Author: David Shama

David Shama is a former sports editor and columnist with local publications. His writing and reporting experiences include covering the Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Gophers. Shama’s career experiences also include sports marketing. He is the former Marketing Director of the Minnesota North Stars of the NHL. He is also the former Marketing Director of the United States Tennis Association’s Northern Section. A native of Minneapolis, Shama has been part of the community his entire life. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota where he majored in journalism. He also has a Master’s degree in education from the University of St. Thomas. He was a member of the Governor’s NBA’s Task Force to help create interest in bringing pro basketball to town in the 1980s.

What to Know about Golden Gophers Men’s Basketball Job

Posted on March 8, 2025March 8, 2025 by David Shama

Next week Mark Coyle is likely to make news about the University of Minnesota basketball program. The athletic director could announce the dismissal of men’s head coach Ben Johnson, or make it clear the Minneapolis native will return for a fifth season leading his alma mater.

Either action will make headlines and depending upon your view of the program be polarizing.

A source with knowledge inside the Athletic Department indicated it’s not known which direction Coyle will proceed. Other valued sources aren’t predicting an outcome either, but if pressed believe Coyle will give Johnson another year.

Their view is that 2025 is already a tumultuous time for the department as power four schools anticipate revenue sharing for the first time with athletes. The U is expected to allocate at least $20 million this year to athletes in football, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s hockey and volleyball.

The budget for the 22-sports at the U will be challenging for the self-supporting Athletic Department. To buy out the contracts of Johnson and staff likely totals in the range of $5 million. Then add a similar total for a new staff, plus a possible substantial contract buyout for the new coach’s old school, and it’s clear any change will be significantly more costly than status quo with the men’s basketball program. (Of course, immediate success by a new coach could change the budget with a jump in revenues).

Johnson has struggled to attract Name, Image and Likeness money for his players. If the U had north of $1 million in NIL money this past season, other power programs had totals dwarfing that figure.

With revenue sharing in line with what other Big Ten schools are expected to pay players, the pay-for-play gap narrows for the Gophers next season. Coyle may believe it’s fair to give the likeable Johnson another season because of revenue sharing.

It would be naïve, though, to believe Johnson isn’t under scrutiny by superiors. Deputy athletics director Julie Manning was seated at court side, for example, at the March 1, road game against Nebraska in Lincoln. Her roles at the U include supervising men’s basketball.

Coyle has been the school’s AD since 2016. He is known for his patience and support for coaches, but Johnson’s four-year resume is concerning. The Gophers have two last place regular season finishes during his leadership. They’ve never produced a winning conference record or qualified for the NCAA Tournament and have one appearance in the NIT. Sunday they play their final regular season game on the bubble of whether they will be one of the 15 teams in the 18-member conference who qualify for next week’s Big Ten Tournament.

Minnesota is 7-12 in league games this year, 15-15 overall. Donor support and Fan apathy is apparent.

Johnson’s on-court results have held back donor enthusiasm for NIL which could be even more difficult to generate going forward than in the past if he returns as head coach. Although he has generated sympathy from the media for not having enough NIL money, he is the program leader and someone who previous to the Minnesota job had no head coaching experience and brand recognition to impress donors and the general public.

Regarding attendance at games, the Gophers drew a home sellout crowd last Wednesday for the first time since 2020. Public season ticket totals have been declining for years. As recently as 2019-2020 season tickets totaled 6,820. Next fall that total could be under 4,000.

As a revenue generator men’s basketball is overwhelmingly underperforming. With ticket sales and other revenue streams, the program should be carrying much more of the financial load for the Athletic Department and Coyle knows that better than anyone.

The guess here is Coyle will make a change after making a deliberate and objective evaluation of the program. He could decide he needs more from a program that has good citizens, improved academics and complies with department and NCCA policy. A new start and renewed enthusiasm could certainly be on his mind.

It’s a red flag that the Gophers can be so much more successful in football than in basketball. Head coach P.J. Fleck has succeeded in a sport demanding five times the number of players, and he’s done it in a state where the quality of high school basketball is significantly better in talent than in football.

Basketball is a sport that can see a team’s fortunes change within a year or two, and sometimes overnight, with the right influx of players, coaching, timing—and let’s be honest—luck. After multiple failed hires this millennium, the prerequisite at Minnesota is to find the right fit to lead the program.

The assignment doesn’t necessarily have to command a marquee hire. A few miles from Dinkytown John Tauer, believed to be earning a salary less than $600,000 per season, has been turning heads for years as the St. Thomas head coach.

Tauer won a Division III national title in 2016. For four seasons he has led an ultra-successful transition into Division I with his mid-majors program in the Summit League. This season the Tommies are 12-4 in conference regular season games and 23-9 overall. Think Tauer, with a foundation built on former Minnesota prep players, could win at Minnesota?

Yup.

No one is predicting Tauer, whose roots are deep at St. Thomas, would take the Minnesota job if offered but if he did the expectation would be for him to run a savvy program like the Wisconsin Badgers have done for decades. Wisconsin turned around its basketball program in the 1990s with low profile coaching talent starting with Dick Bennett. Then Bo Ryan and Greg Gard overachieved this millennium with Final Fours, Big Ten titles and national rankings.

The Wisconsin way succeeds without blue-blood players The Badgers are no pipeline to the NBA. But they do have a pipeline to Minnesota preps, for decades featuring talent from the Gopher state. The current roster has five Minnesota natives and five Wisconsin natives.

The Badger program, built around fundamentals and unselfish attitude, is a case study in hard-ass defense, exploiting the weaknesses of opponents and minimizing mistakes including turnovers. At 13-6 in Big Ten games and 23-7 overall, the Badgers are again a force to be reckoned with.

Last Wednesday night’s game with the Gophers was a microcosm of what works for Wisconsin and doesn’t for Minnesota. The Gophers lost their ninth consecutive game in their border rivalry series.

They saw how the Badgers run out of bounds plays contributing to points in a tight game that was tied in the second half. They saw how the Badgers drained three-point shots and balanced that offense with drives to the baskets for scores. They saw how repeatedly Badger defenders offered no path to the basket. And they saw how the decades old Wisconsin winning philosophy includes fundamentals as straight forward as making most of their free throws.

It was another game where all the little things added up to the big thing: A 74-67 Wisconsin win. At places like Wisconsin, the sum is more valuable than the parts.

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From Puck to Woodworking, Wild’s Bill Guerin a Builder

Posted on March 5, 2025March 5, 2025 by David Shama

It’s a whirlwind time for Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin as he starts 2025.

Leading the Wild since 2019, Guerin had general manager responsibilities for the 2025 Team USA that finished second in last month’s dramatic “4 Nations Face-Off” that ended with the overtime championship thriller in Boston where Canada won 3-2. Guerin put together a feisty team that included Wild players Matt Boldy and Brock Faber.

This winter he’s seen a Wild roster challenged by injuries with the list starting with still sidelined superstar forward Kirill Kaprizov. The Wild faces playoff positioning shorthanded but still ranks fourth in the Western Conference with 76 points.

The NHL trade deadline is Friday and Guerin and staff are sorting through options. Last week they traded for 35-year-old Nashville Predators forward Gustav Nyquist in exchange for a second round 2026 draft choice. .

Guerin, 54, knows that no matter who is on his roster those players deserve a relationship and clear communications from him. Even in the almost five years since he became the Wild’s GM, and certainly much more so than in the 1990’s and 2000’s when he was an NHL player, players have increased expectations about how they’re related to, Guerin told Sports Headliners.

“100 percent it is (different) and you know what? I don’t think it’s a bad thing. I think it’s actually a good thing because I would have loved that (as a player).

“Because I feel now, like more than ever, the coach, the general manager we’re not so much in a position to say, do this, do that. It’s how can we help you get better? What can we do for you to help you carry out our game plan? We’re here for them.”

This new generation of players wants to be on the “same page” with coaches and management. Guerin considers it critical he know “what makes them tick.” He needs to know if there is something troubling a player, impacting and causing poor performance. “ It’s not that they forgot how to play hockey. Something could be going on in their life that we could help them with,” he said.

In this new era, Guerin uses an approach with players that comes from his career on the ice that spanned from 1991-2010 with eight different teams. This is what goes through his mind:

“Did a GM ever say that to me? Or did a coach ever say that to me? Or how would I have reacted as a player…and how would I have felt?”

As the GM, though, Guerin knows at times there are difficult decisions and messages he must deliver, reminding an interviewer that “I have to be honest, and I have to lead.”

Guerin, of course, hopes this season will result in a long playoff run for the Wild. The ultimate prize is a Stanley Cup championship. That’s something the franchise has never achieved and winning a cup would nicely fit into what Guerin wants his legacy to be as a GM. The Wild has made the playoffs every year except one during the Guerin era and had one second place regular seson finish in the Western Conference.

“First and foremost winning,” he answered about how he wants to be remembered. “A winning general manager is what I want to be known as, but I also want to be known as somebody that the people who worked for me enjoyed working for me and the players that worked for me enjoyed working for me, and they all felt supported. But the winning is the bottom line.”

Guerin, who won Stanley Cups as a player with the Devils and Penguins, has never forgotten the advice of his father who told him to hire people smarter than himself.

“Everything goes back to human beings. I mean good people and smart people that help you because you can’t do it all on your own,” Guerin said.

Guerin’s father was Irish, his mother Nicaraguan. He was the first Hispanic player in NHL history when he debuted with the Devils in 1991.

Guerin is appreciative of not only the people who work for him but also franchise owner Craig Leipold. “He’s the best. He’s an incredible human being. Treats me and my family so well. They are just a joy to work for. He supports me, challenges me and has passion for the team and just wants to win.”

Guerin has learned over the years how approachable Leipold and his wife are. “Him and Helen are just two of the kindest people that we’ve met, and they are just great to be around. They make you feel like part of the family and that’s really special.”

This next offseason the Wild will be positioned to have more salary cap room than at any time in years. The summer news could include not only acquisition of players but also the re-signing of Kaprizov.

Regarding the offseason and extra money to spend, Guerin would only say it’s important to “be patient, be ready.” He wouldn’t get into predictions about Kaprizov other than to praise the 27-year-old’s talents.

Guerin said Kaprizov is “right up there” with the elite players he has been around. “He is extremely driven and when you have that skill set and that drive it’s a deadly combination.”

Away from the job, Guerin finds satisfaction with activities that include golf, cooking and woodworking.

He is passionate about golf because “it’s different every round,” referring to the ups and downs of his game. There’s the camaraderie, too. “It’s a lot of fun,” said the nine-handicapper who loves to play at Spring Hill Golf Club in Wayzata.

In the kitchen Guerin finds challenges, too. “I love to cook,” he said.. “I’ve been doing that for quite a while now. It’s just fun to be able to put things on the table and seeing what you can come up with.

“I think that’s my favorite thing (about it), is just kind of opening the fridge and seeing what’s there and seeing what you can come up with. Dinners with friends and family, there’s nothing better than good food, and good wine and just bringing people together. I love that.”

Woodworking is relatively new to him. “I don’t know why I decided to give it a try but I actually really love it, and it’s kind of like therapy for me. I’ve made more mistakes than I care to admit but that’s kind of the way I am learning and it’s just something that’s fun. It gets my mind off of everything else.”

Guerin has built a table for outside grilling. It is on wheels, has a butcher block top, hooks and a beer bottle opener.

Woodworking or hockey, why should we be surprised? The man is a builder.

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NFL Authority Not Touting Vikes Mullens as McCarthy Backup

Posted on March 3, 2025March 3, 2025 by David Shama

It appears likely the Vikings are moving on from Sam Darnold as their No. 1 quarterback and replacing him with J.J. McCarthy as the starter for the 2025 season. So, who will back up McCarthy?

Nick Mullens, the 29-year-old who backed up Darnold last year when McCarthy was injured and out for the season, has been with the Vikings since 2022, knows the offense and is a personable leader. But in his six-season NFL career, Mullens has thrown 31 interceptions in 34 games, including double-digit totals in two eight-game seasons starting for the 49ers.

“No, I don’t trust Nick Mullens,” a former executive with NFL teams told Sports Headliners. “I know he had a couple snaps last year and did okay, but we saw enough of him the year before to know that he’s a turnover machine (eight picks in 148 pass attempts).”

The source, asking that his name not be used, indicated the importance of a worthy backup is accentuated by McCarthy’s injury history as a rookie in 2024 who played in one preseason game before injuring his knee. He suggested it’s on the Vikings to find a higher-level talent with experience to be the No. 2 QB. Among names he mentioned were 27-year-old Daniel Jones who Minnesota acquired last fall and might re-sign in the offseason as a free agent.

The authority, who still follows the NFL closely including the Vikings, is okay with Mullens as No. 3 on the QB roster. He points out that Minnesota head coach Kevin O’Connell likes Jones and said that if he were in charge he would offer the former Giants 2019 first-round draft choice a two-year deal at $12.5 million.

Prior to joining the Vikings in late November, Jones completed 64.1 percent of his career passes for 14,582 yards, 70 touchdowns and 47 interceptions. A starter for 10 games with the Giants in 2024, he has 2,179 career rushing yards and 15 touchdowns on 399 carries.

Sam Darnold image courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings have until 4 p.m. Tuesday to franchise tag Darnold, if that’s their intent. The move might cost Minnesota about $40 million and it’s believed the Vikings would do so only if they thought they could trade him for a high future draft choice. If they can’t move Darnold, then Minnesota would be stuck with the $40 million, eating up perhaps two-thirds of the franchise’s salary cap room to sign other players.

Darnold resurrected his pro career in his initial season with Minnesota. The Sporting News and Professional Football Writers Association of America both named him league Comeback Player of the Year for his 2024 production that included career highs in several passing categories.

Darnold led the Vikings to a 14-3 regular season record but disappointed in the two biggest games of the year. With the NFC No. 1 seed in the playoffs at stake, Darnold and the Vikings lost in their regular season finale to the Lions and then failed to win in Minnesota’s opening playoff game against the Rams. In the Lions game he twice missed a wide-open Justin Jefferson in the end zone. He was a combined 43 of 81 passes in the two games and was sacked nine times by the Rams.

The way Darnold played in his last two games tempers enthusiasm and interest in the 27-year-old who until 2024 had been an NFL journeyman. “It was so disappointing how he played at the end,” the source said. “I mean, really just killed them (Vikings’ chances).

“That’s why I say how can you put big money into a guy if you can’t trust him to win a big game? And you got a young guy (McCarthy) you picked 10^th overall who you expect to be the future, and you got a coach who is a great quarterback coach.

“That’s why it all makes sense that it’s going to be turned over to McCarthy. I’ll be surprised if that’s not the case. And I expect some team to probably give Darnold a decent deal and I don’t think the Vikings are going to try to match that. It would make no sense unless they didn’t have faith in McCarthy, which I think they do.”

Could Darnold raise his game to be elite on the biggest of stages? “It’s possible because we didn’t think he’d get to what he did last year in the first 16 games.” the authority said. “But you invested in a first-round pick and you think that guy is special, which potentially I think he could be.

“And the one thing about McCarthy, in the big games (in college) he was clutch. National championship, playoffs.

“And that’s what Darold wasn’t was clutch at the end. So to me, you cut the cord. …”

It’s thought that Darnold will seek a multi-year deal as a free agent with any one of several teams, with perhaps the Raiders and Steelers the most likely of suitors. Would they be willing to pay $35 to $40 million per season?

The Vikings, with their own free agent needs, are likely to spend cap money on re-signing players like cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. And shopping in free agency for help in the interior offensive and defensive lines, and at cornerback.

O’Connell seems committed to McCarthy who he referred to last year as the “young franchise quarterback.” The 22-year-old, who was 27-1 as a starter at Michigan and has an ideal NFL QB physique at 6-foot-3 and about 220 pounds, apparently is successfully rehabbing from knee surgery. He likely impressed teammates and coaches last year in the spring and summer with his physical skills and leadership.

The authority thinks the Vikings have long had a plan to make McCarthy the starter in year two of his NFL career. The bigger issue now looks like who will be his backup.

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