Glen Taylor will soon decide Sam Mitchell’s status as Timberwolves coach. The Wolves owner told Sports Headliners the final decision will be his, and Taylor said he also is undecided about the franchise’s long term commitment to general manager Milt Newton.
Both Mitchell and Newton unexpectedly found themselves with increased responsibilities after the death of Flip Saunders last October. Saunders was not only the team’s coach, but also the boss of player personnel including the NBA Draft and roster makeup.
Taylor relied heavily on Saunders for all things basketball in the organization. Without Saunders, he elevated Mitchell from assistant coach to interim head coach. Newton carried the title of general manager before Saunders died but his authority to run the basketball department increased last fall.
In the weeks ahead, Taylor will determine if Mitchell and Newton continue in their current roles. The Timberwolves’ season ends next week and Taylor said within a “couple of weeks” he will decide on Mitchell. “I think that’s probably the appropriate time that I would make a decision,” Taylor said.
Taylor’s process will include analyzing Timberwolves statistics from the 2015-2016 season and from talking to others—perhaps sources from both inside and outside the organization. Sometimes in professional sports the input of a franchise’s general manager about a coaching decision is the final word but Newton’s interim authority apparently places him in a different position.
“I don’t think it’s fair for me to push that on Milt (deciding on Mitchell) at this point,” Taylor said. “I think it’s Glen’s (mine). I am going to ask him (Newton) for his opinion and why.”
During an interview Taylor gave no indication whether Mitchell or Newton will be retained. The Timberwolves had a 16-66 record last season and with four games remaining this year are 26-52 including a highlight video overtime win over the Warriors last night in Oakland. The team has a promising young roster that includes four players 21 or younger. No starter is over 26.
That roster was assembled by Saunders, and Taylor has to decide who will guide the development of a team he believes can be a champion. “We just have to put all the rest of the elements into place and be a little patient and drive towards that,” he said.
Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns is expected to easily win this season’s NBA Rookie of the Year Award. Forward Andrew Wiggins won the award last season. Because of the franchise’s talented young roster, there could be an impressive list of potential coaches Taylor can talk to if he decides to let Mitchell go.
Taylor has been contacted by representatives of coaches who might be interested, but not directly by a potential coach. “No coach has called me up and said at this point, ‘I want the job,’ “ Taylor said.
The NBA Draft will be held June, 23, 2016. Taylor will allow Newton and his staff to determine who the Timberwolves choose in the first two rounds and what college free agents the club will pursue. “He’s got the same people internally that Flip would have had, so I just ask him to proceed,” Taylor said.
But Newton knows his status and authority with the Timberwolves are uncertain, and seems likely to be decided after the draft. “At some point I have to let him know if it’s going to continue or not continue,” Taylor said.
Worth Noting
Taylor said Wolves starting point guard Ricky Rubio will play for the Spanish Olympic team this summer. Taylor said he is pleased with the development of the fifth-year NBA player.
“I know that he has played with an ankle that hasn’t been 100 percent, but you wouldn’t necessarily notice that with…how hard he plays,” Taylor said. “So he does some really wonderful things. His assists, his steals, his defense. He’s one of the top guards in all of these areas in the league.”
Taylor’s 75th birthday is April 20. How does he feel about it? “About the same as 74,” he answered. “It goes too fast.”
The Gophers’ spring football practices end this week. After Saturday’s Spring Game at TCF Bank Stadium head coach Tracy Claeys might still be looking for personnel. He said on WCCO Radio’s Sports Huddle last Sunday the offensive line lacks depth and he may recruit a junior college transfer. A few months ago the Gophers added offensive linemen Vincent Calhoun and Garrison Wright, both junior college transfers and potential starters next season.
Former Chanhassen High School all-state lineman Frank Ragnow will be a junior next season at Arkansas and Razorbacks coach Bret Bielema praises Ragnow’s skills. “In my career he is one of the more talented interior linemen I’ve ever been around,” Bielema told Sports Headliners. “He’ll play next year (for Arkansas in 2016), his third year. My guess is he’ll have a decision to make at the end of that (about entering the NFL Draft).
“He’s a very, very talented player that knows football very, very, well. He’s steadily put on good solid weight. He’s come in at a 280 pound guy…(now) 315 to 320 ballpark. Extremely intelligent. He’s a coach’s dream.”
Ragnow is the lone Minnesotan on Bielema’s roster but he’s looking for more. The former Wisconsin coach recruited Minnesota for many years and is particularly interested in finding big high school linemen from this state.
“We’re kind of looking for (more) Franks,” Bielema said. “We’re looking for guys that are in that 6-4 ballpark, that can run, are very agile, very moveable players that fit into our offense very well.”
Philip Nelson, the former Mankato West High School star who played for the Gophers, is trying to win the East Carolina starting quarterback job this spring. Nelson, who will be a senior next season, is in a two-man competition to become the Pirates’ starter after sitting out last season as a transfer.
East Carolina athletic director Jeff Compher told Sports Headliners Nelson has made a positive impression on and off the field including academically last semester. “I believe he had a 4.0 (GPA),” Compher said.
Major League Football has decided to hold off on the formal start of its initial season until next year. Former Vikings assistant coach Dean Dalton is an executive with the league that believes there is a spring market for pro football.
The Twins (0-1) play their second game of the season tonight against the Orioles. Joe Mauer has hit safely in 11 straight games against the Orioles, batting .348 (16-for-46). Trevor Plouffe is hitting .315 (35-for-111) with 12 doubles, one triple, two home runs, 15 RBI and 12 runs scored in 30 career games against the Orioles. Brian Dozier has hit safely in 15 of his last 17 games against Baltimore, batting .296 (21-for-71) with two doubles, three home runs, 10 RBI and 14 runs scored.
The NHL will announce schedules Sunday for the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Wild has qualified for a fourth consecutive season.
Promoters of the new U.S. Bank Stadium hope to some day book the pro wrestling extravaganza known as WrestleMania, and with good reason. The WWE’s WrestleMania 32 drew an event record attendance of 101,763 on Sunday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Former Gophers basketball captain Al Nuness is doing consulting work for Jostens, and is also involved with supervising students at Hopkins High School.