching, recruiting and time. Brewster and staff squandered away all three at Minnesota.