Author: David Shama

While Flip Saunders is the best candidate for the University of Minnesota basketball coaching position, Mike Montgomery might be a superb second choice.   He built a powerful program at Stanford before taking an NBA job with the Golden State Warriors.   Although his record with the Warriors was mediocre and he was let go last year, he had sub-par players to coach with a franchise that historically is among the NBA’s worst. 

Montgomery was at Stanford for 18 seasons and is the school’s most successful coach ever.  His teams enjoyed top 10 rankings, won four Pacific 10 Conference championships and participated in the NCAA tournament 12 times.  His winning percentage of .702 is based on 393 wins, 167 losses. 

Minnesota Timberwolves center Mark Madsen played for Montgomery at Stanford.  Madsen’s enthusiasm was evident immediately when he talked to Sports Headliners about his former coach.  “I think Mike Montgomery would be an excellent candidate for the University of Minnesota job,” Madsen said.  “He’s a great recruiter.  He knows the X’s and O’s like the back of his hand, and he can communicate with people. …I think the U would be very smart to contact Mike Montgomery and see if they can open a dialogue.” 

Bring up Montgomery’s name and there is an assumption that he’s a “west coast guy” who wouldn’t be interested in Minneapolis.  Madsen, however, quickly disputes the suggestion that Montgomery, who grew up in southern California, wouldn’t want to move here. “This is a great place to be, too,” Madsen said.  “He knows that.  He likes Minnesota, he likes Minneapolis.”  Madsen also said Montgomery is a “family man” whose values are a good fit with the Midwest, and the coach’s wife, Sarah, has relatives in Minnesota. 

Montgomery’s ability to recruit and his contacts in both northern and southern California would be a major asset to the Gophers.  Madsen is confident that despite the difference in weather, his former coach could bring outstanding California prep players here.  At Stanford eight of his players became NBA first round draft choices and others had tryouts, an indication of the talent he recruited. 

Madsen said Montgomery sees all the elements that go into being an extraordinary coach and having a winning program.  Recruiting, teaching in practice, coaching in games, mentoring players as people (not just athletes) and working with the media are all Montgomery strengths.   

With his values and the wisdom that comes with being 59 years old, Montgomery isn’t going to be a win at all costs coach who breaks NCAA rules. Madsen said “coach Montgomery is not someone who is going to try to do things in a quick fix type of way. …” 

Both Minnesota and Stanford are schools emphasizing academics and integrity in athletics.  Minnesota basketball is down with two 10^th place finishes in the last three years in the Big Ten Conference. Madsen said Stanford basketball was low level, too, when Montgomery arrived. 

“You know the biggest thing about Mike that comes to my mind is Mike is a winner,” Madsen said.  “He went to Stanford when people were saying no one can win at Stanford.  And he took that program to the national level.   He took that program to the (NCAA) Final Four.”

Without goal scorer Marian Gaborik and goalie Manny Fernandez the Minnesota Wild are a struggling road team.  The performances of Gaborik and Fernandez helped the Wild break an 11 game road losing streak last week with wins against Vancouver, Edmonton and Chicago. 

Gaborik, who missed 34 games because of a groin injury, returned to the lineup against Vancouver, scored two goals and put the NHL on notice the Wild is a different team when he plays.  Former Minnesota North Stars president Lou Nanne told Sports Headliners that Gaborik has “tremendous talent and skills.”  He also said Gaborik probably is a “top 20” goal scorer among NHL players based on a full season.  At 24, Gaborik’s “best years” should be coming up, according to Nanne.  Gaborik has already had three 30 goal or better seasons for the Wild. 

Fernandez was superb in the road wins including 38 saves against Chicago.  That stretch was the kind of consistency Nanne said Fernandez must have for the Wild to cause a stir in the playoffs.  Last season Fernandez had career and club highs for appearances and wins.  He was sixth in the NHL in saves and goals against average.  

Nanne believes the Wild can be a top five team in the Western Conference.  He said the team is now “in position to move up in the standings.”  Minnesota is only two points behind Vancouver in the Northwest Division. 

The Wild are back in Chicago this Friday night, hoping to win their seventh straight game over the Blackhawks.  All three of the wins this season have been in overtime.

A source told Sports Headliners professional boxing is expected to continue its revival in Minnesota with a card on April 6 at Target Center headlined by Jason Litzau, light heavyweight from St. Paul who has fought on HBO.  The latest boxing success was last Friday night when a card with a main event between Shakopee’s Anthony Bonsante and St. Paul’s Matt Vanda helped draw a crowd of more than 7,000 at Target Center.  Walk up ticket sales were approximately 4,000 and the paid ticket receipts about $226,000, according to the source. 

Bonsante, defending his International Boxing Association Americas and Minnesota middleweight championships, defeated Vanda by unanimous decision in a long awaited grudge match. There’s talk now that Bonsante will fight John Duddy for the IBA world middleweight title in New York on March 16. 

Prior to the fight at Target Center Bonsante said, “I’m 36 and have a lot more to fight for than he does – pride! Like they said in (the movie) ‘The Cinderella Man,’ I know what I’m fighting for, my two children and new fiancé. You know, Vanda isn’t that bright, or he wouldn’t need his name tattooed on him to know how to spell it.” 

Also on last week’s card Minneapolis heavyweight Joey Abell, now 10-1, defeated Larry White from Alabama.  Abell has won all of his fights by knockout or technical knockouts. 

Until recently boxing wasn’t sanctioned by the state of Minnesota. Last year the state re-established a Minnesota Boxing Commission. Friday night’s event at Target Center followed up on a card in the building late last year.