Joel Maturi didn’t go into the office for the first time in 44 years last Sunday.
The workaholic former high school coach and college administrator made it a habit to go into his office every day — regardless of whether the day was even a weekend or holiday including Christmas or the Fourth of July. If Maturi was in town, he could be found in his office, at least for a short time.
“That goes back to my high school coaching days, not just at Minnesota,” he told Sports Headliners. “Every place I’ve been.”
What went through the 67-year-old’s mind as he faced a different Sunday this week? “I just said it was time to retire as the A.D.,” he answered. “I was okay. I’ve always been pretty good at playing the hand I was dealt. The fact of the matter is that I am no longer the athletic director at the University of Minnesota. The fact of the matter is that I am transitioning to slow down and I am okay with that.”
So on Monday morning instead of getting out of bed at his usual 4:30 a.m. Maturi rose at 5:30. He spent part of the day preparing for aUniversity of Minnesota course on sports facilities and event management that he will be teaching later this year. By late afternoon he was driving to the Bruce Smith Golf Classic in Faribault where he was the after dinner speaker.
Well-wishers were numerous including members of the Gophers Alumni Band who inspired the crowd with the “Minnesota Rouser” and “Minnesota Hail to Thee.” Maturi talked about athletics but perhaps at no time did he impress the audience more than when he said this past school year 74 percent of Gophers athletes graduated, and last semester they had a cumulative GPA of 3.2. Both figures are all-time highs at Minnesota.
In the next several days there will be a few more public appearances at places around the state where Maturi will represent the Gophers, but soon that will all be the responsibility of new athletic director Norwood Teague who started work on Monday. Maturi will be deciding how to use his time differently than when he coached for 19 years in Madison, then worked in college athletics administration for athletic departments at Wisconsin, Denver, Miami and Minnesota.
“I’ve always been a routine person,” Maturi said. “It hasn’t been easy (physically) for the last months or for the last year. It isn’t as easy to get up at 4:30. I am more tired than I used to be but I did it because that’s who I am. I gotta find a routine. Once I get one down I will be fine.”
Maturi hasn’t been a golfer but now he’s been fitted for clubs. He’s hoping to receive lessons from Gophers golf coach John Carlson before early July when a family get- together takes place in Grand Rapids.
Maturi and wife Lois have bought a home on Silver Lake in St. Anthony. They’re renovating the house and also looking forward to putting a boat in the water that the grandchildren can enjoy. “As I say to Lois, the next move is to the nursing home,” Maturi said. “So this is our final move. We’re looking forward to this. It’s close to campus.”