Flip Saunders doesn’t want to be the Gophers’ basketball coach but he could still make a major contribution to his alma mater by clearing up the mystery as to why he said no to the University of Minnesota on Saturday.
So far Saunders is saying nothing about walking away from the offer and the result has been a lot of Gopher bashing, starting with athletic director Norwood Teague who is being blamed. But what are the facts?
I know more than I can write today but let’s start with this: Saunders and Teague began negotiating on Friday, and by Saturday afternoon ESPN.com was reporting Saunders had turned down the job. Don’t you think if Saunders really wanted to be the Gophers’ coach he and his agent could have worked on the deal longer than 24 hours?
Come on.
This is the third time Saunders, the former Gophers’ point guard and assistant coach, has been approached by his old school. Athletic director Mark Dienhart was interested in Saunders, then the Timberwolves coach, when Clem Haskins had to be replaced in 1999. Athletic director Joel Maturi had Saunders, then the Pistons coach, on his list in 2007 to possibly replace Dan Monson.
Saunders has many attributes that made him perhaps the best candidate for the Gophers’ job. Enormously popular with the public, Saunders could create a financial jackpot for the Gophers, with impact on season tickets, single game tickets, donations, corporate support and a lot more. After a career as both a college assistant coach and NBA head coach, Saunders has a high basketball IQ and would have improved the Gophers in both practices and games.
But Saunders, 58, may have decided over the weekend that he doesn’t want all of the work involved in rebuilding the Gophers. While the program was a national power when he played in the 1970s, Gophers’ basketball has been in decline for years. Haskins, Monson and Tubby Smith, who was fired last Monday, all have under .500 records in Big Ten games.
Maybe Saunders decided that unlike his close friend Tom Izzo, the Michigan State coach, he doesn’t want to be chasing 17-year-old recruits all over the country. Some guys don’t want to go into every mama’s kitchen and exclaim in front of the family: “This is the best chili I’ve ever eaten!”
After three “courtships” with Saunders, it’s time for Gophers fans to understand this: Dinkytown doesn’t need someone — even a golden boy — to head the program if he doesn’t want the job.
Move on, and have faith in Teague.
Worth Noting
The search now might focus on Marquette coach Buzz Williams whose team ended its NCAA tournament run on Saturday. Included in the Williams resume are recruiting relationships in Chicago.
Teague is under pressure to not only hire the right coach but accomplish it soon, leaving time for recruiting and also not encouraging players on the Gophers’ roster to think about transferring. Although assistant coaches may not be considered, here’s a vote for interviewing former NBA coach and now Arizona State assistant Eric Musselman.
The April 1 issue of Sports Illustrated predicts the Twins will have a record of 60-102 and finish last in the American League Central Division. “I don’t know how they can avoid finishing last,” an anonymous rival scout says in the publication. “The good news is they got some good kids in their trades this off-season.”
The magazine questions the wisdom of asking rookie center fielder Aaron Hicks to make the jump from Double-A to the big leagues so soon. S.I. said most of Hicks’ hits in spring training came off “fringe major leaguers or minor leaguers.” A better strategy, the publication suggested, would be to start Hicks off in the minor leagues, delaying his free agent eligibility while allowing him to gain more experience before being called up later this season.
The Tigers, the Twins’ opening day opponent today at Target Field, are S.I’s choice to win the division. Detroit’s pitcher today, Justin Verlander, will win the Cy Young award, according to the publication.
The Twins’ opening day lineup a year ago was: Denard Span, center field; Jamey Carroll, shortstop; Joe Mauer, catcher; Justin Morneau, DH; Josh Willingham, left field; Ryan Doumit, right field; Danny Valencia, third base; Chris Parmelee, first base; Alexi Casilla, second base; and Carl Pavano, pitcher.
Span, Casilla, Valencia and Pavano are no longer on the roster. Today Carroll is a reserve while Morneau is at first base, Doumit is the DH and Parmelee is in right field.
Canterbury Park, with a live racing season opening May 17, is reporting a record number of applications for stalls. Also, the Minnesota Thoroughbred Association recently announced the number of registered broodmares has increased by 77 percent this year. All broodmares foaling in Minnesota are required to be registered by March 15 of the year they foal.
The cooperative marketing agreement between the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community and Canterbury Park announced last year is being credited with creating bigger race track purses and more interest in breeding thoroughbreds.